Montgomery & Howard

Last updated
Montgomery & Howard
TypePrivate
IndustryShipbuilding
GenreWritten
Founded1867
FoundersJabez K. Montgomery and A. L. Howard
Defunct1904
FateClosed
HeadquartersMarginal Street, ,
Area served
New England
ProductsWooden-hulled steamships and other watercraft
ServicesShip repairs

Montgomery & Howard was a 19th-century American shipbuilding company started by Jabez K. Montgomery and A. L. Howard in 1867. The shipyard was on Marginal Street in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Some of the finest boats in the New England cost were designed and built by them. The company stayed in business until 1904. The sidewheel passenger steamer Old Colony was the last vessel that the firm built.

Contents

History

During the American Civil War Jabez K. Montgomery and A. L. Howard worked for a large shipbuilding firm in Portland, Maine, where they constructed gunboats for the United States Navy. Both men were born in Warren, Maine, and were school boy friends. In 1867, they came to Chelsea, Massachusetts, to start the Montgomery & Howard shipbuilding company. [1]

The Montgomery & Howard shipyard was at 37 Marginal Street in Chelsea, Massachusetts, at the foot of Hawthorne Street. They built passenger steamboats, pilot boats, and ferryboats. Some of the finest boats in the New England coast were designed and built by them. They built for the Winnisimmet Ferry Company, Old Colony Steamship Company and the Fall River Line.

The sidewheel passenger steamer Old Colony was the last vessel that was built by the firm before going out of business in 1904. [2]

Jabez K. Montgomery

Jabez K. Montgomery of the Montgomery & Howard shipyard. Jabez K. Montgomery.jpg
Jabez K. Montgomery of the Montgomery & Howard shipyard.

Jabez K. Montgomery was born on May 25, 1797, in Warren, Maine where he learned the shipbuilding trade. He is the son of Phillip Montgomery and Olive Faulkner. [3] He worked for a shipbuilding firm in Portland, Main during the Civil War with his friend A. L. Howard. Montgomery moved to Chelsea in 1867 and cofounded the Montgomery & Howard shipbuilding firm.

Montgomery was one of the best known shipbuilders of New England. He was a director of the First Ward National bank of East Boston and the Globe Gas Light company. He was a member of the common council city government from 1879-1880 and an Alderman in 1881 for six successive years. He lived in Chelsea for over thirty years. [1]

Montgomery died on March 7, 1907, in Chelsea, Massachusetts. [4]

Atwood L. Howard

A. L. Howard of the Montgomery & Howard shipyard. A. L. Howard.jpg
A. L. Howard of the Montgomery & Howard shipyard.

Atwood L. Howard was born in 1827 in Warren, Maine. He was the son of Thomas Howard and Sarah Keen. He married his first wife, Loda A. Sargent on January 12, 1856, in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He married his second wife, Mary A. Saunders on July 15, 1896, in Boston, Massachusetts. [5]

Howard learned shipbuilding from his father who was a well-known shipbuilder and mechanic. He moved to Chelsea to develop the Montgomery & Howard firm with his friend Jabez K. Montgomery. He lived in Chelsea for over thirty years. [1]

Howard was a member of the Review club and was an established equestrian. He was one of the founders of the Hauthorne Club Stables. [1]

Howard died on December 22, 1902, in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Funeral services were conducted at his home by Rev R. Perry Bush, pastor of the First Universalist Church of Chelsea. Many shipbuilders and residents of Boston attended the services. He was buried at his birthplace in Warren, Maine. [6]

List of ships

List of Montgomery & Howard ships. [7]

NameImageOwnerTypeBuiltDescription
City of Malden City of Malden.jpg Winnisimmet Ferry Company FerryboatMarch 18, 1882 [8] The City of Malden was withdrawn from the Chelsea route when the Winnisimmetline discontinued service in 1917 and were converted to a harbor lighter. [9]
City of Fall River City of Fall River.jpg Old Colony Steamboat CompanyFreight boatJuly 29, 1882 [10] The paddle steamboat City of Fall River under way.
Hesper Hesper Pilot Boat.jpg George W. Lawler, Augustus Hooper, and James L. Smithpilot boat1884She was launched on October 4, 1884, from the Howard & Montgomery shipyard in Chelsea. [11] On May 13, 1901, the Hesper, was sold to Andrew C. Wheelwright, a retired merchant of Rowes Wharf, in Boston, Massachusetts. [12]
City of Brockton City of Brockton (steamboat).jpg Old Colony Steamboat CompanySide-wheel Passenger steamboat1886Built for the Fall River Line. She was scrapped in 1929. [13]
Mount Hope Mount Hope (steamboat).jpeg Fall River & Providence Steamboat CompanyPassenger steamboatMay 24, 1888 [14] Scrapped in 1936.
Varuna Varuna pilot boat.jpg Captain Thomas Cooperpilot boat8 May 1890Varuna was built in 1890 by Howard & Montgomery at Chelsea. [15] She went out of commission in 1912 because of the introduction of steam power. She was sold to Stephen Simmons as a trading vessel between ports in the Spanish Main. [16]
Mayflower Side wheel steamer Mayflower.jpg Nantasket Steamboat CompanyPassenger steamboatDecember 25, 1890 [17] Beached at Nantasket in 1948.
City of Taunton City of Taunton.jpg Old Colony Steamboat CompanySide-Wheel Passenger steamerMay 28, 1892 [18] Scrapped in 1929.
Myles Standish Myles Standish steamboat.jpg Nantasket Steamboat CompanyPassenger steamboatJune 7, 1895 [19] Scrapped in 1936.
Hingham Hingham Paddle steamer.jpg Nantasket Beach Steamboat CompanyPassenger steamerApril 8, 1896 [20] Later Orient 1901, Bay Queen 1922, burnt in 1929.
Fairhaven Fairhaven ferry boat (NYPL b11707535-G90F270 054F).tiff N Y, N H & H Railroad CompanyFerryboatFebruary 5, 1896 [21] Abandoned in 1934.
Nantasket Nantasket.jpg Nantasket Steamboat CompanyPassenger steamboatMay 5, 1902 [22] Burnt Nantasket Beach Pier 1929
Old Colony Old Colony.jpg Nantasket Steamboat CompanySidewheel passenger steamer1903 [2] Burnt Nantasket Beach Pier 1929

See also

External sites

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall River Line</span>

The Fall River Line was a combination steamboat and railroad connection between New York City and Boston that operated between 1847 and 1937. It consisted of a railroad journey between Boston and Fall River, Massachusetts, where passengers would then board steamboats for the journey through Narragansett Bay and Long Island Sound to the line's own Hudson River dock in Manhattan. For many years, it was the preferred route to take for travel between the two major cities. The line was extremely popular, and its steamboats were some of the most advanced and luxurious of their day.

USS <i>Louise No. 2</i> Patrol vessel of the United States Navy

USS Louise No. 2 (SP-1230), sometimes written Louise # 2 and also referred to during her naval career as Louise and as Pilot Boat No. 2, was a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1917 to 1919. The Louise, was a pilot boat from 1900 to 1917. She was a replacement for the pilot boat Columbia, that was washed ashore in 1898. After the World War I the Louise returned to pilot service until 1924 when she was purchased as a yacht. In 1924, the Boston pilot boat Pilot, took the place of the Louise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Bell (shipbuilder)</span> American shipbuilder

Jacob Bell was an American shipbuilder, and founder of the Brown & Bell shipyard in New York City. His company built the first two ocean steamers launched in New York, as well as one of the earliest clipper ships, the Houqua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnisimmet Ferry</span>

The Winnisimmet Ferry was a ferry between Chelsea, Massachusetts, United States, and Boston's North End. Founded in 1631, when Chelsea was called Winnisimmet, it was the oldest ferry in the country. It ceased operations in 1917. The original ferry was started by Thomas Williams on 18 May 1631. After Harris' untimely death in 1634, William Stitson took over the ferry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. & R. Poillon</span> American shipping company

C. & R. Poillon was a 19th-century shipyard company in Brooklyn, New York. The company employed over 300 workers, owned several shipyards, and launched 175 vessels. The company was one of the best known clipper ship firms and the last of the wooden hulled boat builders in New York.

<i>Moses H. Grinnell</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Moses H. Grinnell was a 19th-century pilot boat built in 1850 for the New York maritime pilots. She was designed by the yacht designer George Steers. The Grinnell was the first pilot boat to feature a fully developed concave clipper-bow, which was to become the New York schooner-rigged pilot boat's trade mark. This new design was the basis for the celebrated yacht America.

<i>Richard K. Fox</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Richard K. Fox, first named Lillie, was a 19th-century pilot boat built in 1876 for Boston Pilots. She was designed by model by Dennison J. Lawlor. She was one of the most graceful and attractive of the Boston pilot-boats and represented a trend toward deep-bodied boats. She was later sold to the New York pilots and renamed Richard K. Fox in honor of the famous sportsman and publisher of the Police Gazette. In the age of steam, she was sold in 1896 to the Marine Hospital Service.

D. J. Lawlor Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The D. J. Lawlor was a 19th-century Boston pilot boat built in 1881 at North Weymouth, Massachusetts. The schooner was considered the largest for her type, noted for her seaworthiness and heavy weather performance. She was named after the prominent Boston shipbuilder Dennison J. Lawlor. She was struck by a fishing schooner Horace B. Parker, in 1895, and was replaced by the pilot-boat Liberty in 1896.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abel F. Hayden</span> Boston Pilot

Abel F. Hayden, was a 19th-century American Maritime pilot. He was one of the oldest Boston pilots, serving for over thirty years. He helped bring in the USS San Jacinto, into the Boston Harbor in 1861. Hayden was owner of the pilot-boat D. J. Lawlor, that was struck by a fishing schooner Horace B. Parker, in 1895.

<i>Hesper</i> (pilot boat) Boston Pilot boat

The Hesper was a 19th-century Boston pilot boat built in 1884, designed from a model by Dennison J. Lawlor as a Boston yacht and pilot-boat for merchant and ship owner George W. Lawler. She was known to be the largest pilot boat under the American flag at 104 feet long and the fastest of the Boston fleet. She competed in several first-class sailing races, and in 1886, the Hesper won the silver cup in what was known as the first Fishermen's Race. She was withdrawn from the pilot service and sold in 1901. The Hesper became a wreck on the point off Cape Henlopen in 1919.

<i>Varuna</i> (pilot boat) Boston Pilot boat

The Varuna was a 19th-century Boston pilot boat, built by Montgomery & Howard at Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1890, for a group of Boston pilots. She was designed by yacht designer Edward Burgess, known for his America's Cup defenders. She was the first centerboard pilot-boat in operation in the Massachusetts Bay. The Varuna went out of service in 1912 because of the introduction of steam power into pilot-boats. She was later sold to Stephen Simmons to be used as a trading vessel between ports in the Spanish Main in 1913.

<i>Friend</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The Friend was a 19th-century pilot boat built by Daniel D. Kelley & Holmes East Boston shipyard in 1848 for Boston pilots. She helped transport Boston maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the Boston Harbor. The Friend was one of the last of the low sided, straight sheared schooners built in the 1840s for Boston pilots. The second Boston pilot boat Friend was built in 1887. Her name came from the older Friend that was in the service in the late 1840s. Captain Thomas Cooper sold the Friend to New York pilots in 1893. Cooper replaced the Friend with the pilot-boat Columbia in 1894.

Dennison J. Lawlor, was a 19th-century Canadian-Irish shipbuilder and yacht designer. He apprenticed under shipbuilder Whitmore & Holbrook. Lawlor had his own shipyard, building and designing for 40 years some of the finest yachts, pilot boats, and 150 merchant vessels built from his designs. The most notable were the Hesper, Florence, and D. J. Lawlor. Lawlor died in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1892.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">America (1897)</span> Boston Pilot boat

The America, No. 1 was a 19th-century American pilot boat built in 1897 for Captain James H. Reid Sr. of Boston and designed by Boston designer Thomas F. McManus. The Boston America did not resemble her famous namesake, yacht America, rather she was designed with a fishing schooner "Indian header" bow. After serving 21 years in the Boston Pilots' Association, the America was sold to David W. Simpson of Boston in 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moses Adams</span> Early American shipbuilder

Moses Adams, was a 19th-century prominent Essex shipbuilder. He had his own shipyard and built eighty-five schooners and pilot boats. Adams died in Essex, Massachusetts in 1894.

John Alexander Robb, was a 19th-century prominent shipbuilder at Fell's Point, Baltimore. He had his own shipyard, which became noted for fast sailing Baltimore Clippers. He was an apprenticeship under shipbuilder Henry Eckford. Abolitionist Frederick Douglass, as a young man, worked at the John A. Robb shipyard as a caulker for several years. Robb built the steamship Pulaski, that was lost off Cape Lookout in the 1838 Steamship Pulaski disaster. Robb died in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1867.

Ambrose A. Martin, was a 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts yacht and boat shipbuilder. He built the Ambrose A. Martin shipyard in 1882 at Jeffries Point, East Boston, where he built many notable Boston yachts and schooners. Martin died in Boston in 1934.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward A. Costigan</span> Early American shipbuilder

Edward A. Costigan, was a 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts shipbuilder. In 1858, he founded the E. A. Costigan shipyard at Commercial Street in Boston, where he built many notable pilot boats and scows. He was one of the oldest of Boston shipbuilders, being connected with shipbuilding most of his life. Costigan died in Boston in 1901.

J.B & J.D. Van Deusen was a 19th-century American shipbuilding company started by Joseph B. Van Deusen and James D. Van Deusen in 1865. The shipyard was in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Some of the finest yachts, schooners and steamboats in the New York were designed and built by them. The last boat that was built at the shipyard was the schooner-yacht Mohawk in 1875, which was later renamed Eagre and transferred to the United States Navy in 1903.

<i>Gracie</i> (pilot boat) Pilot boat

Gracie was a 19th-century Boston pilot boat built in 1869 at the Edward A. Costigan shipyard in Charlestown, Massachusetts. The schooner was used by Boston pilots and was sold to North Carolina pilots in 1881.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gillespie, Charles Bancroft (1898). The City of Chelsea. Chelsea, Massachusetts: Chelsea Gazette. p. 137.
  2. 1 2 "Along The Water Front". Boston Post. Boston, Massachusetts. 20 Apr 1904. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  3. "United States Census, 1860". FamilySearch . Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  4. "Ship Builder Gone. J. K. Montgomery Dies in Frost Hospital". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 8 Mar 1907. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  5. "Year: Massachusetts, U.S., Marriage Records, 1840-1915 for Loda A Largent". Ancestry.com . Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  6. "A. L. Howard's Funeral". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 24 Dec 1902. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  7. "Montgomery & Howard, Chelsea MA". shipbuildinghistory.com. Chelsea, Massachusetts. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  8. "Launch of a Ferryboat". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 18 Mar 1882. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  9. "Along The Waterfront". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 1 Mar 1917. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  10. "New Freight Boat For The Old Colony Line". Fall River Daily Evening News. Fall River, Massachusetts. 29 Jul 1882. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  11. "The Largest American Pilot Boat". Passaic Daily Times. Passaic, New Jersey. 4 Oct 1884. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  12. "Will Become A Yacht. Pilot Boat Hesper, Fastest of the Fleet, Sold to A. C. Wheelwright". The Boston Daily Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 13 May 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  13. The Launching of the Ship
  14. "Grand Opening Excursion". Fall River Daily Evening News. Fall River, Massachusetts. 24 May 1888. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  15. Cunliffe, Tom (2001). Pilots, The World Of Pilotage Under Sail and Oar. Brooklin, Maine: Wooden Boat Publications. p. 162. ISBN   9780937822692.
  16. "Varuna Is Sold. Old Pilot Boat Becomes Property of Stephen Simmons, Is Going to Jamaica". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 28 Jun 1913. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  17. "Launch of the Mayflower". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 25 Dec 1890. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  18. "City Of Tauton Launched". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 28 May 1892. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  19. "Accepted by the Company". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 27 Jun 1895. p. 7. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  20. "Will Make First Trip July 1". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 8 Apr 1896. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  21. "Launching of a Ferryboat". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 15 Feb 1896. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  22. "New Steamer Nantasket". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. 5 May 1902. p. 5. Retrieved 2021-05-30.