Portland Shipbuilding Company

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The Portland Shipbuilding Company was a shipyard in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in the late 19th century and constructed paddle steamers for much of its early history. During World War II, the shipyard produced wooden barges for the U.S. Army and Navy. The company continued more limited operations following the war until its facilities were destroyed in a 1964 flood.

Contents

History

The Portland Shipbuilding Company completed Ponoma in 1898. Pomona at Oregon City circa 1890.jpg
The Portland Shipbuilding Company completed Ponoma in 1898.

The Oregon Daily Journal records that the company was orgnized in 1898 by Charles M. Nelson, a shipbuilder originally from Norway. [1] The company first appears in the Polk Directory for Portland, Oregon, in 1899/1900. [2] Early directory entries list the shipyard as being located in an area north of the present-day Ross Island Bridge. [2] The company moved to a site at the foot of SW Nebraska Street in 1918. [3]

The Portland Shipbuilding Company constructed paddle steamers for much of its early history. [4] In 1924, the shipyard suffered a fire that was caused by sparks from its blacksmith shop. The fire destroyed a barge and heavily damaged the sternwheeler Sarah Dixon, which were both in for repairs. [5]

During World War II, the shipyard built several types of wooden barges for the U.S. Army and Navy. [6] After the war, the company continued limited repair operations until the Christmas flood of 1964 destroyed much of its facilities. [4] The City of Portland purchased the company's 7-acre (2.8 ha) site in February 1969 in order to expand Willamette Park, a public park immediately to the south. [4]

Notable vessels

Constructed

Rebuilt

References

  1. ↑ "C. M. Nelson Funeral Set for Saturday" . The Oregon Daily Journal . March 1, 1936. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 "Notes on Portland Shipbuilding Company" (PDF). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
  3. ↑ "$30,000 Is Paid for Shipbuilding Site in South Portland" . The Oregon Daily Journal. January 27, 1918. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 Larry Barber (December 21, 1969). "Memories Made of Wood". Northwest Magazine. The Oregonian. pp. 12–14.
  5. ↑ "Sparks from Forge Cause Loss of Portland Shipbuilding Plant". Fire and Water Engineering . July 30, 1924. p. 221 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ La Du, Robert R. (2016). "Portland Shipbuilding Company". Her Finest Hour: Shipbuilding in the Portland Area During World War II. Page Publishing. p. 93. ISBN   978-1-68348-800-2.
  7. ↑ "New River Steamer". The Oregonian. June 24, 1898. p. 8.
  8. ↑ "Jessie Harkins Launched: Hosford's Gasoline Steamer Ready for Service". The Morning Oregonian. November 19, 1903. p. 5.
  9. ↑ "Steamer Cowlitz Finished". The Morning Oregonian. March 9, 1917. p. 16.
  10. ↑ "Sarah Will Be Rebuilt". The Oregon Daily Journal. December 22, 1905. p. 9.
  11. ↑ "Without Ceremonies: New Steamer Sarah Dixon Makes Initial Slide in Willamette River". The Oregon Daily Journal. May 27, 1906. p. 9.
  12. ↑ "Gatzert Is Afloat". The Sunday Oregonian. August 25, 1907. p. 8.

Further reading

45°28′39″N122°40′14″W / 45.4776°N 122.6705°W / 45.4776; -122.6705

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