STURGEON BAY SHIPBUILDING N
Eastern UNITED STATES
Srurgcon Bay i ~ located in nPrthcast Wisconsin along the shores of Green l\ 1y ;md Lakt· lvlichign n. It has access ti) 2 I ~I /\ G E S of A m er i ca STURGEON BAY SHIPBUILDING Joseph W. Zurawski ~ ARCAD IA Cnpyright © 200 1 by Joseph \'ii. Zurawski. ISBN 0-7385-1 875- 1 PuhlisheJ by ArC(Kk1 Puhlishing, an imprinr nfTempus Publishing, Inc . 3047 N. Lincoln Ave., S ui1 c 410 Chicago, IL 60657 Prinl"cd in G rear Bri w in. Library of Congress Cmalng C m l Nuinl'er: 200 I 089660 For all general information contact Arrndia Puhlishing ar: T elephone 843-851-2070 Fax 84 3-85.1-0044 E-t-fail [email protected] Fo r n1stomcr :.e rvicc and mdcrs: To ll-Free 1-888-313-2665 Vi sit us on the inreme1 :11 hur://www.arcadiapuhlishing.com CONTENTS Acknowledgments 6 Introduction 7 l. Geographic Setting 11 2. Early Shipbuilding 17 3. Sturgeon Bay's Economy 27 4. Ships for the Nation's Defense 71 5. Pageantry of a Launching 89 6. Salvaging of the George M. Hum/>hre)' 11 1 7. Building the Margaret L 117 s·. The Future 125 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the following indi\'iduab who hdpcd nwke tJ11, work possible. I was mmt fortunare tn work wirh tht.: enthu,ia,.tic l>taff of the Dolir County l\lnririme Museum. Ac every ~cage, chcy wclcomeJ me and hclpc,I to make my work enj11yahlc. Dm1g Henderson. Jircccor; Jun Ga.;c, llpcrarions JircCCllr; Ch11,tim· R.1mh1ll, cur.ltllr; and June L.1!'>11n, archi,·ist: each were always a\'ailablc co assi'c me wnh cwry rcquci.c or need I h.id. A 'rccial thanks to Ken chm1..lckc, museum \'olumeer, wl111 ,hared wirh me hi-. ex1c1N\'e .md fir,c-han..I knowledge ot the -.h1phuilding industry chnc cannot he found in :my printed work-. John D. Thenell pronded n1luahle infom1ation. I owe .1 ,.pectal tnhutc tn my wife, ~l.1rc1.1 K. Zuraw~ki, who made 1t ro ,ihle for ml' to fini:.h the hook 111 a con,.traincd time period. Idalia Orti: assisted with the typing, Victor Villaluhns "''" m1ht hdpful, and Chril>tinn C111tini and Brcrnlnn McKenna nf Arcadia Puhlishing guided rhe hook tlm1ugh \'ari11ul> ""'!!C" of puhlicarirn1. Juscrh W. Zurnwski INTRODUCTION The ciry of, rurgeon Ray i~ nc~tleJ t1n ho1h ~ides of a hay, also called Sturgeon Bay, ahout a third of the w;iy up the Door Pl.'nimula 111 1he thmhca-.1 corner of \'\/i,comin. The water:- of Green Bay arc immediately 10 the we't. and 1he water-. of Lake )\lichig.m '''ere 7,400 feet away to the easr until the~ turgcon Bay hit' C.m.11 opened fnr commercial 1r.1ffic in l LI. \'\/irh an nhumlance 1)f fi-.h, lumhcr, 11nd limcswnc, the .m:a around. turgeon Bay hnd many proJucts it c1>ulJ readily sel l to cager rnswmcrs in major ci1ies ~c rvi ced hy ~ hip tn1ffi c in the Great L'lkcs. With the opening of the Sturgetlll Bay Ship Canal, JOO mib and 12 hours of tra\'el time were climin;:itcd in 1r:l\'cling from port' 11n 1he Grea1 Lake:. ro rhc City ni Grc::cn Bay. In the mid-1830~. Am11~ LoYejoy b hclicvcd to have hl·cn rhc fir-r permanenr n»ident of European descent to huild a vc~cl in the area u( :1 urgl·on B:-iy, \\'hi ch was a ail hoar. ~ lajor ~hipbu ildin g, however, developed \\'it h the arrival of Frl·cl:md B. Gardner of C hicago. In 1854, he purchased the uld hrnrn:stead of lm:rease C lallin, 1he firsr white ~e u lcr in th t.: Door Peninsula. G:mlner hui li a ~awmi ll in 1856, just south of t11da y · ~ Sturgeon Bay in an aren calleJ Liccle Sturgeon. The sm\'lni ll humcd in 1857. I lowevl·r, th~· hrig, ,1 l\\'O·tna:.ted i.chooner, Fanny Gardner, \\'hich had already !wen completed, wa~ :m\'t:d. The Civil War delayed shipbuilding ac Little Sturgl·on. Neverrhe l e:,~, several s hip~ \\'ere rehuilt and launched inimediarcly afcer the war. By 1874, 10 ~ hips ranging in size from 92 feet 10 18) (1:ct were huilt 1ir rchuilt nr Little Sturgeon. Financial l o~:;c~, including an 1877 fire at the sawmill in 1hc shipynrd, we re susrnined by Gnrdner in h1:. 1mmy husinc~~ entcrpri c~. forcing him 10 do~l' 1he :.hipyard. An effl)rr wa~ made tn preserve the ship traffic from the area hy ~el lin g ice. Thb \'cnrure 111c1 wich some llttCcess before that enterprise clo~ed in 1889. By I har date, I he lcg 8 1950s, 54 personnel boats in the lnre 1 960~. and 139 hridgc erection hrn1ts in rhc 1970s. Peterson, which also huilt heavy life cargo shi rs, tuna hoats, and vessels for occnnographic research at this time, closed in 1996 ~1 fte r dcfi.:nsc contracts dwindled wiEh rhc end o f 1h e Cold \Var. Today, Peterson 13ui lders, Inc. nw intains a pn.:>ence in th\.! Sturgeon Bay maritime scene with ownership of the Quarter Deck Marina. Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding nnd Dry Dock Cnrnpany was sold ro I>ay Shipbuild ing Compnny in 1967. Then, Bay S hipbuilding Ctm1pany merged with the i1pc rarion of C hristy Corpnrnrio n in 1970, and continued to oreraie ns n ~ uhsidiary nf the Manir.owm: Company. In 1974, a I, 150- foor- lo ng dry dock and contrncts fnr three 1.000-foot-long vessels were announced. It was estimnted this would add$ I 00 mill inn I'll Sturgeon Bay's economy. Employment at the shipyard was <::xpected to rise fro m 812 in 1974 to 1,400 by 1977. Fr.un 1968 ro 1986, the ya rd huilt 39 hulls including the largest ships nnvignting in the Gre;1r Lakes. These six 1,000-foor-long ves e ls were 105 feet wide-wider th 10 One GEOGRAPHIC SETTING This i:. an aerial \'iew of Sturgeon Bay, prohahly taken during the 194(1,. The expanse of the hay leading into Green Bay is ar rhe ror and right of the photo. The ,h1pyard. which i~ extending into the bay, is probably Lemhcm D. mith\. The hmlgc that extended lWer rurgt•on Bay would he just to the left of the ~cene above where the other ,htpyard... were loe The ;1 hove phoro was rnkcn in November 1941, and show:. wmk hcing completed in the COll:.lruction tlf what would hccollle an expanded Lcath('lll n. Smith , hipyard. This yard wa:. builr nf1er the company rccl'l\'l'd a cont rnc t in 1940 w huild I 0 l'an:i l -~ i :c d freighters for the Maritime Commission that werl' Ill he 1urncd m·er to the Bri1 i:.h. Lcathcm D. Smi th Shiphuilding Company was aln:ady working on thn.:c pa1rnl crnft s f(ir the U.S. Na")' nt the Lime. (O rigi nal ph11wgrnphy hy 1 lerh Hcynokb; Courti.:S)' Door Cou111 y Maritime Mu:.cum.) 12 T he gantry crane. center righr in phnrn, ai the Lcmhcm D. Smith Shipbuilding Company was insralleJ in 1942. Ir is rated at 45 t1ms. With it~ tracks 40 feet apart, it wn :-. in hca\'y u~c in the earl y stages of shipbuilding when rhe largest and he:l\·ic::.t pieces were set in place. (Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) The Leathem D. S mith shipyard during W1i rld War II shPws work being crnnplctcd on six ships still on land. Seven have already been l01u nched. Those on whid1 work and testing have a lrc;idy been completed await n crew, wh ich would rep1m to Srurgeon 13ay, hoard rht: ship, nnd take the ship to irs designated J esrination. (O rigi n:il l'ho t.ograph y hy \Xl.C. Schroeder; Court esy Door County Maritime Museum.) 11 Although it was more expensive w repair a ship in winter than in :.ummcr, shipyards in Sturgeon Bay often had their yards full \\'ith rcp:.1ir \\'ork during winter. The C hristy Corporation shipya rd, sho\\'n above, had fhc freigh ters in for rqx1i rs during the winter of 1948-49. T yp ical repairs included plate w11rk, boiler work. and changing valves. S ince most of the ships were Ctlal burning at the rime, pipes Jcvd1>pcd steam and warcr leab. \V'nrk was often halted since welding could nor he Jone when the temperature wa~ hdow :ero. (Courtesy Door County Maritime Mu cum.) T he shipyard of the C h ri sty Corpnrat ion is shown as it looked in 1951. S r;irring on rhe lefr is a long row of \'nrious shops tha1 prcpnrcd pans for repair of \)lder vessels or w he used in building new vessels. T o rhc righ1 is a ~ li p 20 ft·ct deep 1hm was Jug out and surrounded hy wooden pi li ngs. T o the ri ght arc two ;..hips un(kr cons1ni ctiun, ho1h of wh ich were launched in 1951. In the wate r is a barge with ;1 c rane u~cd f1)r clriving in p il ing~. During \Vnrld \Var II , six ships were often being huilr ar the same 1i me at the a hove sir<.:. (Original phmngrnphy by Herb Reyno lds; Counesy Door C ..l unty Maritiml.' Museum.) 14 Pererson Builders, Inc. conrinut.:d to hid on nnd was awarded numerous conrraccs co build vessels fix che U.S. afrer \'\!\)rid War 11. Tht.: ahov<.: phow of the shipyard was taken in 1953. It shows three 165-fnnc mincswccpcrs-rwn at the lt·fr <1 lrc;1dy launched and one at the extreme right under consrrucrion. Five 57-foot minesweepers are 1-k>ch:d and appear ready for delivery. The schooner, Uw/Jia, a rwo-nrns1ed 65-fomcr, huilr to c ircumm1vigatc the earth, is at the end of the pier in the center. O n the exrreme lower lcf1 is the former IJueclding, a 152-passenger ship that cnrried visirors ro Cedar Poinr Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, unti l Peterson Builders, Inc. purchased rhe crafr in 1952 and used ir as a floating warehouse for 30 years. The /Jueclding was restored in 1982 and 1 hen converrecl intn a museum in Sand1Jsky. (Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) George Baudhuin owned approximately 500 feet of shore pmpercy on Sturgeon Bay in 1944. His holdings extended inland fPr ahout 19 acres. Baudhuin began digging o ut a yacht harbor in 1944, and made a has in apj'mximatcly I OO-hy-200 fcer that could accommodate 200 boars. The dredgings from rhis operation were deposited in the art.:a on the left in the abo\·e phoro to make "more land" for fmurc expan~ion. The pi l in~~ in the center left foreground were in place for a possible future dock. (Original photngraphy hy Herb Reynolds; Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) 15 George BauJhuin donated hmd huilt up from drcdgings to Swrgcon Blly. He extended the basin, which be had huilt in 1944 rn acco1111111l(.lat <.: 65 slir~ for homs. The donated land was used by the turgeon Bay Yacht Cl uh, which was 1ipcncd w rhc puhlic in 195 3, and is in use co the present day. Pre\·iously, the Sturgeon Bay Yacht Cluh opcrarcd our of faci lities at Pctcrsun Builders, Inc. (Originlll photography hy Hcrh Reynolds; Courtesy noor County Maritime Museum.) In early Decemher 1953, the aesolwc delivered some coal to Toledo. She was then to rerurn to Sturgeon Bay for lay up. A~ she approached Stuq.~enn Bay, the wind, wh ich had been southwesterly, veered to rhc ~outh. A quick choice h;1d ro be made: try to make the cana l c.:ntrance or gn <1round the Door Peninsula, which would rake nn extra 12 hours. After cnnrncting C 1pr. Jo hn Roen, the owner 11( che ve:-~cl, on the ship·t1i-shore telephone around 11 p.m., the choice was made ru try to enter the c:mal. lksoliae Capr. O le Jacobsen shortened his towline as much a5 ht: dared to, ahnut 500 fccr, anJ came in ac full speed hugging the south brcakwall. The winJ proved to he 1110 ~m in g and rnrril'd rhe harge on tu rhe rocks protecting rhe fog signal station at the end of dw north breakwall. The rowing cable snapped, then threw off a stream of :;parks as the harg<.: :.truck. The Uesolwe ~u~tained a gaping hole in her starboard quarrcr and quickly filled m the level nf the lakt:. Her decks remained ahm·e warcr. When brought in, it was dcrt:rmincd repairs would cosr more than the boat was worth. She was repaire The Lake Forest was launched April 17, 1869, the sixth ves~cl hLtilt m Lirtlc Sturgeon Bay. She mensurcd 146. 7 feet with a breath of 29 feet and a depch of 11. I feet. She had 3.400 yards nf cnnva· and was one of the fascc~c sc h txme r~ on Lake Michigan. O n eptemher 22, 1875, the u1ke Forest left Chicago loaded with 353,000 feet of ILtmher at Whitehall, 1vlichigan, and dernncJ for Buffalo, arriving in liulc m·cr i,e,·cn day:.. In Ocwher 1876, the uike Forest made che run from heboygan co Chicago in nine hours. A year larcr, the u1k1t Forest l>truck a reef and wa~ :.critiu~ly damngcd. Hm,·c,·cr, after she was reraired, 'he made a trip between Ford Ri,·er, I\ lichigan, seven miles somh l1f E.'cabana, and Buffalo m ex;1cdy three Jay:.. le is bcltcve,I th1 ~ ,,. ,,~the fascesr crip of record during the prcdou~ 25 year~. The Loki! Forest, a "leaker." had io he pumped constantly. he wa:- dbmantlcd and Cl)m·ened inw a barge hut was noc u~cd in chac caracity, :.o her la:.t cnrollmcnc b ~larch 7, 19 10. (Original phomgrnphy iiupplied hy Great Like:-. M Ahour 1880, Jo,,cph I larri ~. ligh tkccpcr in the lighthou~e 1m Dunlap Rt•l'f in Sturgeon Bay, hcgan 1u design :md huild -,mall rnwing hoa1s and small sailing hoat:. for ll'l' 1111 the hay. He named his hll',ine'' Jmeph I l arri~, De,1µncr anJ Builder uf 'pccial Row and Sail B<.m h. I Ii:. lase h.. >ar huilr in 1911, dw Hccremion, wn• prnhnbly the larce'c hoar he huilt. (Cnurtc'Y Door Counrv ~ laririmt.· ~ lu,cum.) I ' Jo~cph H::irri huilt the Rccn.'lllwn in .1 y,ml ac rhc h1rhing hcach on the west side of Sturgeon Bay. The condition of the ~hup 'll/.!!.!e't' there were few of chc mechanical hor After the Lighthouse Scrvil.'.c saw how Harris' boat opcrilted, they ordered one. The inspector:. quil.'.kly c.:omplainc..I chat chey were mo ~011d and thac every lighchouse keeper who would ~cc one \l'<)ukl immcJiatdy wa n1 one just like it. Ir b nut known exactl y hmv many of rhcsc hoa ts Harris w:1:-: :i hle to hu il d, hut t·he LighrlmuSL' St:rvil.'.l' immediately purchased all he produced. (Court C!-)' Door County ~·laritimc Must•um.) 20 ::;;;.....__-~ The Marion was specifica ll y designed for I lcrberr C. Scofield, one of the early mayors of Sturgeon Bay. lt is ~mid to be the first boat builr by Peterson Boat Works around 1915. Martin Peterson built a small shop heh ind h b personal residence at 505 CcdM S tn;ct (now Mc111orial Drive ) over rhe wa tt: r m w1irk on this boat. The boat was used as a pleasure c ra ft . Scofi e ld co owned a shipbuild ing rnmpany, which he sold to Fred Peterson's fotht: r, which thl! n hl'came Peterson Roat Works. (Courtesy Bill and Fran Cecil. ) Pererson Boat Works devclopcd 45-foot-long gill net tugs used for fishing. This redesign of an earlier fishing boat offered hcm:r speed, and the how was exceptionally good for ice breaking. Built of wh ite oak with a ceJ;1r cabin, the hull was ironed off with J8 -gauge galvanized iron from thc heel r1i 18 ind1cs :1hl>VC rhc water line. The boat crossed L:-i ke Michig The banners o f rhis pleasure crafc built by Petcr:;on Boat \Vorks suggl"C a regatta of some sore was rcccndy concluded 1111 Sturgeon Bay in the e;lrly 1900s. The hoar is ndorned with signal flags co111n1 All wooden sh ips huilr in Sturgeon 11ay in the l:i te 1 800~ :ind the early 1900s were c:1ulked. A caulker would first scal with curtcm, 1h en :idd rhc oakum, which would he driven in ro the scums of a hoar- wedge- like :,pilcc:. between the planks. This procedu re would warcrproo( a boat. A crew of five or ~ i x cau Ik er:. could make a 200-fuot hoal w;u en iglH in two weeks rime. (Courtesy Door County Marilimc Mu~ um. ) 23 I !ans Johnson and I ler111an Cmach wcrc cxpcrL hoat building carpenters. They wanrcd ro own the ir own hmll works :ind purch;1:-cd thc S turgeon Bay Boat Mnnufocturing Company building nt the foot of Michigan S trccl ;11 1hc WHte r's edge in 1910. When they opened they rook 1he n:lllh: Sturgeon Bay Bo:ll Worb. Thcy hui lt 111any mwll p;1sscnger hPats with hulls such ns thc one shown ahove. (Courtl"'Y Door Cou11t y Maritime Mu ~eu m.) Sturgeon Bay Brnn \Vurb built many typcs of honrs including fishing tug~ , small passenger hoats, and many types of sa il boat ~ . In 1956, the company \\"\\S suld, renamed Pa lmer Johnson, and has conrinued to huild ~ai lho:it:- which have cn n s i ~ t e nrl y hcen winners in the annual Mackinac rncc~ aero" La~c Michij!nn. (Courtesy L'Aior County Maritime Museum.) 24 t\~ the D1.1or Pcnin~ula attrm:tcd a gn~atcr n1ricty of \'isitor:. from furdwr di~tancc~. mnny came by m1rnmohik Sale:. 11f ~ma ll rnsscnger hoats, cspccinll y after hoat 111u1urs were inmiduccd. hoomcd at Sturgeon B:1y Boat Works. (Ciurtesy Door Co11111y Mnritinic Museum.) \XI hen Palmer John~on \\'ii~ :iti 11 active at ~turgcon Bay Boar \Vorb, thc company began to make larger luxury yacht:. :-.m:h a~ the one shown on the right. Afrcr the f company wa~ ~old and r~namcd Palmer Juhmon Boats, Inc. in 1956, it c "Shecrl..:gs," ,hown on the left, was the nickname given to a cralll' ac Swrcctm Ray Shirhuilding and Dry Dl>ck Companv rhar tilted O\'er chc \\'•ltcr to load and unload ~hip~. le could abo he u,c.J to work on the l~1twm of the bay or to rccon!r ln:-t llhjecr'-'uch a~ an anchor or rudder- chm ma~· ha\'C fallen off a ship. (Ct1urce~y !)nor County Maritime M uscu m.) 26 Three STURGEON BAY'S ECONOMY With the T ewdes and Brnndl.!is Grain Elevaror shown in the center of the above photo occupying its prominent position un Srurgeon Bay around the turn of the century, two schooners are shown \ic ing pu ll ed hy rng:; w the roll bridge, extreme left, which is in the open position nllowing a ship to pass. A frcr the U .S . Government declared the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal completed in 188 l , co11 1111e rcial ship 1 raffic rapidly expanded on Swrgeon Bay. (Cnuncsy Door County Mariti1m: Museum.) Numerou~ (i~h tug, :ind other fishing vessels were huilt in Sturgeon Bay. Shown aho\'C is a scl!nc at (lilb Rock, near the northern tip of the Door l\:nin~u l a. The fishermen appear w he renaming wirh their c;nch T. Augustine wns a ho:1r huilder who supplied hb own St urgcon Bay fiuat House with hoacs he provided fiir ;m afternoon of fishing. The above cm ch was cnrn.idcrcd typical. (Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) 28 This is a view o( rhe Peshtigo dredge and the rug Reindeer dredging at the Sturgeon 13ay end 1)f the ship canal on Septcmhcr 15, 1873. When the canal would be opened, it \Vlluld save 100 miles for anyone wanting to make a 1 rip rn G reen Bay from Chicago or ocher ports on the G rear Lakes. T he can;1l is 7,400 fcer lo ng nnd 100 feet wide. lt cost $291,461.29 ro hui ld by 188 1, when it was inspected hy governmen t officials and declared complete. (Co11r resy Door Counry Mari t ime Museum.) -.L. This posra I card, darl:d 1909, $hows rhc Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal station and pmbably The Ann Arhm Railroad pruvidcd r.1i lruad car ferry serv ice in the Sturgeon Bay area. The Ann Arlior Cc1r Fem· N11111/xr Tlir;e mndc the trip through 1he Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal ;1round 1900. The maiden voyage of rhe Ann Arbor Nrnn~r Three \\"i i$ llll No\'cml't'r 11, 1898. She wa ~ 258 feet long, wtth the l--cam at 58 foet .1cr.1''· ~ide:. mil car-. the ~hip abo mmsporred gr.1 in and 1 ll her fonns uf fr1:ight. (Courtesy Dom C\lunty Maritime MtN'11 m.) 30 T he Ann Arbor Nrm1bcr Five wa~ built in Toledo and l;iunched in 1910. When used as an icebreaker (seen h<.:rc), sh1.: wt1~ making h<.:r way from Sturg<.:on Bay Ct> tvlenominee through Gr<.:<.:n Bay in mid - - winter. Normally, Ann Ar1'or Nwnhcr Fit•c hroke ic<.: when ir was 2 fc<.:t rhick. Howe ver, she was knnwn to go through ic<.: 36 inches thick and rushed her way through 20 feet of water where the ice exrended to the borrom. During her day, Ann Arbor Number Five was also known as che fastest boar to clear a pmhway through the ice of Green Bay. (Courtc:sy Door County Maritime Museum.) / Pictured here is 1hc tughl)at Geor~e NeLmn The Tnmspon was huilr nf iron in 1880, and was put inro sen·ice as a railroad car ferry. She was purchased hy Roen Srcam,,hip Comp: m~· in 193 3. and used for hauling "rip rap" (scone for building or ~ boring up docks and lin.:akwmer:.) and pulp\\'ot><.I. She also saw service on many \\'recking johs hct\\'el!n 1934 and 1942. On ~ cprcmhcr 22, 1942, the Transport wrecked on the rocks near Copper Harhtir in Lake Superior. (Cuuncsy Oonr County Maritime Museum.) 32 T he \Xlea therwood was huilr hy Srnrgenn 13ay Shiphuil The Resolwe measured 360 (eel, 44 feel acro:;s, and was 22 fcer deep. She had a capacity of 3,256 gross tons. She was huilr of scccl in C hicago in 1896 as a schooner and named the Manda. She was reconverte Some of 1 ht: l og ~ wen: loaded on the Rcsolwc by a heir-pull ey system , which caught individunl logs in the wnrer and pulkd rhcm up to the deck d the .ship. (Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) 34 Transporting logs and timber continued to he an important husiness in the areas around Sturgeon 8;1y. Larger and more mechanized vessels were utili:ed over time. Shown at right is a power crane lifting its scoop full of logs and depositing them on the Maicland, a ship owned by Roen Steamship Company. The logs we re then piled on both end of the ship. (Courtesy Door County ~' l arit ime Museum.) Afrer unloading the logs from the Resolwe , they were bundled on HI :.hnre and prepared fo r shipment, usually in large trucks, w their fina l destination •ll a mi ll nr utiliry company. (Counesy Door County Mariti 111 e Museum.) '35 The Hilda, Maicland, and Lillian were nll freighters convem~d inm barges hy the Roen Steamship Compnny anJ used to haul pulpwood and smne on the Grem Lakes. The above photo :. how ~ the three vessels in ice at Sturgeon Bay probably awaiting or having compleceJ repairs for 1 he winrer. \Xlhen pring The Mair/and was originally ;i car ferry char was con\'erted into a freighter and then was u~cd as a barge hy che Roen Steamship Comp;my. She could carry lumber ~rncked 35 feet high. It would normall y rnkc ahout 40-60 hours 10 unload a shipment uf lumber ~ u ch a~ rhc 1.me shown ahnve, which arri\'ed at rhe Jones Duck in Nonh Tonawanda, New York. (Courtesy Door Cnumy Maritime lvluseum.) 36 The l-lildt1 w11s a ship owned by Roen team hip Company. She could carry 1,800 cords of wood or luml'cr stacked 35 feet high or I, 00,000 hoard feet, the load 'he carrie~ m the photo a l~wc. he could al o carry 3.000 rem · of sheel piling, which wa!> u~cd w make dncb. (Courtesy Door Ctiunty ~ laritime Museum.) The cug, John Roen /\ ', pulls rhe barge, i\ lairlcmd, ho th owned hy l he Roen Steamship Company wirh a load of pulpwood. The Mc1iilmul could earl) up ro 2,000 cmd~ of \n1od. One corJ b a unit 11f wood cut fur fuel cqu:-i l co a ;.rnck 4-hy-4 feet ;mJ 8 feet high, or 128 cuhic feet. (Original phorography hy Herb Reynolds: Cnurte~y Donr County Maritime Mu~L·um.) 17 Afrcr purchase by Roen Steamship Company, the Transport had her superstructure removed. A u~ecl Bucyrns Monighan dragline crnne \\-:\:, mounred on the forwnrJ end of the Transpor1 and a new Insley derrick on her other end. he cnrncJ all her cargo on her large open deck. Her Monighan crane and Insley derrick could each hnndle n yard and a half ornnge peel huckct, a two or three yard clam hell, or using hooks and chains, they could handle rip-rap ~tone weighing up to 20 tons each. She was quire versacile and a~ shown ahcwe, carried stone for hreakwarer:.. She wa:, also ahlc:: ro carry l,000 cords of pulpwood, which she could unload in ahout 18 hours. Her competitilm, the Hindman l){)ats, required several days to unload pulpwcxxl since they carried rhcir ca rgo~ below Jeck and depended on duck cranes for unloading. (Courtesy Door Oiunry Mnririme Museum.) The /mcrlakcn shown alxwe is loaded wirh scone from the Lcathcm D. mich Quarry north of turgeon Bay. The fmerlaken was huilt a,, a two-ma~ted :,chooncr in 1893. Capcain John Roen purchased che \'es-el in 1924 to u c in rhc pulpwood rrade for which ,hl' W 39 T he U.S. M 40 Rieboldr and Wolrcr Shiphuild ing Compan y sold irs sh ipy;ml w new owners jusr before World War I. It was rcnaim:d Univcrs;1l Shipbuild ing. They builr some wooden rugs fo r the war efforr and the 250-fom-11)ng Ciry of S111rgeon Bay, rhe hirgesr wooden ~hip ever consm1cred on the Grear Lakes up to drnr rime. Since most ocher freighters were rhen heing builr of srccl, the City of Srnrgcon Ba:· proved to be T h e Florida wa~ 1me of the firsr ships bui lt by rhe Ll' Sreel plarcs arc hcing riveted inm place on a freighter under consm1crion at the Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in 1928. S teel plates at the horwm of a ship nrc around three-eighths of an inch 1hkk. Nearer the top, the plates can measure about nn inc h rhick. Rivets me generally rh rec-qlntrrcrs of nn inch in diameter ;md one and three-quarccr:- 1lfan inch or longer when three or four layers of steel nrc riveted in one area. (C(iurtcsy Door Counry Maritime Museum.) 42 The Sro111 Felio, built by Palmt.! r Johnson, w;is ;i mas -produced sailboat Je~ i gned hy G ilbert Dunham. She "" "~ de:>i!!ned co he safel y u1>ed hy fo mili c1> and economicnl sn lhnt ~ h e would anrncr nwny owner... O rd l.! r~ were received from both chc east and west coasts, and ~ he was in production fo r many year:.. ( Cnun e~y Door Count\' Maritime ~lu ~e um. ) The Cl1 Pctcr:ion 11uiklcrs, Inc. huilt a popular hn:11 called the Cameo. She wa~ n wooden sailhoat made of mahogany. All hoard" u"ed in 1he hrn11 were 1he ::amc ~i:e. Airer the honrds were bent into place. rhe hoar was completely c:1ulkl·ll. (Coum:sy Door County Mnritime Museum.) The Camc!o, a wooden ~ailhrn11 huilt hy Pctcr:.on Builder:,, Inc. wn' 27 focr long and 8 fccr, I 0 ind1c:- wide. She made her appcar;111cc in 1948. anJ wn" one of the many Peterson boars used hy :-ai ling crew:i in the annual Mackinac nice aero:>.~ Like Michignn. (Courtc:sy Door County M:1 riti mc M11,1.: 11111 .) 44 1"' Fred Peterson of Pcrcrson Builders, Inc. had a dream tn build n hunt th 45 Shnwn ;1hllVl' arc hulls for power craft under con~truction fl>r P<1lmcr Johnson, Inc. of Sturgeon Bay. A~ many as four at one time could he built in the new huilding Lhc company opened around 1990. Palmer Johnson, Inc. i.pedali?c:. in huilding luxury yachts each to exctct 'pcc ifi ca tiun ~ of its future owner~. (Courccsy Door County Maritime Mu~eum.) Plltatlle' were one of the major crop' hauled hy shippers operating fnim Dllor County\ Wa,hington blnnJ for the first half nf rhe 20th century. In 190 I, che ,chooncr /'rid!! left the 1~land w11h a lnad nf900 bu~hel:,. She l1 1~ t her maneuverability and c ra ~ hed 1m the rocb. Only 100 nf the 1)11,hds were saved when the />ricle went aground near Fo:;s Island. \Va~hingwn bland potato production, all of which wa ~ ~ hipped hy water vessels, peaked in thi.: i.:a rly 1 960~ wh<.:n 200,000 h11shcls were shipped. (Original phutography by Hcrh Reynold ~; Courtesy Door C nun1y Mnri1i11w Museum.) 46 Wint ers in Sturgeon Bay nrc cold :md wi ndy. Much of the water in Sturgeon Bay is usw1 ll y frozen th mughnut 1he win I er monl h~. However, ships such as the )ulm Hoen II I do use turgcon B11y nnd the canal. The thi ckn e~s of the ice in the canal can .1pproach 20 fccc. This was determined aft er it was ubservcd that large blocks of ice would build up further, ru·hing [he ice coward the hot tom of the hay :ind canal. \'\/hen ice blocks came up with µravel from [he hotrom of the canal that wa:. 20 feet hclow, it could be safely :.aid that the ice wa' 20 fee t thick. (Courcc:-y Dom County ~faricimc ~lmcum.) The ahm·e i:. a good view uf the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal showing the Joh11 lfoen IV pulling the Marquis Roen we~ t inru St urg\.'on 11ay from Lake Michigan, which is un the cxrremc right in the ph11m. Originally huilr as rhe Hohen WI.£. l311nsen in 1900, the /1.forc111i.\ lfoen w.is pu rcha~ed hy Roen tc.1m~hir Company in 19; ). In 1954, Roen remon:•J her engine~. converted her inro a ha rgc at the Sturgeon Bay Sh1ph11ilding and Dry Dock Company. and renamed her Mari1111s Roen an h11110r 11( hi~ ,,in. Two Cly,le diesel-driven fu ll y revol\'lnC uane' we re mounted on carriage~. which 't r.1ddlcd 1he cargo htild an,1 could rr.wel up and dmrn her deck. Each cr:mc wa~ equipped wilh a 77-inch magnet and a 9.5-yard bucker '-O ~he could lo.id and unload. Capac it y at ~um mer draft \\';b 7 ,000 gross cons. (Original phmngraphy hy Herh Re yno l d~; Co 11rt c~y DoPr County 1vl;iriti mc 1v lu ~e um.) 47 When it liecame npparenr that the cranes on the Marquis lfoen could nm discharge hulk carg() for enough over the side to sat is(y lllOst' docks, conveyor equipment was installed in 1957. A cnnveyor boom heir w;1s installed to swing I 55 feet over the port side. Hauls were made of pellets, crushed srone, salr, coke hrcczc, gravel, pig iron, scn1p, manufactured steel, ingocs, and bil lers. The Marq11is Roen was sold in 1973 for $250,000. (Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) The ./o!tn Hoen Il l was originally huilt as a steam-pmvered fire tug for the C ity of C hic:ign and named the Illinois. She wns purchased in 1941 by John Roen, repowcrcd with an 840- horscpmvcr diesel engine, and renamed John Roen /1 /. In 1856, she was traded fur rhe tug Bwre1fielcl. In th! ahnvc photo, rhe Jo!tn Hoen 111 is coming inro Sturgeon Bay frolll Green Bay wirh a hri rge in t•)W. (Cllt1rtc:.y D<•or Cuunry Maritime tvluscum.) 48 1 Roen Steamship Company purdrnscd four "City" hoars at a sale in Sr. Joseph, Michigan, in 1935. The Cicy uf Holland was scrapped in 1940. The City of Saugamck was convened into a barge in 1936 and renamed Leona. The Ciry uf Sc. )oseJJ/i was converred into a barge in 1936. She was lo t in a storm llff Coppe r Harho r in Lake Superior, Seprember 22, 1942. The City of Beman Harbor was convcru:d inw a nighrcluh for use in Sturgeon Bay and then G reen Bay. (Courtesy Door C ounty Maritime Museum.) The interi or of the Ciry of Benton Ht1rhor is shown afrer she was converted into a nighr c lub for use in Srurgeon Bay. However, c it~· ordinances did no r a llow her ro operate within the city limits, and she wa~ raken a few miles norch to a qunrry dock and began operations in 1936. The hoat was fined \1ut wirh a few hars and a dance floor. Big-name bands were booked to perform. The venture was nor successful, and ~o m..:: people in G reen B:iy persuaded Capt. Jo hn Roen to rake C ii:y of Benron Harhor ro G reen Bay. A n opcni ng night crowd nf I, 500 resulted in a profit of 85e. After that opening performance, rhc boat IL>st no less than $50 every night. She was returned ro Srurgeon Bay and remai ned in dock unril a fire hroke 1ll1t November 24, 1938. She was insured fnr $20,000. Roen hought her hack fro m rhe underwriters for $2,400, and then scrapped her in 1940. (CourtCf>)' Do(ir Counry Maritime Museum.) 49 PACKAGE FREIGHT CONTA IN ER SH IP OUIG~lO &V LEA1H EM 0. SMITH ,..,,. iru ,nun u• A conca iner is fi lll·d wi1h mnnufaetured gomls nnd mher producrs. The conrnincr wns specifically prepared for ~ hip111cnr over lung disrnnccs of water. The conccpr of contnineri:;icion was being developed hy Lcarhcm D. Smi th of Sturgeon Bay. (Courtesy Door Cnm1 y Mari rime Museum.) As World \Xlar II was eoming wan end, Leathern D. Smi1h began workin).! wirh an invention that w a~ to revolu1 inni:e :-h ipping freight. He in\'emed and then pa1c111cd unc of 1he \'Cry first large ~Led coniainer!> Ihm were used to ~hip freight. This \\'as hasically a ~tee I l'ox 8 feel l-quare and 7 fce r high that could he fi lled \\'ith manufactured goods, sealed, and rhcn not opened until ir arr in~d ar its designated desrination. Smith died before the concept cnuld he fully implemented by hi:. nwn :.hiphuilding cmnpan y. (Courresy Dom County Marilime Mu>eum.) 50 Herc is a view of the plnn:: shop al Lcathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon l)ay. Sccrinns 1>f tht' -;hip were built inside 1ht: plate shop. One section could weigh as much ns I00 cons nnd ~tand as high as 30 fccr. The :.eel ions would be moved with a gantry, a heavy lifr crane, co ship for a!>semhly. (Original photography by W.C. Schroeder; Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) This motor \'C~d was huilt as a cooperative venture between Lcathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company and Material , crvice 10 haul stone, sand, and ocher huilding materials. She wa~ engineered to operate on chc Chicago Drainage Canal. One year afrcr she wa~ launched in 1929, she experienced an exploskin on Nov.:mher '30, 1930, which has never hccn fully explained. Se\'en crew memher~ were injlircd, MCM 3 (minc~\\'cepcr) b ~hmm nhl\'C under consrruction in crnNrrn:tion huilding :21 at Pctcrst111 l)ui l Jcr~. Inc. Since it wa~ n controlled envirunment. ~hip:. could he hui lt in approximately 90 pcrccm of t h t.: rimt.: it wou Id tnkc w builJ a sh ip outside. ( Courtc:.y Ken Schmidtke.) After a ll hull painting has been completed in construction building #2 J at Pctc.:rson Builders Inc., sh ips weighing less than 400 co ns are taken our on wheels. S h ips whic h weigh mo re.: than 400 tons, such as the Minesweeper MC M 3, shown Bay Shipbuilding Company of Sturgeon Bay built more than a dozen of 1hc large freighters that would he 11$cd on rhc Orem L1kes during and after the 1970s. T he C lt11rll!s E. W/ilson, bui lt in 1973, was 680 feet long. Later ship ~ would be 1,000 feet long and 105 feet wide, which prevemed them from leaving the G reat Lakes area since the S t. Lawrence Seaway could accnmmodate ships only up to 70 feet wide. Shown above is the stern section of a ship, compkted under cover at one of the large f;1hricaring shup:. nr P>ay Shiph11i lding Company. S ht:: was huilr upside down since it was more convenient ro weld "on rhe flat" rhan overhead. When work u( thi~ t)'Pl' was hc.:i ng completc.:d, two shifts of worker:. were usc.:d . (Courtesy Door County M<1 ri time M 11 Sl~ u11 1 . ) 53 The ganrry er.me t1 sed at Bay Shipbuilding Company was installed in the 1 970~. Lights were also insrnlled since work was pcrfnnned at the shipyard around the clnck--cspecially when a ship was waiting for repairs while work was heing completed on anorhcr vcs.~cl in the shipyard. The ganrry crane can lift sections of a ship weighing up ro 200 tons anJ large plates, also weighing 200 tons, when these arc u~eJ in repair work. The crane was esrecially t1seft1I when the larger freighters, from 600-1,000 feet, were l uilL ar the shipyard. (Courtesy Door Cnunry Maritime Museum.) This is a view nf rhe Bay hipbuilJing yard with rhe large gantry crane cnpahlc of lifting 200 tons. On the extreme left b a ffoating dry dock capable of picking hoa1s nut of the water for inspection and repairs. A frdghtcr usually undergoes an inspection at lease once every five years. When necessary repairs have tn he performed, these are usually completed in winter even though it is more expcn~ivt~ lei dn 1hc work ar that time. Ship owncrs keep their ship:. in operation as much as possible during the summer months since more profirs can he made hnuling gi>ods at that time. In the <\hove phoro, rhcre is also a small graving dock ro rhc right of the floating dry duck. The freighter /3 11j](r/u i ~ lm rhc extreme right. (Courtesy Door C ounry Mnririmc Museum.) 54 .. l The Bcmo11 Ford, a freighter carrying a large lnad, rnn aground in Living$ ton Channel on Junc 17, 1959. Four rugs from the Roen Steamship Company of Sturgeon Bay are on the left anJ in fu ll thro1 tic, as is a tow from Grent Lakes Towing Company on the right. If rhe Hemon were floating free, any pnc of the tugs Over chc ye:irs there were many suggestions ro have a ship named the Swrgeo11 Ra)' that would he identified with 1hc city of the same name. However, afrer preliminary inquiries were mndc, it was discovered that Srurgc1>n fiay Shipbuikling and Dry Dock Company del ivered the S111rg(!m1 l3ay in 1962 m Massachuserts, where she would be used as a fishing trmvlcr. (Original photography by Hc::rh Reynolds; Courtesy Door Count y Maritime Museum.) 55 The Endeavor, a science research vc~scl, \\' Two ocean research vessels built by Pcteri.on Builders. Inc. are pictured hcre. Thc Ocea11us was 177 feet long nnd was delivered in 1976 to rhc Woods Ho le lnsriture in Mn ss nchuse rr~ . The Wlt!couw was nlso 177 feet long, had a range of 8,000 nautical miles, wi th provisions for 14 scicnrists The Dovid Starr Jordan wn' hui lt hy C hris1y Corporation and launched in l 964, as a research and cducat ional boar for the U.S. Fisherie~ Dcparrmcnr. When build ing the llhip, Christy experienced some comtruction and delay prohle1m Lypical in dealing with the bureaucracy of go\'ernmenc concract-. According to the contract, Chrbty wa,:; co check the Je~ign for def1cicnc1e:.. \Vhen they J1d, they di,cm·ered the design ;i,.. pre~cnteJ would have cau.,eJ the hip to hil\'c negari\'c stability. U.S. Fbherie~ wn~ so Constru ction completion of one of rhe Washington lshind ferr ies, the Was l1i11gcon, is shmv n ill Peterson Builders, Inc. T he c;1r deck was built upside down in the ~hop (the area below rhe primed "\Xla~hington \Xlashin~ron Island"). The upper works were arrachcd l1ut~ide a~ the boat i-, mm· being prepared for launching. uch ferries were used tn mmsporr automohilc~ and passengers hetwcen rhc Door Peninsula and Washington Island, ;1hour 5 miles north. (Courresy Dt)or County Mari rimc Museum.) 58 The Jolin Henry, shown above, measured 300 fee t by 55 feet. She was used for lifting heavy awkward machinery when she was christened with the Paul D1m)'an at Peterson Builders, Inc. The twin christening marked the dehut of the first heavy lifr cargo ships operated under the American flag . These ships have the cnp The Robinson Bay wa~ built by the Christy Corporarion in t 958. She was a tug with a boom fo r lifting and dropping off marerials needed co build the St. Lawrence Seaway. (Original photography by Herb Reynolds; Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) 59 The Vicwr L. Scl1lm!Rcr, sholl'n t1htl\'e, w;1~ o ne of nrn firchoar., huilt hy C hristy Corporation and chrbtcned Nnvcmher 5. 1949, licfnre del1\'ery to the C hicngo Fire Department. The o ther firehrnu w:is the Jme/,/1 Medill , christened hy Mrs. Michael J. ClHTigan, wife of the C hk;1go Fire Crn11missioner. Both ho:its were delivered 100 days hcfore Cl) tHrac l schedule. They were romcructed in \'arious ~uh-asscmhli e:-. and then assemhlcd 10 complete the ent irt· \·e,~e l. \Vc..·klmg be~an at miJ-vc!-wl :ind rroccl'ded to horh end~. The hnah were billed :i~ the "current 'I.ht word' in design, con-.truction, ('ll\\'l'r .•111d equipmenr." In the..· 19)0:,. a g:i~o lin e f1rcl'oa1 lllt1ld he built at a CO't or -60 rer f!,lllon of wuier delin.'rcd •ll 150 pounds of pre,,url.'. The Clm:<1go boats were built at a cost of ahour $19 per gallon of watl.'r ddi\'creJ ar 150 pound-, of prc:.sure. The hoars were 92 feet long, 22.5 t'cet wide, hml ~ peed, up tn 15 miles per hour, and 2.000 feet of fi re hos<.: with 2, 3, nnd 4-inch nmzb. (Original photography by Herh Rl.'ynokls; Court 1.:sy Duor County Maritime M11sc..·l11n.) 60 77'/10,000 GPM FIREBOAT PETERSON BUILDERS, INC. Pc1er~1m Builden., Inc. delivered 77-foot aluminum fireboat~ co Detroir in 1979. These were med for marine fire fighting, rescue nrcr 61 Capr. Frank Becker invited his friend Capt. John Roen w partic ipate in the Detroit tugboar races. Roen accepted the in vi ration nncl rook part in his fi rst "Imernational Tug Boat Race" in 195 1, and came in second. The following year, Roen entered his }oen lZoen V and came in first in the 2-mile race on the Detroit River. In 1953, Roen entered thc)o/rn Roen 11/, shown above, and again came in first in the race, which, chat ye<1r was on the Canadian side celebrating the coronntion of Queen Eliwbeth IL (Courtesy Door County M;1ririme Museum.) Afrer winning rhe "lmernatiunal Tug Boat Race" in 1953, Capt. and Mrs. John Roen accept 63 A 20-foor h ydro jct ;duminum sports hoar built by Peterson Bui lde rs, Inc. in 196 1 proved robe sn vers;1ti lc thar ir was used hy rhe New York Fire Deparrmcni. She was ahle rn be mam:uvered in very tight places and could rum around 180 degrees while mainrnining an exact position. {Counesy Dour County Mari time Museum.) The Nci/>okon w a~ a 225-fnol tuna fishing boat built hy Peterson fiuildcrs, Inc. She was a ":,eincr" cquippc.:d with a large net with sinkers on one edge and floats nn the 111hcr. The net wa, used \'Crt ically m enclose fish when the ends were bwught wgct her. In the phntn abm·e, the N11po/t.!on is shown :it the eastern t.!nd of the Sturgeon Bay S hip Canal going out for trials on Lake Michigan. The hoar had a capacity of 1.200 tons of tuna. She was ddivcred in 1982 . (Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) 64 Pcrer~on BuilJcrs, Inc. pro\'ided n harge 96 feet lung and 35 feet wide which spanned the Scurgeon B.1y hip Canal afrer a Swedi h freighter hit the old bridge that wem over Sturgeon Bny on Ocroher 21, 1960, making ir 11npo-..,iblc to close the lmdge. (Coune~y Door Counry Maritime ~lu,eum.) 65 Doch were frequently hcing huilt or mo \Vorl..er, •H 1he rurgeon Bay Boat \Xfork' arc ~hmm in 1926. The crew 'lands where che !'ridge \\ould h· huilr ii\'e yea~ lmer .it the tnot of}. lichigan , rrc.•et. l'u.:ture.I, fr,m1 left to right, ,ire: Jultu, GlrnmraJ, George Gn.•cnw11<1<.I. E\'an fa·anson, Cyril L1u,chl·r, Cal111t:r Nelson, I lam' Pfeifer, Walter Haercel, Henry Prop,nm, Palmer Juhnson, and I ia11' John~nn. Sturgeon Bay Btlai \V,irb would hccomc Palmer J.1h1Nm, Inc. in 1956. (Coune:.y Dm'r County MariLimc M11 s~·11nl.) Thi:. is the crew at 1he Le;nhcm 0. Smirh shipyard in l 928. At this rime the standard workweek con~i~ted of five I 0-hour workdays between Monday anJ Friday and a five-hour shift on Saturdays. In the ah.we phoro, a metal l:nhe used co make components is hown <1bove along wi th everal drill prc:.M.::.. Some of the identified workers include: Mr. Clous, Anton Habcrlie, John Hunsader, Walter Kramer, Leo Jmdan, and Charles Wclx:r. (Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) The Material Service wn~ built m Learhem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company in 192 7-29 as one nf the first se l f-unload e r ~ ever constructed. Leathern D. Smith invented the self- unloader ship, wh ich could unload a shipment of coal, iron nre, sand, or rncnnicc in five co seven hours, a project that cou ld rnke n~ long as a week hy hand. George Muller is at the extreme left. Ochers 111dude: Lloyd Spudc, Romain Londo, Gc.:nrgc.: 1kn schd, Ed Zin1cy, I lcrb Blank, Gc1)rgc Bl.ink. Jug Marcin, }.larrnt~ /\liller, Ken Backey, Jack l\lillcr, Leo Vert:, Lc~rcr Haen, kip Roy, John ~ chmidckc, and J.1Lk Bcn:ow. (Courrc:-.y Door County I\ larit imc Mu~cum .) 67 The plate shop at Lc;11hcm n. ~ m11h ~hipbuilJing Crnnp.m\ m 1hc late L92C!> i' ... h,m·n alim·e. P;Hlem' would he (atl! llllt ,ll)J !hcn Clll inW plate:- ,b I.tree ,h l::\ feet wide ,md 40 foet long. Smaller :.ecuons would he put Wt:eth..:r m thi~ ~hop wh 1lc l.1rgl·r 'cctions wer..: taken l\l the Jock where work wa~ heing performed 1111 1h..: ~hip . The punch ptl'" 1111 the right wal> U'l'd lnr making riVl'I hnles in places. ( Cuurte~y Door Cnunry Maritime Mu~cum . ) An M;1rsh is shown burning steel p l ate~ inn place shop m S1u1.t:c1 m Bay Shipbuildinµ nnd Dry Dock Co. in 1939. In earlier time,, 'ccti11n' (l1r ... 1ccl hull ho.it:- would l'e punchL- Tiu''' the large mold l11f1 •ll the Chrisry Corrorminn whcrc the dr.m·ing' fiir large lake freighter:, ur Ill her ves..,els were laid dmrn in full scale. Marb from large engineering print/. would he bid our on the floor. Pattern~ would he made out of ha~:-.wnod or plywood that wuuld he rhc exact si~e of the (1~111\L' of the ship. Th1.>c \\'Ould he rnkcn Ill the plare shop, where pla tes as large a~ 40 feet Sql1art' wnuld he cur. Afrcr a whih.:, it was discovered that has1>wood would ~hri nk and thl' si:e o( l he wood w11uld have m he chn:kcd ufrcn 'incc it might frirm a "belly" in larger piece~ and di:,,wn lllL'.N1r<.'menrs. Pkw111xl provcJ more rcliahle. (Ori!!inal ph1)[0!!rnJ'IH hy H<.'rh Re)nnlJ:-: Courre'y l\111r Ciunry ~larit11111.· /\lu-nnn.) 69 Thil. I~ the loft floor at the Lcathem n. Smith Shipbuilding Company. Fmme:., compamnenrs, and sheet metal u cd in ships would he laid our just prior co conscrucrion on a one-co-one scale. Thc~e patterns would rhen he cut ou1 and taken over to the plate shop for constmction. (Courtesy Door Counry Mari time Museum.) 70 Four SHIPS FOR THE NATION'S DEFENSE Sturgeon Bay was and continue!> robe justifinhly pruuJ of i1 :. effort on behalf of chc U.S. Juring anJ since World War 11. E:ich :.hipyard rccogni:ed i1s cmplnyees in the ~c rvi ce of the nation with a Rnll nf l lunur di:.play .ind appropriate cercmonie:. ~uch as those a l the Leathem D. Smith :.hipyard shown above. (Origina l photogrnphy hy \Xl.C. Schroeder; Counc:.y Door County Mnri1ime Mu ~e um.) Sh11wn ahow arc nigh1 -1i111c opcrntk1ns at rhc Ll'athcm D. Smirh Shipbuilding Company during World War II. The fir:.1 shift worked e ight houri. as did the second shifr. The third ~ hifr wmkl'd ~ix-nnd-one-half hnur~ hut wa~ paid for eight hour~ of work. {On!!inal photography by I lcrh Reynold'\; Courre~y Dom Councy I'- h1ritimc l'-lu~cum.) The U.S.S. Cliaccanooga, a frigmc, wa:; launched Augu't 7, 1943. Night work continued on her until she Willi Id be ready fur ddivery In an effort to bui ld and maintain high nHir:dc during World War II at the Sturgeon 13ay s hipy~1rds, annual picnic!- ~ uch as the one shn\\'n above were held. The first such picnic a l Srurgeon Bay Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company was August 22, 194 3. The banner displayed in the above photo \\' a~ flown ro encourage attendee~ ro purchase war honJ~ ;md contribute to the \\'ar effort. (Original pho1ngniphy by Herb Reynolds; Courtesy Door County Maritime.: Muscum.) A special safety award \\' a~ ~ i vc n to Lcarhc.: 111 D. mith Shipbuilding Company during World War II , mainly due to the efforts of Marian \Xlritr, holding the flag on the left. Mrs. Ray Lcn~meye r holds the flag 1m rhc righ t as Lt. Andy Anderson looks llf1. (Original photograph y hy Herh Reynolds; Courtesy Door County Maritirnc Museum.) 71 Rohen F. Patterson, UnJcr~ecrct;Jr} 11( \\i':ir. addressee! a lener "to the men and women o( the .'turgeon f3:iy Shipbuilding and Dq l\Kk Company." I le informed the employees "ch:ic the Arni} anJ N,wy are conferring upon y11u the Am1y-Navy Production Award for outsrnncling achievement in producing wnr equipment ." The award gave the company the right to fly a fl:ig nhovc the plant and each employee 111 wear a pin. The lerrer n ( the U ndersecretary was dat ed 25 M:irch 1944. (Courtesy Donr Ci111 n1y Maritime Museum.) Th1..• U.S. ~ laritime Commb~ion al'o rre,entcd awards of merit 10 each o( the ,hipyards in turgcon Bay during World War II for building frigates, cargo ships, :ind cosial cargo ships. (Courtesy Door County Maririmc Museum.) 74 - • • Floa1s were prepared by shipyard:. for the many parndcs 1hm marched in S1urgcon Bay during World War II. Usually these parades preceded a ship launching. (Original phowgraphy hy W.C. 'chroeder; Courtesy Door Councy Maritime Museum.) Women weldeN \\'Orking in the • tuq.~l'on Bay shipyards during World • War II arc ~ hmm here. While they were sti ll in high school, £hey were n.:cru i1 cd (or work in the s hipy ;1 rd ~ . T o qualify for a welder's job, rhc women would 1akc classes wh ile sri ll in high schllol or in evening classe:-. ar 1hc Nonhwe~t Technical ln ~rirute in ,'turgcon B,1y. The women welder. ~hmm here worked on the ~l'COnd ~hift at Leathcm D. Smith Shiph11il-ling Company. They \\~111rcd thb photo rnken so £hey cnuld i;cnd ii tll "cenain" serv icemen to prove they they were doing rheir part fnr rhe war cffon. From lt.:fc to righr arc: Bcuy Plmkmv~ki, Green Bay, who had a boyfriend and a brother in tht: U .. Na\'y; Betty LaPointc, Menominee, ~ lichigan, who~c friend wa~ al-.i 1 in tht.: U.S. Navy; and Mrs. Hcrhert I lolmherg, Gladstone, Michigan, whrn.e husband and brother were Navy men. (Original photography hy W.C. Schroeder: Courtesy Door Coun1y 1vhiritime Museum.) 75 In response to Sturgeon Bay's hnoming shipbuilding industry during World Wnr II. two major housing dcvelopmt:nts, S unrise nnd Sunset, were pru\'ided for workers. Sunris..:, shown above, had connecred unirs built in block formarion. Th e~c were constructed from prefabricated sections and were Lwo-s11iry multiple dwelli ngs. Sun::.cr consisted of dernched individua l units. Allhnugh some claimed the bui ldings did nor wenr well, several were still in use in 2001, such as rlw Nebel property ar 15th and Rhode lslaml and near the junction ll( I lighways 42 and 57 nonh of Sturgeon Bay. (Courresy Door County Mus1.:um.) This is a scene m Leathern D. Shipbuilding C nnpany during World War II. Work is progressing on pn.:paring plates thar wi ll hi.! used as sides for sh ips. Some arc almost flar while others nrc hcnr (plmc o n lefr) into the tlt.!sired sh.ipes. There were no crane facil ities so the plnres, which could weigh as much as 7 m 8 ton~ (such as rhe shdl plate benr on the left) were moved hy rai l or flachc The Pererson !3oar Works is pictured here mound 1942. Wood patrol c rnfrs were being construc1cd for rhc U.S. Navy. Peterson received its first orders fro m the U.S. Navy to build personnel hoats in 1939. They tilso huilr 11 0-fooc subchasers, mine s weeper~ . wooden rescue boars, and o rhcr vessels for chc war dfun. (Original photography by \Y/.C. 'chroc Pic1ured above is S turgeon Bny Boat \Vorks in 1941, working on the fram e:; fo r wooden hulls for ships 10 be useJ in World W ar IL Some of the work a 1 the shipyard was done inn contro lled environment at rhis rime. (Courtesy Door Coumy Mnritime Musc: um .) 78 A Srurgeon Bay and Dry Dock Company distribution box boar, which ln id mines, is shown awaiting launching in Octohcr 1941. (Original phorogrnphy by Herb Reynolds; Courtesy Door C nuncy Maritime Museum.) A subchaser builc by Leathcm D. Smith Shipbuilding Company leaves Srurgcon Bay in 1943. he is passing through the lift bridge ac the base of roday's Michigan Strccr. The o ld railroad bridge, which had been in operation since 1894. is shown in its turnaround position allowing the suhchaser to pass. The rnilroad bridge was demolished in the 1970s. (Courn.:sy Dnnr County Maritime Museum.) 79 U.S. Army aircrafr rescue \'CSM.: ls me pictured at ~ rurgcon Coumy Maritime Museum.) A U.S. Army aircra(l rescue \'C!->.~d is prepared for launching at Sturgeon Bay Boat \Vurks. (Original photogrnphy hy W.C. ' chrueder; Councsy Ilol1r County Maritime Museum.) 80 A net render bu ilt at Learhcm D. Smith Shiphuilding Company is shown t•ad y in 1945. Net tenders placed steel net:; around harbors in an effort to keep suhmarines from entering. The steel ncr:. had gates underwntcr, and there was a Iw ays concern rhat a ~ uhmarinc would sneak in when the gates were opened for U.S. ships to enter. (Courtesy Dom County M:1ririmc Museum.) ,. . I:• • t'T , .;:ll A re trieving vesst'I, the Van Noscrand, prepared for th e U .S. Army at Sturgeon Bny Shipbuild ing and Dry Dock Company in l942. ( O rigina l photograph y hy Herb Reyno lds; Courrcsy Door Coumy Maritime Museum.) 81 Propeller~ were ofren cast in nne ,ol1d piece such a:- the 1mc ~hnwn here which was prepared f11r the Cilf!!ll vc~sel, Cleme111 )11':/lll'. For other ships uch "' m i n e:.ll'ccpn~. propellers were made up nf several sectio ns and hull ed rogcthcr. T he Clemcn1 Jctync w :1 ~ launched from the Lcathem D. Smit h sh ipyard. Apri I 30, 194 3. (Original photography hy \V.C. • chrm:der; Courtesy Door Cnunty ~lciritime 1'.luseum.) S h i p ~ · propellers were guurded hy the U.S. Coast Guar,I during t ht· 194 2-4 5 period, when hundred, of ,hips were huilt in :wrgenn Bay for the war effort. (Original photography by W.C. Schnieder; Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) 82 A suhchascr built in 1942 at Learhem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company is shown above. She was one o f the ships present when the Japanese surrendered Augusr 8, 1945, ending World War II. (Courresy Door County Maritime Museum.) Chri:;ry Corporatio n built a landing ship in 1952. S hown here fi re some of her srnndnrdizarinn trials comJucted in Srurgcon Bay in l 9? 3. After passing all rests, the ship was commissioned Octohcr 29, 1953. (Original photogrnphy hy Herb Rcynnkls; Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) 83 Pc1crstm Builders, Inc. huilt 10 pbnc per:.onnel and rescue honts and deli vered 1hcm to the U.S. Navy in 1959. The ahovc phow shows rhe sea trials i(>r 1h e vessd that were conducted in Sturgeon Bay. (Courtesy Door Cmm1 y Mnri1ime Museum.) lkrwecn 1965 and 1970, Peterson Auilders, Inc. built and ddivercd nine aluminum 190-fom PCG gunboat~ to the U.S. Na"y ~uch :" the one shown ahnvc. (Councsy Dnor County Maritime M u~cum.) 84 Peterson Builders, Inc. supplied the U.S. Navy wirh 81 aluminum 50-foot, fast pncrol boats shown nbove between 1975 and 1978. They had a spced uf 26 knots an hour. Between 1974 nnd 1977, Peterson Bu ilders, Inc. built 31 aluminum 65-foot parrol boats for the U.S. Navy. (Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) ln 1966, Peterson Builders, Inc. built 12 landing craft vessels for the Un ited St:ircs. These were made of steel. They conducted their sea rrin ls in Sturgeon Bay. They arc shown ready for delivery since they are equipped with :,upply shacks and cxrrn fuel tanks- plnccd there only after trials were crnnplercd. (Courtesy Door O)unty Maritime Museum.) 85 Peterson Builders, lnc. built Hnd delivered l I mine countermeasure (MCMs) ships tO the U.S. Navy beginning in 1982 with the delivery of a 224-foot wooden MCM. The rest were delivered over rhe following 10 years. O nly the first built was tested in S turgeon Bay. All others were tested on the cast coast. The test was an explosion set off in the water alongside the ship. Monitors were placed on the machinery and bulkheads in the ship to measure the effect of the explosion as shown in the abO\·e photo. (C(>urtesy Door County Maritime Museum.} Peterson Bu ilders, Inc. bui lt torpedo retrievers in the !arc 1960s for the U.S. Navy. Three were I00 feet kmg and sLx were 65 foer long such as the one shown above. (Courtesy Donr County Maritime Museum.} 86 Peterson Builders, Inc. built fou r salvage vessels for the U.S. Na,·y hctwccn 1982 and l 984. These were used in snlvngc opcrnrions such as recovery of the TWA flight t hnt crashed oursi 87 The U.S.S. Grapple was launched frnm Peterson Bui lders, Inc. in 1984 anJ commissioned Nm·embcr 15, 1986. She wa equipped wirh fire monirors (no:d es) amidship and on the forward posrs. She was directly in\'Olve Sho\\'n above is a steel yard rugboar built ai Peterson Builders, Inc. This is considered a standard model Ken • chmiJtke, ~ forem;m of material hanJltng :u Peterson Builder.., Inc. was rc~romthle for approximately 50 launching~ between 1961 and 1992. Prcpamtion for a launch began rwo m t hn:e weeks before the date nf a launch. On the day Llf the launch, Schmidtke had the hoat ready fc1r la11nch when spccclw11 :.rnn ed. l lc experienced man y incn.'asingly nervous momcnrs as "spee<.:hcs seemed to go o n and on." S ince the ship was "li ve," one of the triggers could have ~ l ipped cmtsing the :.hip 11> launch prcm:1turdy. After seemingly "endless" momen rs of apprehension, Schmidtke fdt a mea~ure of relief after the hip w;i, ~afoly launched. "Once ir's flo.11ing in che water. thc mental seres.~ wa~ gonc," saiJ Schmidtkl'. (Courtesy Ken ~ chmidrke.) The 12 and 16-inch timbers in the lmn~r right of rhe phmo ~ lanila rores mc.i-uring I.) inchc~ in diamcrcr with a minimum of 200 feet in 1me piccc were needed for launching~. Ropes would have to be set on rhc side of the ship away from rhe water approximately 100 fel't for ;i side launch. A' the ship is launch1:d, the mpcs would maintain proper temion as the ship drift~ mv . ( On the morning of the launch, the building cribhings are still in place. These stacks of blocks, seen in the above photo, are 6 feet high and 4 feet across in a square. T hey are removed for rhe launch by driving wedges on the cribbing which re~ ts on [he launch rimhcrs. After the ship is lifted from the huilding cribs to rhc launch t im ber, rhc building crih timbers are removed from rhc area. (Original phorography by Herb Reynolds; Courtesy Door Counry Maritime Museum.) Workers are shown above driving in wedges on launching berths. These wedges raise the level of the boat off the building cribbing. This work is completed the morning of rhe launch, and this makes the boat "live." O ne veteran of many launchings said this state of the launching procedure makes "everyone nervous because you just might hnvc a launch sooner than anyone expected." (Original phowgraphy by \Xl.C. Schroeder; Courtesy Door County Mari t ime Museum.) 91 Delia Perersen, Denmark, (icfr) and Evelyn Joniaux, Green Bay, were two of the 750 women working in the Lcachem D. Smith shipyard during World War II. In the above photo. 1he ladies arc helping thi.: crew of 140 men d ri n.· wedges an,I release hh:king under the C/.?menr )aynunty Maritime Mus<.:um.) 92 \Xlorken. prcp;m.: a launching ~ecrnm, ~ \\'h1ch appear~ to he made of steel. l Mo:.t launching materials were timhcr. Timbers would he in~erred fmm ci1hcr ,ide. There were no standard ~i:l'' hut a 56-(uor timhcr wns often u:.cd. Fm ,hips more than 100 feet wiJc, two timhcrs would he plnced together, and lll her incremc11ts of 20-30 feet wcrl' also used. (Courtesy Door County Maritime ~luseum.) \Xlcdgc drivers work rapidly to po:.i1 ion wc,lges in place f11r launching. Thb \\'ork must ht.• complereJ within l wo 11r dire1: hour., nf the launch. As many "' 60-80 \\\)rken. could he poun,ling \\'cdgcs nr the same time. \Xhlrker:. would work in "volleys"-rhcy woul d pmrnd wedges for 30 seconds. rcst fi1r n minute, pound again for 30 second, until the ~hip \\1h in position for l.111nch. A lnunch ma~rer would conm 11 11mmg of the "rnllcy .,. (C',ourtc:.y Door County Marirnnc ~ 1useum.) 93 This is a view from the backsiJe, or the landsidc, of the ship rendy for launching. T he cahle:. in the center of the photo hold launching timbers in place ~o they cannot slide into rhe water. (Original phowgrnphy by Herh Reynold~; Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) The "ax man" crve_, a.' a hnck-up for the guillotine mechnnism :ilways employed to launch ships. T he guill otine is air-operated and cuts all guillotine rope.;:, simultaneously ar launch. Push ing a lever switch from hb posit ion on the ~hnrc ~idc of the ship. the launch ma~ter u.~ually triggers it. The ~hip i' rclea'(.~) 1mmeJimely and slides into the wacer tn a marcer of scnmds . The ,.~ ,c( picks up ~pccJ as she approaches the dock\ edge and is usuall y moving 15-17 fcer per second n~ :.he enters the water (depending on weight). It is report ed rhat only once in a Slltrgcon Bny shipyard was 1.he "ax nrnn" quickly called to Jury ~ince a piece of 'reel jammed the guillotine. An officer of rhc company saw one end of the ship scarring to move and the end Mill in place. He yelled out and the "ax man" cut the guillotine rope. 111e how edge wa~ cut hy the "ax man." However, w1rh the increased tcn,ion on rhc :.tern end, when cut, it mo,·ed 45 feet, and both sides of hoat entered the warer at the snme cimc. (Courtesy Door County Mari time Museum .) 94 A good view of the guillorinc rorc- hy rhc right hand of rhc man on the extreme right-that is cut to launch a ship. The "ax mnn" is quickly alcrred in the event rhc guillotine air-operated mechanism did not fum:ti\m properly sn he can immediately cut the guillotine rope with the ax. Notice the large timber in place rn prevent nn accidcnrnl launch. (Courtesy Door County M<1rit ime Museum.) After a launch, the ship srnns tipping. When the hip is ahottt 4 to 6 feet past the edge of the dock, some of the launch timhcrs may have dislodged and are in an upright position-nor always straight---0r arc llying in thl'. :iir. Although rhc propellers arc exposed and may be hit by a timber, no damage is susrained anJ no special pn>tcctin~ measures are employed ro shield the propellers. (Original plwtography by W.C. Schroeder; Courrcsy Door County Maritime Museum.) 95 This is a sccne at the Leathem D. Smirl1 shipyard about an hour heforc the launching of <1 cnrgo ship, the Poncotoc. The American Legion was recogni:ed since it w:-is active in raising funJs fi)r the war effort. The large insignia indicates the ship received rhe Aw:-ird of Merit. Most ships launched did 11llt have as much bunting on chc siJcs as did the Ponroroc. (Original photography by W.C. Schroeder; Courtesy Door Counry Maritime Museum.) Ofren owners and ocher dignitaries wanted ro inspect the ship just before ~• launch. A swirwell, such as can be seen on the left in rhe photo, was provided for char purpnsc. Workers also used the stairwell to huarJ the ship and adjust dockside 1:-iu nching ropes. The shi p shown is the USS Reading. She was launched August 28, 1943, by Mrs. John Burrerweck. No alcoholic beverages were allowed for thc christening, so milk was placed in a champagne borrle co "aJvenise our own dairy scare," explained a member of the launching party. (Ori ginal photography by W.C. Schroeder; Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) 96 \'(/hile final pr.:pararions arc hcing complcreJ on a ship w get her ready for launching, rhc shipyard's "ban,I" is assembled and rehearses rhe tunes that may I e played before, during, or after a launching. Many of the company hand members \\'ere lln the job ~1 few minures before the launch and would return to their regular jobs ar the shipyard a few minurcs after the launch. As launchings became more formal, pageamry hccame an expected rou tine. At the Leathe m D. S mith shipyard, rhe band dre:.secl in l1t1 iforms that could easily slip over work clothes for launchings. Bands of this kind also performed in parades on nationa l ho lidays and at shipyard picnics conducted ro boost morale. (Courtesy Door Counry Maritime Museum.) Toward the end of \'(/orld \'(/ar II , the Lcathcm D. Smith Band had regular hand unifnnns, caps, and maj orelle~. one nf whom was Dorothy C hristianson, dm1ghter of the gencrnl manager 1>f the shipyard, C. Ray C hristianson. S ince man y uf the launchings were on a Saturday, neither Dmorhy nor the other mnjnrerres missed much scho1> I. (Courtesy Dlior County Maritime Museum.) 97 A color guard would often escorr guc~ts ru the launching platform, prescnr the colors, and remain for rhe launching ceremonic:.. Ship:, usually flew a variety of flags frnm rhc branch of 1hc service the ship would be employed hy. On the Jay of 1he launch, rhe flag l)f rhe shipyard wm; allowed co fly higher rhan the official "stars and :.tripes" of the United Sime". The color guard was usua ll y CDmposcd of personnel ~•ss i gncd to rhc shipyard. (Original phnwgraphy by W.C. Schroeder; Courtesy Door Coun1y Maritime Museum.) T he USS Knox•villc.! was launched July l 0, l 943. By rhm thirc, Sturgeon Bay shipyards had been bui lding ships for die w:-ir efforr for more than rhrec year:-.. Lau n c hin g~ had an established pattern. The hand had a designated seer ion atop a platform at 1h e Lear hem n. Smith yards. By this date most launchings were on Sa1urday, making it p11ssihlc for most of rhr wwn uf Sturgeon Bay (populmion ahour 6,600 at the t ime) to mtenJ. (Original photography by W.C. Schroeder; Courtesy Door CtHml y ~faririme Mu:.cum.) 98 An official photogrnpher w:is usually assign ed by the shipya rd to accomp:iny guests on the dny of the bunch. The ::ibove phorn, taken awny from the launch area, i:, an unusual scene since it shows large steel pbtes ready m he 11~cd for the construction of the ncxr ship to be built at the :.htpyarJ. The!>c plates would prohnhly have co be quickly moved to make the area available fo r the huilding of che ncxr ship. Ir wa' common for four or five ship' to he :.imultaneously huilr :ic the Lcathem n. mith shipyard, during the wnr cfforr. (Original photography hy \Y/.C. chrocder; Courtesy Door Counry Maririme Museum.) Lcachcm D. Smith, in the white hat hy rhe microphones, was the owner of the shipyard with hi~ nnme. The U.,. Navy used the occa:.ion of this launching to dccorme one of its mcmhcrs. The ship being launched was a navy cargo vessel, chc J The Racine County Council Drum and Bugle Corp' w;h featured in a parmle in the main hu,inel>~ district of Stur!.!eon Bay on tlw Jay nf a launching nf a suhcha,er thnt was built with fund~ raised in Racine, Wi~com in . (Original phorngrnphy hy W.C. Schroeder; Courtesy Dour Crn1nry Mnririmc Muscum.) 100 /\ 1... ~ Anna Jane~. :.ronsor, wirh Lc.uhcm ().Smith, moments heforc 1hc l.111ndung uf PC 1173. June 26, 194). a ,ulxha~cr huik for the U.S. Na,·y. The plaque Smith holds in~li c ai c~ that lxmd dri,·es in Racine, Wi~con :. in, raised money ro build 1hc ship. (O riginal photography by W.C. Sch roeder; Courtesy Door Coumy M;1ri1imc Museum.) 111e L1ff 1170, rhe last of fi,·e idcn111:al landing ship rank huih hy Chri.,ty Cmporarinn for rhe U. •. Navy. h .,hmm on her launching day. /\lay 22, 1954. Ar char rime. ar 384 feet, ~ he wa ~ thl' largest vessel c.:onstructcd on rhe Great L'lkes. Q uart er:- could accommodate 600 11fficers and men. Three had already heen ddivered before the LST was launched with the remaining one ~chcduled Ii 1r delivery later in 1954. (Original phorogmphy by Herh Rcynokk Courtesy Door County /\lari11mc /\ ht,eum.) IOI Thl· l~'\T 1170 wa!> launchcJ }.lay 22, 1954, by }\Ir.;. Jean :-.tcCarthy, wife of Wisconsm's U.S. Senator, Jmcph McC1rthy. Patricia Van Roor, a friend of the :sennmr ~incc chilJholXI who was in a wheelchair, was rhe co-sponsor for the launch. The DOl>r Co1tlll)' Adt'IJcCHe reported: "Launching:; rm: 1>ld stuff in this shiphuilding city, but the crowd was in a gay mooJ. The pre~t.:nce of Wisconsin's controversial junior senator, nu doubt, hcighrcnc,I inrercst in tht.: event, hut there were no demonstrations, pro Pr con." Ray Pagel, the rcpnrrer covering the evl.!nt, also wrote: "During the program the launching foreman sang our, 'All right follows, the entire 11.!ngrh of the ways.' This wa~ the signa l for workmen stationed hcncarh the vessel to swing their mallets against the wooJen wedge:., raising the LST to launching position. This la:.ted ahout one minute. With the smashing of the hottlc the cables holding the LST were severed, and she began sliding into the water. The band played 'Anchors Away' anJ the crowd srood 'till and tense for a long minure. It wa~ a heautiful launching." (Original photography hy 1 lcrh Rt.:ynolds; Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) C. Ray Chri~tianson of Christy C)rpor:1tion presents Mrs. Jean McCarthy with the remmmts l>f the bort le in n netting of red, whirc, :mJ hlue with which she had launched the LST 1170 earlier th,H day. This was a rrndiciunal activity following a launching which rook place at a dinnl.!r on the evening of the launching. U.S. Senator from \Xli sconsin, Jmeph McCarthy, 1:.. on the left, and Patricia Van Rooy, co-sponsor for the launch, is on the right. Ir was reported that Mr!>. McCarihy was so nervous the evening hcforc the launch she asked to he taken to sec the ve~M: I ~ he was to christen. She viewed the vessel at I :00 a.m. the morning nf 1hc launch. (Original photography by Herb Reynolds; Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) 102 ~larian Writt, heaJ of fi rst aid nt Leathcm D. Smith ShiphuilJin~ Company and active with the \Var Chc~t pn11-!ram. \\ 103 Thl' crew of a ~hip usually hoarded her after :-he was accepted hy the U .. N:wy following dock ;ind se:-1 t riab.• hnwn above b the crew of 1he :.uhchascr PC 1172, which was launched June 5, 1943. (Counc:.y Dom County Maritiml' Mu~eum.) Multiple launchings on the :.<1me day did llCCur. In the above phutu, two :.11hchascrs, PC 1225 and PC 1226. arc ready for launch Septemher 7, 1942. at Leatht'm n. Smith hiphuilding Cnmpany. (Oriidnal phnrligraphy hy W.C. Schroeder; Courtesy Dnor County Maritime Museum.) 104 LABOR DAY LAUNCHINGS sc,r. 7. 19 c1 LUIKEK Q SKllli f ince Seprcmhcr 7, 1941, was also Labor Day a nd rhe hirrhday oflearhcm D. Smith, there were four launchings on rhar dare: two :i ubchascrs and 1 he Freeman Hcuc/1 ancl Kimball Harlow. (Courresy Door Counry Maritime Museum.) T he Freeman Hwch, nne of the fot1r ships launched on September 7, 1942, ar Leathern D. S mith Shipbuilding Company, was one 11f e ight small frc ighrers bu ilt hy the U.S. Mnrit ime Commis ion m he o perated hy the Brirish government. S he and the Kimball Harlow, also bunched on Scptcmher 7, 1942, ll'crc coasrnl cargo ships. (Original photography hy W.C. Schroeder; Courtesy Door Counr-y Maritime Museum.) 105 T he barge shown ;-ihnve was launched at the C hristy Corporatio n shipyard sometime in rhe c;i rl y 1960s. She had a problem during the launch. As can he observed, the h1iw (front end of the ship) went into rhe water before rhe srem (back end). S ince there was no rudder and no wheels in rhe ~tern nrea, there was no major damage. Eventually, dw srern was loosened hy its own weight and ~ lid into the water without a major problem. (Courtc~y Door Counry Maritime Museum.) This is Thi:. photo ~h1lw:; a ferry under construction at Sturgeon Bny Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. S he would he launched by sliding down a rai l for Tiu''' a launch in!! of a 45-foot work hiat fl1r the Corp~ nf Enµineer;, probably huilc m Chn,ty Cmporatton Ill 1he late 1940.,. The ,htp wa~ prnhahly ct1mple1ely con~t ructc~I tn the :ihnp at 1he 'h1pyard. hn111ght out un tracks. picked up hy .1 gamry er.me. anJ launched. The l Since the Badger w;:is wider than muny ships launched during \V'orld War 11 , it wa ~ nnticipared that she would Jispbce I 0 million pounds of wmer and make a large wave after hitting rhe water. (Origi nal phmography hy Herb Reynolds; Cnurresy Door Counry Maritime Must·um.) 109 In an attempt w absorh rhc wave expccrcJ nfccr the Badger wns launched, boxcars were lined up on the clocks JO feet frum the water. The boxcars were fi lled with steel to give tht:m more weigh t and welded to the rracks. (Original photography by Herb Reynolds; Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) Although the preparations seemed ade~1uarc , the force of the w:l\'c nftcr the Badger hit the \\'ater knocked over all the boxcars and caused $ 1, 500 worth of damngt: to the ra il road cars and the shipyard. (Original pho t1>.l!rn phy hy Hcrh Rl:y nolds; Courtesy Door Camey Maritime Mu~eu m.) 11 0 Six SALVAGING OF THE GEORGE M. HUMPHREY The George ,\.ii. 1-/wn/>lm.>y was huil1 in 1927. She w;1s valued m $1,600,000 hy her owner, rhc Kinsman T ransir Company of Detroit. On the f()ggy night ofJune 15, 194 ), thl' 1-lwn[Jhrey collided \\'ith the O.M. C/cm$ol1 in the Straits of Mackinac, a mile-and-a-half norrhcust l>f Mackina\\' City, Michigan. Since ~he \\'as loaded with 22,000 cons of iron nrc, 1he HumJJhn.')' sank into the 80-fo.;)t wa rers of the pa'>MlJ.!l'\\':IY between L1ke~ Michigan :iml 1 lumn. Her pilothouse, only I 5 feet hclo\\' 1hc surface, was a haz;ml ro all navigarion in rhe heavil y tnwcled arefl. Marine experts concluded that the ship could not he snvcd. The U.S. Governmen1, ;111 xious to clear the passageway, sought hids to cur up rhc I /wn/>hrcy for ~a lv 112 Roen had an intricmc plan to raise the Hwnphrey. Steel hatches had w be removed hy divers ~truggling against currenrs up ro 7 mi l e~ an hour. With huoys marking exact locacions, crane operations re moved 14,000 tons of ore hcforc winrer wencher haired work on the project. T h e following summer, Roen sank a sa lvage hargc over the H111n/>hrcy, attached cahlc~. ;md fi lled the harge wich air. The I /11111/>hrey was lifted 6 fcc t nff the bottnm, dragged, lifo.:d again seven t imes nnd moved a mile-and-a-half underwn n:r. \Xl hen she reached shallow water, Roen pumped a ir inro her double lmrtom, and on August 13, 1944, the pilorlrnuse appeared above water. (Original phorogrnphy by Herb Reynolds; Courtesy Dotir Coumy Maritime Museum.) Since it was ncccs'ary to maintain the Cl)rrecr a ir pressures and water levels in the ballast tanks, l \Xlich the H11mplm!y ~afo ly escorted to :.hore some l 5 months after th<.: 600-fnor freighter was rammed, the "Mnckim1c Miracle," as Time 1\.foga{ine dubhcJ 1hc rc~cuc effort, wa ~ almost complete. (Original phorogrnphy hy Herb Reynolds; Courtesy Dmir Cuumy Maritime Mu;,cum.) 11 4 A~ the I l111n/1/1rey was hroughr ro shore, the extensive Jamagc to the .,hip'lt deck could he more realistic.illy eva luated. (Original photography by Hcrh Reynolds; Courresy Door County Maritime M u~eum. ) \Xlhcn the I /11111/ihrey \\':l' ,,,(cly aflna1' I he d.1 mage done hy the Cb11sm1 \\":l!> rlninly \'i~ih l e . A hole, 18 feel hy 24 feet , w:t ~ rl w cnuse of 1hl' Hum/Jhrcy :- inking. Dh·cr:. covered chc hl) lc on the ~ h ip's srn rhmrd ~ i de with 1imhl'rs and wrpaulins. With her d <.:ck 11 5 ·:- .... Roen spent $300,000 in raising the H11111/1l1rey. He rehuil t rhc vessel rind renamed her Ca Jnain John Roen. She w:is then rnlueJ ar wel l m•cr $ 1,000,000. The large't ~alvagc opcr;1ti1m in the history of Gre 116 Seven BUILDING THE MARGARET L The Margarer L sets in the Percrson Builders shipyard ready for delivery in 1972. The ship will he used fo r carching and storing tuna. Wi1h a fuel capacity of 159,000 gallons anJ a length of 262 feet and 45 feet at the hcmn, the Margarer L had a tural ra nge of 4,000 milcs. Orhcr vessels in the shipyard at the time incluck: the Uw/>ia, (lefr ccnrer), a 35-foot· by-95-font barge, ( in fronr. of the Uiopia), two C o;IS[ G uard hones, (middle and middle right), a paddle wheel boat used for storage, (right ccrner), and the Straits uf Mackinac ferry, (righ1 rear). The ~ tiff leg crane in the cen1 er has a lifring capacity of }-) tom and i ~ u ~cd co place partl> on the ship as she is lwing built. (C uurtesy Dnnr County Maritime Museum.) Buik upside down prohahly in the metal ~hop of the sh ipyard, the keel for Margaret Lb shown ahow. The llar area i~ tht: rank rop madt: of steel. Tht: kt:cl laying was the fir~t piece to he put in place when ship con~rruction on t lk· 1 una ~t:iner started in latt: 1970 or early 1971. (Courtesy Dom County Marit imc Musc11m.) 11 8 A~ rhc section" o( the hortom of the fbh rank we re laid in place, the Margare1 L :.rnrtcJ to wke ::-hape. Each sect 11111 wns 38 fccr long and appwximarely 40 fl-ct wide. hown at the right t~ the bottom of the Margart?! L with three section:. in place. Three more sect ions would he \'(/hilc the hrnwm secriorb of the ;\lc1rgare1 L we re being 'cl, in:.ide rhc cnn-;truction ,hnp ar Pc1c r~on Builders, Inc. work wn~ hcing crnnplcred on the upper how, the forwa rd cop piecc of the ship. Thl' nfr (the rear) wa" also being prepared at th<.· same time in ;mother One of the aft ~cctions would be ·ct in place after che n~h ranb were pennancncly installed in lhe ship. The aft section wa:. abo mmlc in a constrncciun -.hop at the :-.h1rrard. While thi- worl.. progrcs-.cd on the Margaret L, addit illna l work was completed nn rhe hu ilding herch. This afr ~ecrion wa-. constructed of plate' of :.tt•i:I .1hout 40 feet long and from 4 to 8 feel wide. all over half-an-inch thick. (Cnurce'y Door County Maritime~ hN·um.) Indindual frames wen~ imwllcd on the :-1Jcs and bull..hc.1d~ of the ,111p. They were then welded in place hy workers on ~caffokb on h11th :.ides of the :-hip. Although no worker,, appear in the 11horo, it wa~ not unu,ual for lwn s hi ft ~ 10 he doin[! rhc weld ing on th ii. sh ip. The plastic s h cJ~ in the deck uf the ship were temporary nnd would lw removed wht•n the upper decks wrnild he in~ralbl. (Courtesy Door County Mant i me Museum.) 120 The lower forward how was abo heing prepared in ycl another comtruccion ~hop. Even rhough it appean; liulky. the shape of the bow ~erved w increase the speed uf the ship. The hlunt fmnt of the how would inuncJiaLCly n::Juce the drag of the \\'ater nn the remainder of rhe ship. This engi neering technique is still in use by many n;wal vessels and hy ships u,ed a~ icehreakcrs. (Courte y Door County ~laritime Museum.) The hnw fur rhc Margare1 L wok approximately two month:. en huild, longer than it mok to hwld any one section of the ship. Even though it wa' designed inl A duce-level Jeck wa' imcalleJ after the sitb of the ship had hccn welded. The honom and midd le d1.:ck were living quarier~. aml the top deck was che pilot hou~c. The dccb were 4 5 feet in width, 55 feet in k·nl.!th and ahlc to house a crew of eighc. (Coune~y D1)nr County Mari time Museum.) l12 The lower fo1warJ bow section is insrnlleJ nfter the fbh wnks arc complcred. Once rhis section is in place', most of the outside work is essentially complete. During 1he dayrime, the sun would frequently beat on the deck as work was in progress. As it cooled at night, the fo rward aft keel blocks would loosen up so the wl.'ight of the boat shifted m mid-ship. Afrcr rhc bow was insrn llcJ, the weight shift would become morl.' dramatic. (Courtesy Door County Mnritime Museum.) The upper bow section would be the last major piece to be installed. Little work was required on th is section. Ocher sections required more extensive piping, electrical wiring, and plumbing. (Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.) 123 The MMgarer Lis being prepared for launching. Although the ship lrniks complcre, much work remains to be done airer the launch, such ns slu:cting and ductwork, carpenrry, and p;1inti ng. Te~ti ng is clone once the ship is in the wmc r. For many ships, engi nes arc not put in unti l after launch. However, engines were insta ll ed in the Margarer L before launching. O n launch Jay, 1\.forgMet L was about 60 percent compk:ic. (Courtesy Door C(i11n1·y Maritime Museum.) After launching, rhc Margaret L was moved wi th tugs to another slip nt Peterson Builders, Inc. Th<.: 111nst (cenrer lefr) wn;, 1hcn arcached, pa int<.:rs completed painring, and deck machinery was installed. There was M ii I much rigging ro he wmplcred m insrnll ca hies for the booms rhar would he u~ed for netting 1hc fbh nut uf the war<.:r. Thn.•c trials were yet w l'c completed before the ship was ready for delivery. Dock trials invoked turning shafts \\'hilc at dnck. Builder's rrials, cnnductcd al sea, involved opcrming shafts and deck machinery such as anchl1r;,. Owner's trials wen.: mainly a rep<.:at of previous trinls with the owner pr<.:~cnt. After launching, it rook about five monrhs before 1hc ship was accqitcd by the mvncr in 1972. (Courtesy Door Coum y Maritime Museum.) 124 Eight THE FUTURE Palmer Johnson, Inc. of Sturgeon Bay is one of the world's most prom incm builders of luxury yachts. Shown ahm·e is the Ln Baronessa, a 195-foor all aluminum yacht built in 1998 for a priYate owner at :1 cosr of $35,000,000. She has nccommodacions for 16 passengers and a crew nf 16. In spring 200 I, Palmer Johnsnn, Inc. hnd a two-yc;i r backlog nf orders assuring it a prominent role in ~ upp l y i ng luxury yac hts for the fnrcseeahle future. (Cl1ttrtesy Door County Maritime tvluscum.) The Edwin M. Gou was the last of six l.000-foot freighters built at Bay Shipbuilding Comp In l 974, Bay Shipbuilding um1pany of Sturgeon Bay announced pbns for a grnving Jock. It would he I, I 50 feet long, 130 feet wide, and would hold 25 million gallons ()f water. Part of this graving dock is shown on rhc right in the photo at rhc left. The graving dock nrndc pos,sihle the building of six 1,000-foor freighters in the 1970s at Bay Shipbuilding Company. The first three 1,000-foot freighters were constructed in rwo separate sections; the bow section of 650 feet was built 1111 a building berth on n dock. The stern section was huilt in the I, 150-foot gr.wing duck. The how secrion would he side launched and OonreJ inro lhe graving dock to mme with the stern section. T he last three 1,000-forn vessels we re completely buil t in the graving Jock. Today, rhc gm\"i ng duck is used w do required repair work on the l ,Q()(),foot and other freighters such ns seen in the ahove photo. Normal servicing for such fre ighters is at least once in every five-year cycle. (Courtesy Door Ciunry Maritime Museum.) 126 In response to the interest nf fishermen in northern Door County, a M aril imc Museum was opened at G il b Rock in 1975 near rhe northern tip of the Door Peninsula. Since 197 1, the museum has nrnintained the nctiw Cana Island Lighthouse on Lake Michigan's shore under a lease with the U.S. Coast G uard. (Courtesy Door Cl)unry Maritime Museum.) T he Door County Maritime M11scum at Srurgeon Bay is open year-round. Cnrl Raymond C hristianson, for many years active in shipbuilding and owner (or 22 yeari; of the C h risty Corporation, launched the Sturgeon Bay branch of the Door Counry Maritime Museum in 1977, and \\' William Hcrhst, an employee of Peterson Builders, Inc., a major shipbuilder in Sturgeon Bay for 63 years, is shown wo rking on one of the 35 models commiSl>ionccJ by Peterson Builders, Inc. Many l)f his models arc now o n exhibit at the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay. Herbst starred his project in L94 I when he built a model of a U.S. Navy nt 62-and-l/4-inchcs long, 26-and l/4-inchcs high, and 14-:md- l/8-inchcs wide. Hi ~ las t model w ;i:, an MKV, which is used for hauling Na\')' cab, built in l 993. Sh1.: was 71 inches long and 21 inches wide. Herbst wns employed at Peters11 n 11ui lders, lnc. from 1935 to 1947. He then worked for C hristy Corporation for four )'l'ars and was a Navy Ci\'il Servict: cmployl.!I.! fr\llll 1951 w1975. Today, there nre more than 50 ship and snilboat models on display nt the Door County M 128