Sturgeon Bay: Shipbuilding (Images of America: Wisconsin)

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STURGEON BAY SHIPBUILDING

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Eastern UNITED STATES

Srurgcon Bay i ~ located in nPrthcast Wisconsin along the shores of Green l\ 1y ;md Lakt· lvlich ignn. It has access ti) ulJ readily sel l to cager rnswmcrs in major ci1ies ~c rvi ced hy ~hip tn1ffic in the Great L'lkcs. With the opening of the Sturgetlll Bay S hip 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( urgl·on B:-iy, \\'hi ch was a ail hoar. ~ lajor ~hipbu ilding, however, developed \\'it h the arrival of Frl·cl:md B. Gardner of C hicago. In 1854, he purchased t he uld hrnrn:stead of lm:rease C lallin, 1he firsr white ~e u lc r in t ht.: Door Pe ninsula. 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 s ize from 92 feet 10 18) (1:ct were huilt 1ir rc huilt nr Little Sturgeon. Financia l l o~:;c~, including an 1877 fire a t 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 ling ice. Thb \'cnrure 111c1 wich some llttCcess before that enterprise clo~ed in 1889. By I har date, I he lcghmon and I lerm:m Cimm:h h11ilr fj,, h 111g,, ,m,11l 11a"cnger ho;it:-, an,I :.a iling ho:lt:. at the Sturgeon Bay Bont \XI orb. I !;111, Joh1N1n hrn1gh1 11u1 I lcrman Gm:1ch 111 192 5. Hb ~on . Palm..:r J ohn~un, hccom1: 111an,1gcr \\'hl'n hi' fachcr, I I.uh, d11:,I m 19 31. Sturg.:on Ba\· - h1phuilding ,ind Dry nnck Company \\"'1' .1 'llCCl''-Or comp.my 111 19 H of the Uni\'er~al Shipyard from 1930, \\'h1ch h.1.J prc\·mu,h· he1..·n the Richoldt and \Xlliltcr h iphuilJin~ Curpl 1rar11m ,,l:lrt cd in 1898. Captain Jl1hn R1 >l'l1. \\'1111 wa,, the ll\\ 111..·r l If the Roen rcamship Cnmpany, hccame pre~id..:nt of St urgl'on Bay Shiphuilding :md Dry l)ock Company in 1934. Roen hrnugh1 a lor o ( repair work 111 the company. A ,.,t1..•cl tug \\";b huih 1n 1918, and in th..: nexc 24 montlh, 24 ptL~hl'o:ll' fnr n,l\'1t:ation 11n 1hc ~li''"'ippi Ri\'cr 111:r1: c1rn1ph.:tc,I. .Alter rhe arrack on Pearl Harbor 111 1941. rh1..· Un1tecl St.lie' prq1,1red fur clohal \\'arfar..:. •~h ip:. of all ~m,, \\"l.!re needed. To !ill th1' need. numer,111, nmtmcL' were ''t.:neJ with ,hiph11ildcrs in - turge1m Bay. ThC:--e contr:1ch rc~uhccl 1n .1 ,hip hemg Jcll\·er..:d 11n .l\'erage e1·..:ry five days during \Xlorld War II. Sturgeon Bay Shiphui lding and Dry Dork Company huilt 81 1·1..·.,.,cb for thl' war cft~ in . In 194 ), 11 cargo \'l.!sscls, ench 99 feet long, were launchcd :dung with 17 rL·tricving \'e~"e b. O ther ship,, from thi,, :.hipyard mcl11d1:d tug,, cari.:u, and '11pply ,.l',,ek l\·1cN1n Bo:n \Xlnrb pniviJcd 37 wooden hoat!> 111 \Xlnrld \Var IL Therc w..:rc I IO-f11ot and 81-hiut aircraft re-cu1: ,.1:.,,cl,, and 40-four mowr launchc,. , rurgeon Bay lxi;tt \XIMb h111lt 4 l h11,1h ,lurmg che \\,1r, induding 22 aircraft rescue hnar~ th.it were 45 fccL long, dcll\·ered 111 1944. Lcmhem D. Sm11h Sh1phuilding Company conrrihutcd 93 1•._:.;.;cl,, tll th1..· w.ir cff11rt, including >B ,uhch;hcr,., that \\'1.:rc 174 f..:ct l1mg, 25 cargo ,,hip,, :ind I 0 warcr lanker,. During World War II, ~hipy;mJ,, in St urgeon Bay cmpl.iyt·d 1111irc workt:rs (7,000) than its popula1iun of al'out 6,600. The shipyard, wL·re opt:rnring twu ' hilt:. a Jay during llH h t of 1he war year,, anJ ~ometimc:. worked thrcc ~hifb a Jay. Tc> mecc th1: need' of thi, wartime work forc1:, a rransir c1lmp,111y \\'a~ c"tahli~hcd hctwct:n (lreen Bay a11J Sturgeon 11ay. It i- c,1i111at..:,I that 25.000,COO pa~!>enger mil..:,., Wl'rc travclc.I het \\'1:..:11 rhc,1..• two c11 ie' during the war year-. T\\'o hou,inq unir;, were huih in Sturgeon Bay, Sunrhe and Sunwt, tor ne\\' workers in thl· '"'l')'arJ,,. Skilled worker" 1tuch as welcl..:r,., were in great dem:md. Man) \\'rnncn learned \\"clding in night courses ar local :.clwob and rhcn join..:d thc worker,., in thL· i-h ipy:ird,.,. The Non hwc:.1 T cchnical lns1i111te was "guing 24 hciurs a day," ~a i d it,, d irecrnr. "rrn ining 50 tl> 60 wcldcr:. :ind sh ip fitters per day." After \'{!,)rid \Var II, Le,nhem D. Sm11 h ohtaine,I a 1':llc111 tor ;1 crnua111er ,,hip, hut hc drmrncJ in 1946 when hb ,,ail in~ yacht 'an\... 11 i,, :.hipyard wa' 'nld 111 the Chm1y Corporarion, \\'ho continued tn build "hips whcn it recl·ivcd a contract 10 huild fl\'l' landing :.hip rnnb and rhc Bcul~er and the Sparw11 for Lake Michigan Carfcrry -.crvice. After 1hc war, Sturg..:on Bay Boar \Xlorb in tro1.luc1..·d thl' Sw111 Fc://11, which provcd to be a very popular woode n sai lhoar (or man y years. In 195(>, S111rgt•on Hay Boar \Vurb was re named Palme r Johnson Boats, Inc. Peterson Boat \Xlmb hecame Pei1.: rM111 Bui Ide rs, l nc. :1ml worked on 11t11ncrou,., dcfcnsc concracts for th..: U.S. ()nvernmcm including nine mine'l\\'l'l'lll'r;. tor the U.S. Nm·y in 1hc

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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 r s, tuna hoats, and vessels for occnnographic research at this time, closed in 1996 ~1 fte r dcfi.:nsc contracts dwind led wiEh rhc end o f 1he 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 Shipbu ild ing Compnn y in 1967. Then, Bay S hipbuild ing Ctm1pan y merged with the i1pcrarion of C hristy Corpnrnrio n in 1970, and continued to oreraie ns n ~uhsidiary nf the Manir.owm: Company. In 1974 , a I, 150foor- lo ng dry dock and contrncts fnr three 1.000-foot-long vessels were announced. It was esti mnted this would add$ I 00 mill inn I'll Sturgeon Bay's economy. Employment at the shipyard was l $35 million and has accommodations for 16 pas:>engcrs and n crew of 16. Aftscd with the wo rk Palmer Johnson, Inc. did for his rersnnal yacht, Andrew J. McKch·cy, cha irmun of T MP W o rld\\'ide, purcha,ed the firm in 2000. As spring began in 200 I, Palmer Johnson, Inc. had a backlog of t\\'u years \\'ork. Although shipbuilding no longer dom in ate~ Srurgcon Bay\ cconi)my as ir has hismricnlly, ships \\'ill continue to be built and serYiced for repair.-. at Ray Shipbuilding Company for the foreseeable furn re. Thousands of pkasurc, fi~hing, mid luxury yacht:. will continue w navigacc in the waters around the Door Peninsula, ;md 1he Drn1r Count y Maritime Mu~cum, locared in Sturgeon Bay, will reflect anJ hring ali,·e in ir~ many programs and ex hi hits rhc dynamic influence of shipbuilding on the dewlopment ()f Sturgeon Ray 1hroughout rht 20th ccnrury.

This is nn aerial view of Sturgeon Bay showing the location of the major shipyards in 1968. In the foreground i~ Peterson Bu ilders, Inc., which occupied approximately 14 acres. O n rhc lc(1 by the firsr hridge is Palmer Jo hmon, Inc. Also occup\'ing about 14 acres is Chrisry Corporation, which is hy rhc ~ccond hridgc o n the left. T o the north of Christy in the extreme upper left corner is Bay Shiphuilding Compan y. (Courtesy Ken Schmidtke.)

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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 loetrcct fro m th1.· o ld h igh ~c hoDI. (Courrcsy Dnor Coun ty Mari rimc Museum.)

i\ lartin Pcter~ "urrernlereJ in Clcn:land, December 29, 1930, abandoned. anJ ::.old for iunk. (Original rhmot:raphy ,uppl1cd hy Great Lake' ~ lnrine Colleccion nf the ~I tlwaukcc Puhlic L1hrary/Wi:.-con,in ~ lannc 111:-wrical Society; Ct)urte;y Door Count) ~ larit imc ~ lu,ctm\.)

Ahour 1880, Jo,,cph I larri ~. ligh tkccpcr in the lighthou~e 1m Dunlap Rt•l'f in S turgeon 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 'pccia l Row and Sail Bar 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.~ Like Michignn . (Courtc:sy Door County M:1 riti mc M11,1.:11111 .)

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Fred Peterson of Pcrcrson Builders, Inc. had a dream tn build n hunt th)' D o(ir Counry Maritime Museum.)

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PACKAGE FREIGHT CONTAINER SHIP OUIG~lO

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LEA1HE M 0. SMITH ,..,,. iru ,nun u•

A conca iner is fi lll·d wi1h mnnufaetured gomls nnd mher producrs. The conrn incr 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 wa~ to revolu1 inni:e :-h ipping freight. He in\'emed and then pa1c111cd unc of 1he \'Cry first large ~Led coniai ner!> 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 desrina tion. Sm ith died before the concept cnuld he fully implemented by hi:. nwn :.hiphuilding cmnpan y. (Courresy Dom County Marilime Mu>eum.)

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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, m Chicago's shoreline and lies in JO feet of wawr. The c;iprni n and 14 crew me mhcrs perished. (Courtesy Door County Nhi ri timc Museum.)

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'tcd gir,lers arc in place thm will house shop constTuction huilJing :2 J at Peter.:,on BuilJers. Inc. The e nclosed faciliry, built during the 1970s. had 70 feet of height under a er.me, wa.~ 70 ieet wif the shi pyard, C. Ray C hristianson. S ince man y uf the launchings were o n a Saturday, neither Dmorhy no r the o the r mnjnrerres missed much scho1>I. (Courtesy Dlior County Maritime Museum.)

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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 lly CDmposcd of personnel ~•ss igncd to rhc shipyard. (Original phnwgraphy by W.C. Schroeder; Courtesy Door Coun1y Maritime Museum.)

T he USS Knox•villc.! was launch ed July l 0, l 943. By rhm thirc, Sturgeon Bay shipyards had been bui lding sh ips 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 1he 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.)

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An offic ial photogrnpher w:is usually assign ed by the shipyard 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 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~ 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 Crn 1nry Mnririmc Muscum.)

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/\ 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 caic~ 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 ddi vered 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.)

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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.: even t, 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 1lcrh Rt.:ynolds; Courtesy Door County Maritime Museum.)

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 \Xlisconsin, 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.)

C. Ray

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~larian Writt, heaJ of fi rst aid nt Leathcm D. Smith ShiphuilJin~ Company and active with the \Var Chc~t pn11-!ram. \\MlJ.!l'\\':IY between L1ke~ Michigan :iml 1 lumn. Her pilothouse, only I 5 feet hclo\\' 1hc surface, was a haz;ml ro all navigario n in rhe heavily tnwcled a refl. Marine experts concluded that t he ship could not he snvcd. The U.S. Governme n1, ;111xio us to clear the passage way, sought hids to cur up rhc I /wn/>hrcy for ~a lvhrcy. The imurance umk·rwrircrs acccp1cd 1he hiJ. The go\'cmment agreed to pt.'rmit Rnt.' n to rry ro salvagl' the /-lt11np/in•)'. lfhc could rabc the $hip she ""'' his: if he rnuld not, he mL"t cut her down to a llow 35 focr of clcnr water aho\'c ht.'r. (Origina l photography hy l lcrh Rcynnld~; Courtesy Door Councy Maritime Museum .)

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Roen had an intricmc plan to raise the Hwnphrey. Steel hatches had w be removed hy divers ~truggling against currenrs up ro 7 mi le~ 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 ha rge 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 wa te r, Roen pumped a ir inro her dou ble 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 maintai n the Cl)rrecr a ir pressures and water levels in the ballast tanks, l