Craig Shipbuilding Company
Coordinates: 33°46′14″N 118°12′50″W / 33.770586°N 118.213819°W
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Craig Shipbuilding was a shipbuilding company in Long Beach, California. To support the World War I demand for ships Craig Shipbuilding shipyard switched over to military construction and built: US Navy Submarines and Cargo Ships. Craig Shipbuilding was started in 1906 by John F. Craig. John F. Craig had worked in Toledo, Ohio with his father, John Craig (1838-1934), and Blythe Craig, both shipbuilders, their first ship was built in 1864 at Craig Shipbuilding Toledo. John F. Craig opened his shipbuilding company in Port of Long Beach on the south side of Channel 3, the current location of Pier 41 in the inner harbor, becoming the port's first shipyard. In 1907 Craig Shipbuilding is given a contract to dredge a channel from the Pacific ocean to the inner harbor. In 1917 Craig sold the shipyard to the California Shipbuilding Company. But then opened a new shipyard next to the one he just sold and called it the Long Beach Shipbuilding Company. The Long Beach Shipbuilding Company built cargo ships in 1918, 1919, and 1920 for the United States Shipping Board.
In 1918 California Shipbuilding started to have difficulties completing contracts that it had purchased with the Craig Shipyard, including two submarines and a lighthouse tender. In 1921, Craig purchased his original shipyard back and renamed it back to Craig Shipbuilding. At the same time he renamed the Long Beach Shipbuilding to Craig Shipbuilding and ran both as one company. The tow shipyard did repair work on built yachts.
The United States Maritime Commission started a shipbuilding program in 1939, to support the World War 2 demand for ships. Craig leased the Long Beach Shipbuilding yard to Consolidated Steel Corporation. Consolidated Steel Corporation built Type C cargo merchant ships and two Type P1 passenger ships at the leased yard. Consolidated Steel operated two other large shipyards and two other small boatyards. After World war 2, the Consolidated leased yard closed. Craig shipyard continued to do repair work as the Long Beach Marine Repair and closed in 1970.[1]
Craig Shipbuilding Toledo
Notable ships built at Craig Shipbuilding Toledo (1864-1905), later purchased by a syndicate of investors in 1905 and renamed Toledo Shipbuilding Company, and then purchased in 1945 by the American Ship Building Company.[2] Run today by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority:[3][4][5]
- Two schooners, the James H. Seguine and Edwin Kirk in 1864 at Keyport, New Jersey
- Amelia G. Ireland, built at Wicomico Creek, Maryland in 1866
- Schooner Jane Ralston for Robert W. Linn. Craig started partnership with Linn: Linn & Craig
- Manistique in 1882 as John Craig & Son (with George Losee Craig); son John Franklin Craig joins in 1889; yard moves to Toledo.
- E.G. Crosby (1903)[6]
- City of South Haven
- Lakeside
- City of Benton Harbor
- Indianapolis
- Chippewa
- SS George M. Cox (SS Puritan) 1901 steel passenger screw-steamer, 495 tons, wrecked May 27, 1933.[7][8][9]
- Detroiter, 1902
- Light Vessel No.57
- SS City of South Haven
- SS Harriet B.
- SS Puritan
- John C. Barr tug
- Grays Reef Light
- SS Grand Haven
- LV55, LV56, and LV57 at the Lansing Shoals Light Station, Light vessels
- United States lightship Nantucket (LV-58)
- Many tugs, propellers, barges, car ferries, light ships and passenger boats
Craig Shipbuilding Long Beach Yard
Notable ships built at Craig Shipbuilding Long Beach Yard (1906 to 1917) and (1922-1934):[10]
- Paraiso, built 1912
- USLHT Cedar, 1917
- Cedar (WAGL 207), US Coast Guard buoy tender, 1,890 tons, 1917
- USS L-6 (SS-45), US Navy submarine, 1917
- USS L-7 (SS-46), US Navy submarine, 1917
- Infanta, built 1930 for the actor John Barrymore (120-foot steel-hulled cruiser)
- Velero III, built 1931 for George Allan Hancock
- USS Amethyst, built 1931
- Georganna, built 1925
- Caroline, built 1931 for Eldridge R. Johnson, later converted to motor torpedo boat tender
- Geoanna, 1934 schooner
Long Beach Shipbuilding Company
Notable ships built at Long Beach Shipbuilding Company Long Beach Yard (1918-1921):
- SS West Kasson
- SS Ozaukee
- World War I cargo Design 1019 ships built in 1918, 1919 and 1920: Silverado, Eldorado, Wallingford, Ozaukee, Oshkosh, Magunkook, West Kasson, West Keene, West Katan, Vinita, Haleakala, West Keats, West Kebar, and West Kedron.
- Edythe, yacht built in 1920 for owner John F. Craig; 186 tons; later sold and renamed Melodie
- Mazatlan, 987 ton cargo ship for Swayne & Hoyt shipping; later renamed San Diegan in 1937
Consolidated Steel at the Long Beach Shipyard
See: Consolidated Steel Corporation#Long Beach shipyard
See also
References
- ^ Craig Shipbuilding shipbuildinghistory.com
- ^ Weisman, Matthew J.; Shorf, Paula. "Boats Built at Toledo, Ohio - A Comprehensive Listing of the Vessels Built from Schooners to Steamers from 1810 to the Present - Toledo Shipbuilding Company (1905-1945)" (PDF). toledoport.org.
- ^ Craig Shipbuilding Toledo shipbuildinghistory.com
- ^ Craig Shipbuilding Toledo wrecksite
- ^ Boats Built at Toledo, Ohio
- ^ E.G. Crosby (1903)
- ^ NPS, SS George M. Cox
- ^ NPS SS George M. Cox Wreck
- ^ NPS, SS George M. Cox: Operational History
- ^ Historical Society of Long BeachOctober 2018The Great War as Civic Engagement:Southern California, 1916-1925, by Craig Hendricks
[Category:American Theater of World War II]]