Basalt Rock Company facts for kids
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Basalt Rock Company was a large industrial business that started in 1920. It began by digging up rocks near Napa, California, close to the Napa River. This was called a rock quarry.
Later, in 1941, the company started building ships. They built these ships for the U.S. Navy to help during World War II. After the war, Basalt Rock Company also built a 30-mile long pipeline. This pipeline helped bring water to the city of Napa from Lake Hennessey.
In 1950, the company took over a cement factory. This factory was in what is now American Canyon, California. The cement factory kept working until 1978. As of 2001, the city was looking into what the old factory could be used for in the future.
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What happened to parts of the company?
Basalt Rock Company sold off some of its different parts over time.
Steel-making plant
The company's steel-making plant was bought by Kaiser Steel in 1955. The plant was sold again in 1988 to Oregon Steel Mills. It kept making steel pipes as Napa Pipe until 2004. Later, some people wanted to build homes on the site. However, these plans faced some challenges and disagreements.
Rock and sand business
The part of the company that dealt with rock and sand was bought by Dillingham Construction in the early 1970s. Then, in 1986, Syar Industries bought it. As of 2018, it is still working as Syar's Napa Quarry. In 2013, Syar announced plans to dig up twice as much rock. They wanted to go from 1 million to 2 million tons of material.
Ships built for World War II
Basalt Rock Company built many ships for the U.S. Navy during World War II. These ships were very important for the war effort. They built different kinds of ships, including:
- Lighters: These were smaller ships used to move supplies and equipment in harbors.
- Yard Oilers: These ships carried fuel to other ships in naval yards.
- Freight Barges: These barges moved cargo and goods.
- Rescue Ships (ARS): These were special ships designed to help other ships in trouble. They could pull damaged ships, put out fires, and help with diving operations. Many of these rescue ships served for a long time, some even becoming part of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Some of the well-known rescue ships built by Basalt Rock Company include:
- USS Diver (ARS 5)
- USS Escape (ARS 6)
- USS Grapple (ARS 7)
- USS Preserver (ARS 8)
- USS Shackle (ARS 9)
- USS Grasp (ARS 24)
These ships played a vital role in supporting the U.S. Navy during and after the war.
