John J. Holland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Captain John Joseph Holland
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| Born | April 15, 1843 Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
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| Died | September 17, 1892 Ballard, Washington
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| Occupation | Ship Builder |
| Spouse(s) | Anna J. Holland nee Foster |
| Children | Thomas, James, William, Anna, Mamy, Johnnie |
Captain John Joseph Holland was a super talented shipbuilder who lived in the late 1800s. He built many amazing ships in the Pacific Northwest, a region in the western part of North America. Some of his most famous creations include the steamboats Fairhaven (built in 1889) and the well-known Bailey Gatzert (built in 1890). Imagine building huge boats that could travel on rivers!
Early Life of a Shipbuilder
Captain Holland was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada on April 15, 1843. He learned how to build ships right there in Saint John. When he was 23 to 25 years old, he worked as a skilled sailor. He traveled on many trips between Saint John and big cities like Liverpool and London.
Later, he moved to the United States. He settled in The Dalles, Oregon, which is a town on the Columbia River. There, he found a job with the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company. He also married Anna J. Foster in The Dalles.
Holland then moved to Portland, Oregon, working for the same company. He became their Chief Builder, which is a very important job! In Portland, he built many steamships. Some of these ships were the Wide West, R.R. Thompson, Idaho, Daisy Ainsworth, Rainier, and Emma Hayward.
Building Ships in Puget Sound
After working on the Columbia River for many years, Holland became an expert. He was especially good at building ships that could travel in shallow water or along the coast. These were often river boats. In 1887, he moved to Tacoma, Washington. There, he built more ships, including the steamers State of Washington, Skagit Chief, and Fairhaven.
In 1889, he moved again to Ballard, Washington. This is where he started his very own shipyard on Salmon Bay. In December 1889, he hired a team of workers. They cleared the land to make it ready for building ships. By 1890, his shipyard had 23 employees!
At his new shipyard, he built several more famous ships. These included the Monte Cristo, Bailey Gatzert, Cascade, and Frances Henry. His Ballard shipyard also fixed many other vessels. Some of these were the Henry Bailey, Josephine, Fanny Lake, Wasco, Mabel, Detroit, and State of Washington.
Final Years and Legacy
In 1892, Captain Holland received a special order. He was asked to build a steamer for use on the Yukon River far to the north. He built the parts of this ship, named Portus B. Weare, in Ballard. Then, he traveled to the St. Michael, Alaska trading post. This was a long journey! He went there to put the ship together. The ship was likely too big to sail all the way from Ballard to the Yukon.
Holland sailed north on July 6, 1892, on a ship called Alice Blanchard. He brought a team of builders from his shipyard. He also brought all the parts for the new steamer. The ship Portus B. Weare was finally launched on September 17, 1892.
While living in a tent in St. Michael, Holland became very ill. He returned to Ballard in October, not feeling well. In December, he got sick with a serious fever. While he was trying to get better, he sadly passed away on January 28, 1893. He left behind his wife and six children. His children ranged in age from 18 years old down to just 1 1/2 years old.
