Martinolich Shipbuilding Company facts for kids
Martinolich shipyard circa 1900
|
|
| Founded | 1905 |
|---|---|
| Defunct | 1974 |
| Headquarters | Dockton, Washington, San Francisco |
The Martinolich Shipbuilding Company was a famous company that built many ships. It was started in the early 1900s by John Martinolich (1877-1960). He was an immigrant from a country that is now called Croatia.
Building Ships and Boats
The Martinolich Shipbuilding Company first had its main shipyard in Dockton, Washington. Over time, it grew and opened shipyards in other places too. The company was busy building ships from 1904 until 1974. They made many different kinds of boats during these years.
Early Vessels Built
Some of the first boats built by the company were called wooden propeller steamers. These boats used a spinning propeller to move through the water. They included the Vashon (built in 1905) and the Verona (built in 1910).
Other early ships were the Nisqually (later called Astorian) and the Calista. Both of these were built in 1911. The company also built the Florence J. in 1914 and the F.G. Reeves in 1916. Later, they built the Vashona (which became Sightseer) in 1921. In 1923, they built the ferry Whidby.
Work in San Francisco
In 1943, the Martinolich company had a shipyard in San Francisco. Here, they built special boats for the United States Army. These boats were called Self-Propelled Barges. They were designed to move themselves and were 105 feet long. The company built several of these wooden barges for the army.
