Sierra (motor ship) facts for kids
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Sierra (motor ship)
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Sierra
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 Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | 1401 Sargent Blvd., Aberdeen, Washington |
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| Built | 1916 |
| Built by | G. F. Matthews |
| Architect | George H. Hitchings |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002745 |
Quick facts for kids General characteristics |
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| Type | Motor ship |
| Length | 218 ft (66 m) |
| Beam | 42 ft (13 m) |
| Depth | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Propulsion | Motor |
| Added to NRHP | March 29, 1978 |
The Sierra is a special old ship called a motor ship. It was built in 1916 and was used to carry lumber. This ship is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. This means it's a historic landmark worth protecting! The Sierra is located in Aberdeen, Washington.
Building the Sierra
The Sierra was built in 1916 at the Matthews shipyard in Hoquiam, Washington. It was made for a company called E. K. Wood Lumber Company. This ship was the very first motor ship ever built in the Grays Harbor area.
The ship's engines came all the way from Sweden. They were made by a company called Bolinder. Bolinder even sent someone to make sure the engines were put in correctly. A famous person, Senator Miles Poindexter, was there when the ship was launched on August 30, 1916.
Long Journeys and Important Cargo
The Sierra's first long trip was to Valparaíso, a city in Chile. Amazingly, the ship was able to go there and back without needing to refuel!
For many years, the Sierra carried lumber between Bellingham, Washington and Hoquiam, Washington. It could carry a lot of wood! In just one month in 1920, the Sierra moved 1,200,000 feet of lumber from Bellingham.
Accidents and New Jobs
The Sierra had a few tough times. On February 7, 1923, it crashed into another ship called the Wilhemina. This happened in thick fog near San Francisco. The Sierra was badly damaged.
In 1926, the Sierra caught fire while it was at the Port of Los Angeles. This was the first fire that a special fireboat, the Los Angeles City No. 2, had to fight.
In 1927, the Sierra was sold and got a new job. It was fitted with special cooling equipment to carry reindeer meat from Alaska for a company called Arctic Transport Company.
During World War II, the U.S. Army used the Sierra as a training ship. After the war, the ship was kept in a special reserve fleet in Olympia, Washington. Later, it was sold again and moved to Lake Union.
In 1964, a new owner started to fix up the Sierra. They wanted to make it look and work like it did when it first carried lumber.
