shipbuilder
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
and industrial-equipment manufacturer. Based in
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
, it operated from 1848 to 1959.
Shipbuilding was its primary focus from 1853 until the end of World War II, when the company converted the shipyard to produce machinery for paper manufacturing. The yard built more than 500 ships, from large cargo vessels to small warships and yachts, including ''
Volunteer
Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
'', the winner of the 1887
America’s Cup
The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one f ...
.
History
The company began in 1848, when Joshua L. Pusey and John Jones formed a partnership in Wilmington, Delaware, to run a machine shop in space rented from a
whaling
Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution.
It was practiced as an organized industry ...
company. The shipyard sat between the
Christina River
The Christina River is a tributary of the Delaware River, approximately 35 miles (56 km) long, in northern Delaware in the United States, also flowing through small areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and northeastern Maryland. Near i ...
and the main line of the
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...
.
In 1851, Edward Betts and Joshua Seal, who were operating an
iron foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
in Wilmington, purchased an interest in the business. The name of the company became Betts, Pusey, Jones & Seal.
In 1854, Pusey and Jones built the first U.S. iron-hulled sailing vessel: a
schooner
A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...
named
Mahlon Betts
Mahlon Betts (1795–1867) was a carpenter, railroad car builder, shipwright, businessman, banker, and legislator who helped found three of Wilmington, Delaware's major manufacturing enterprises: the Harlan and Hollingsworth Company, the Pusey a ...
after Edward's father, who had built the foundry.
At the beginning of the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
the company began building vessels for the U.S. military. The first was a
sloop of war
In the 18th century and most of the 19th, a sloop-of-war in the Royal Navy was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. The rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above; thus, the term ''sloop-of-war'' enc ...
, which required immediate expansion of the workforce. The company also built
engines
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power g ...
and
boilers
A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...
for other shipbuilding firms.
In 1887, the company built the first steel-hulled yacht to win the America’s Cup, "Volunteer".
During World War I, the firm grew to more than 2,000 employees. It established the Pennsylvania Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard in
Gloucester City, New Jersey
Gloucester City is a city in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the city's population was 11,456,delivered 20 ships to the
United States Shipping Board
The United States Shipping Board (USSB) was established as an emergency agency by the 1916 Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729), on September 7, 1916. The United States Shipping Board's task was to increase the number of US ships supporting the World War ...
, all requisitions:
* 6 tankers of 7,000dwt
* 11 cargo ships of 12,500dwt
** Yard#7, ''War Serpent'', launched as ''
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
''http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/173865.htm
* 3 cargo ships of 5,000dwt
The Wilmington yard delivered 14 vessels, all requisitions, and two minesweepers for the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
:
* 6 cargo, 2,600t
* 8 cargo, 3,000t
* 2 of 49 s
** ,
After the business slump of the early 1920s, the company reorganized in 1927 under businessman Clement C. Smith, becoming Pusey and Jones Corporation. The company focused on building large luxury steam and motor
yachts
A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...
for wealthy patrons.
As
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
approached, military orders increased. The highest employment was reached during World War II, when more than 3,600 employees worked in the shipyards, plants and offices of the company. Pusey and Jones built 19
Type C1 ship
Type C1 was a designation for small cargo ships built for the United States Maritime Commission before and during World War II. Total production was 493 ships built from 1940 to 1945. The first C1 types were the smallest of the three original M ...
minesweeper
A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping.
History
The earliest known usage of ...
s were built, along with specialty and smaller vessels. Many commercial and private vessels originally built by the company were also converted to military use.
On Liberty Fleet Day — September 27, 1941 — the yard launched the SS ''Adabelle Lykes''.
After World War II, Pusey and Jones converted the shipyard's facilities to manufacture
papermaking
Papermaking is the manufacture of paper and cardboard, which are used widely for printing, writing, and packaging, among many other purposes. Today almost all paper is made using industrial machinery, while handmade paper survives as a speciali ...
Harlan and Hollingsworth
Harlan & Hollingsworth was a Wilmington, Delaware, firm that constructed ships and railroad cars during the 19th century and into the 20th century.
Founding
Mahlon Betts, a carpenter, arrived in Wilmington in 1812. After helping construct many ...
: Nearby shipyard in Wilmington, Delaware
*
Jackson and Sharp Company
Jackson and Sharp Company was an American railroad car manufacturer and shipbuilder in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company was founded in 1863 by Job H. Jackson (b. 1833), a tinsmith and retail merchant, and Jacob F. Sharp (b. 1 ...