Manitowoc Shipbuilding Makes Move to Railcar Repair, 1920s
The Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company is known as a major shipbuilder for the Great Lakes and for the construction of 28 submarines during World War II. But did you know that the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company diversified their efforts and repaired railroad cars and locomotives in the 1920s?
The Manitowoc Shipyard was originally established by Charles C. West and Elias Gunnell in 1902 as Manitowoc Dry Dock Co., using a facility that had been developed in 1863 by Burger & Burger. As the United States entered World War I in April 1917, the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company was focused on expanding the shipyards for freighters already under construction and allowing room to fulfill a contract placed for 3,500 ton freighters. In order to expand the Shipbuilding property, land was leased from the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in June of 1916. By the time the United States entered World War I additional space on the northern portion of the peninsula was leased from the Wisconsin Central Railroad. Henry Burger owned a small boat yard in the area but it was soon moved across the Manitowoc River, west of the Shipbuilding Company. The Manitowoc Glue Company, located on the southwest side of the peninsula, was purchased as well. Goodrich Transit ended a lease for property on the peninsula and moved their operations across the river.
Soon the Manitowoc River near the peninsula was dredged and a new machine shop was erected – along with a new pipe shop, rigging loft, paint shop, and numerous storage buildings. The former Manitowoc Glue Company buildings were rebuilt and made into a tin shop, joiner shop, and carpentry shop. Tracks were extended from the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, as well as the Soo Line Railroad, and by 1919 there were 3 miles of track servicing the grounds for Manitowoc Shipbuilding.
Following the conclusion of World War I it was difficult for the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company to acquire contracts for the construction of new ships. To keep the shops busy and thousands of workers employed, the company made modifications to their shops to allow for locomotive and car repair. Charles West was a true business leader and approached railroad companies to gauge the potential acquisition of this new business line. A number of Chicago-based rail lines and lumber companies in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota were on board. With this new business opportunity, there was enough repair of locomotives and rolling stock to keep the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company’s shops and employees busy for three years.
