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Davidson Shipbuilding, Weat Bay City MI

James Davidson, a master mariner from Buffalo, started this shipyard in 1873. His first ship, the James Davidson, was said to be the first wooden ship the timbers for which were cut to specifications, in a saw mill. Davidson died in 1929 and the shipyard closed in 1932. The yard was at the foot of Randolph Street: the site is now part of Veterans Memorial Park but the graving dock is still clearly visible from the air on Google here. If anyone can add to the table below, please email info@navalmarinearchive.com.

Most recent update: 14 May 2016.

Hull # O.N. Name Owner Type GT Feet Built Disposition
1 James Davidson J. Davidson Cargo Ship 1,456 1874 Wrecked 1883 on Thunder Bay Is, Lake Huron
91272 Minnesota Propeller 1,138 1880 Burnt 1903
2 No data
3 No data
4 No data
5 155040 Oceania J. Davidson Cargo Ship 1,490 1880 Burnt 1919 in the Canadian Vickers shipyard
6 115848 Siberia J. Davidson Cargo Ship 1,618 1882 Wrecked 1905 off Long Point, Lake Erie
7 No data
8 85800 George T. Hope Cargo Ship 1,558 1883 Culligan 1907, foundered 1912 near Grand Isle, Lake Superior
9 106302 Australasia J. Davidson Cargo Ship 1,820 1884 Burnt 1896 in Whitefish Bay
10 No data
11 76601 John Shaw Schooner 928 1885 Foundered 1894
12 145421 Temple Emery Tug 155 1886 Abandoned 1923
13 No data
14 81115 Wahnipitae Schooner 1,432 1886 Wrecked 1891 in Cleveland
15 110733 Roumania J. Corrigan Cargo Ship 1,837 1887 Abandoned 1928, scrapped 1933
16 3381 Bulgaria J. Corrigan Cargo Ship 1,888 1887 Abandoned 1916
17 85991 Germanic J. Davidson Cargo Ship 1,131 1888 Reliever 1908, burnt 1909 at Methodist Point, Georgian Bay
18 92029 Mary B. Mitchell Schooner 963 1888 Foundered 1915
18 91988 Mary Woolson Schooner 709 1888 Rammed and sunk 1920
19 126488 C. B. Strohn Tug 18 1888 Abandoned 1927
20 3400 Britannic W. J. White Cargo Ship 1,121 1888 Sarnor 1913, burnt 1926nat Kingston ON
21 No data
22 86026 George G. Hadley Hadley, Kitchener Cargo Ship 2,073 1888 William P. Rend 1902, wrecked 1917 off North Point, Thunder Bay
23 No data
24 116266 S. S. Wilhelm J. Davidson Cargo Ship 683 1888 L. L. Barth 1903, abandoned 1926
25 92116 Majestic J. Davidson Cargo Ship 1,985 1889 Burnt 1907 off Long Point, Lake Erie
26 No data
27 86036 Geyser Bay Line & Fire Boat Fire Tug 29 1889 No data
28 No data
29 No data
30 106702 Alex. Nimick Irwin, Tener & Oliver Cargo Ship 1,968 1890 Wrecked 1907 in Whitefish Bay MI
31 106676 Adriatic Schooner 915 1889 Abandoned 1930
32 No data
33 76879 John Harper American Tpt. Co Cargo Ship 1,951 1890 Burnt 1914 in the Detroit River
34 81263 Walter Vail A. D. Campbell Cargo Ship 789 1890 Herman H. Hettler 1913, wrecked 1926 off Grand Is, Lake Superior
35 150497 Panther Davidson Tptn. Co Cargo Ship 1,374 1890 Sank 1916 off Whitefish Point, Lake Superior
36 No data
37 No data
38 No data
39 No data
130481 Nirvana Schooner 611 1890 Stranded 1905
40 126717 City of Berlin J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,051 1891 Charles A. Luck 1915, Richland Star 1916, Oakwood 1925, wrecked 1925 near Millers Point, Lake Erie
41 126722 City of Paris J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,062 1891 C. W. Jacob 1915, Isolde 1928, wrecked 1933 in Sevenmile Creek, near Erie
42 126729 City of Glasgow J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,002 1891 Burnt 1907 in Green Bay, made into a barge, scrapped 1922
43 126731 City of London J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,005 1891 In collision and sank 1913 off Point Pelee, Lake Erie
44 No data
45 96114 Harold Cargo Ship 718 1891 Burnt 1915
46 92302 Maxwell A. Tug 1891 Burnt 1915
47 No data
48 126885 City of Venice J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,108 1892 In collision and sank 1902 off Rondeau LH, Lake Erie
49 126897 City of Genoa J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,446 1892 In collision and sank 1911 off Sarnia, scuttled 1915
50 126899 City of Naples J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,394 1892 Frank O'Connor 1916, burnt 1919 off Cana Is WI
51 No data
52 106975 Aberdeen Schooner 1,045 1892 H. Gladys 1910, abandoned 1932
53 81423 William D. Becker Schooner 1,046 1892 Foundered 1907
54 No data
51 150609 Perfection Tug 71 1892 Abandoned 1912
55 150621 Paisley Schooner 1,047 1893 Later Richland Daisy 1916, Colpet 1923, abandoned 1931
56 H. A. Barr Schooner 1893 Sold 1901, foundered 1902 off Port Stanley
57 145648 Thomas Cranage T. Cranage Cargo Ship 2,219 1893 Wrecked off Watcher Is, Georgian Bay 1911
58 W. P. Ketcham J. A. Calbick Cargo Ship 946 1893 Later Lucy Neff 1902, foundered off Fenwick Is 1915
59 86264 Geo. B. Owen Schooner 744 1893 Sank 1926
60 116623 Shenandoah J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,251 1894 Abandoned in West Bay City 1924
61 130669 Nicaragua J. Davidson Cargo Ship 1,204 1894 Scrapped 1923
62 86293 Grampian Schooner 844 1894 Abandoned 1945
63 No data
64 92598 Madagascar J. Davidson Cargo Ship 1,203 1894 Later Kenosha 1906, foundered off Fire Is, NY, 1909
65 No data
66 111083 Rappahannock J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,380 1895 Foundered in Jackfish Bay, Lake Superior 1911
67 No data
68 No data
69 116682 Sacramento J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,380 1895 Hulked in Bay City 1930, stripped by 1939
70 67313 No. 001 Barge 1,545 1895 Stranded 1918
71 67314 No. 002 Barge 1,549 1895 Sank 1906
72 86317 Granada Schooner 1,729 1895 Scrapped 1928
73 107219 Armenia Schooner 2,040 1896 Foundered 1906
74 107221 Abyssinia Schooner 2,038 1896 Stranded 1917
75 107222 Algeria Schooner 2.039 1896 Foundered 1906
76 107236 Appomattox Boston Coal Dock Cargo Ship 2,643 1896 Wrecked on North Point Reef, Milwaukee 1905
77 161786 Venezuela J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,125 1897 Later Erie 1923, barge 1923, deleted 1928
78 86387 G. A. Tomlinson Tug 79 1896 Scrapped 1910
79 150751 Prodigy Tug 55 1897 Abandoned 1910
80 100629 Industry Tug 80 1897 Scrapped 1909
81 127180 Crete Schooner 2,040 1897 Abandoned 1930
82 107276 Athens Schooner 2,074 1897 Foundered 1917
83 3729 Bermuda J. Davidson Cargo Ship 1,312 1897 Later Senator Derbyshire 1909, burnt off E Point Petre Light, Lake Ontario 1924
84 111147 Rita McDonald Tug 70 1897 Abandoned 1920
85 No data
86 No data
87 155317 Orinoco J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,226 1898 Foundered near Montreal Is, Lake Superior 1924
88 107348 Amazonas J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,228 1898 Later Richland Queen 1916, Petcol 1922, abandoned 1929
89 127255 Chattanooga Schooner 2,340 1898 Abandoned 1926
90 127259 Chickamauga Schooner 2,472 1898 Foundered 1919
91 116893 Santiago Schooner 2,600 1899 Foundered 1918
92 92954 Matanzas Schooner 2,600 1899 Abandoned 1927
93 86498 General Union Towing Tug 132 1900 Burnt 1930
94 150872 Pretoria J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,790 1900 Foundered 1905
95 127526 Cartagena J. Davidson Cargo Ship 1,532 1901 Wrecked on Salvage Rocks, Cape Negro NS, 1907
96 No data
97 No data
98 No data
99 No data
100 127703 Chieftain J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,704 1902 Burnt 1953
101 93397 Montezuma J. Davidson Cargo Ship 2,722 1903 Abandoned 1938
102 200293 Sardinia Tug 35 1903 Abandoned 1939

These shipbuilding pages are part of an ongoing project; new material and data is added regularly.

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