LOCATING THE SITE FOR THE BREMERTON NAVY YARD ❖ ❖ 1889

BREMERTON NAVY YARD 
crop of a 3-panel
photograph by Romans, 1908.
click on image to enlarge. 
from the archives of the 
Saltwater People Historical Society©

"The need for a first-class navy yard on the PNW coast of the USA was eagerly desired by the Navy Department. When the “White Fleet” consisting of the cruisers Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Yorktown, were being built or would be building. A commission of navy officers was appointed by the President to proceed to Puget Sound and adjacent waters and pick out the most available place for a naval station.
      The personnel of the commission appointed were the late Capt. A.T. Mahan, USN., the celebrated writer on "Sea Power;" Commander Chester, the present retired rear admiral; and Lieutenant Commander Stockton, afterward, rear admiral. The late Rear Admiral Uriel Sebree, USN, who was at that time Lighthouse Inspector of the 13th District (now the 17th District) was added to the above-named commission
       On their arrival at Seattle, they boarded the Lighthouse steamer Manzanita, commanded by Capt. Charles Richardson with William E. Gregory, first officer, the late Harry C. Lord, chief engineer, and Alfred Rickards, assistant engineer. On the day following their arrival at Seattle, the Manzanita left the ocean dock (now Pier B) and steamed towards Port Townsend, Port Angeles, and Dungeness.
        After having examined these places the Manzanita proceeded to Fairhaven where a stop was made. A committee of citizens presented to the officers for their approval what they termed an ideal site for a navy yard— a place called Chuckanut. From Fairhaven the Manzanita steamed through Ship Harbor, Deception Pass, and the site of Everett, thence returning to Seattle for mail and supplies.
        On the following Monday morning, the Manzanita again left Seattle and proceeded to Tacoma, where a delegation of prominent businessmen boarded the steamer and requested the naval committee to investigate Gig Harbor and Quarter Master Harbor in that vicinity, as they thought either of the locations mentioned would be a good place to locate the naval station. After examining the two sites, the Manzanita proceeded to Olympia and Nisqually Flats before again returning to Seattle. Here a group of the leading men of the town boarded the steamer and requested the naval committee to inspect the waters of Lakes Union and Washington.
        With the Seattle delegation on board, the Manzanita steamed down to the entrance to Shilshole Bay, where the party boarded a steam launch to be taken through Salmon Bay, and to land about where the municipal bridge is now, and walked to Lake Union where another launch took the party to Lake Washington. A portage was made to Lake Washington, where the old sidewheeler Kirkland was waiting; on boarding her, the Kirkland proceeded through the lake, stopping at intervals to allow soundings to be taken under the direction of Capt. Pratt of the Coast Survey, first mate Gregory, and Capt. Harris, a junior officer of the coast survey steamer Gedney, later of the Pacific Coast Steamship Co. On board the Kirkland, a most elaborate luncheon was served with champagne, cocktails, etc, with very much evidence showing even at the time of 1889, that the “Seattle Spirit” was flourishing. The greatest depth of water found by the Manzanita’s leadsman on board the Kirkland was thirty-eight fathoms. The lake was thoroughly surveyed a short time ago by the coast survey and probably deeper water was found.
        A few days later, the Manzanita steamed to Port Orchard, where a short visit was made to the wharf at Sidney, the present Port Orchard, and one or two prominent men of that village were taken on board when the Manzanita steamed over to the other side of the bay and anchored off the site of “the Bremerton Navy Yard.” All members of the commission were landed and walked up the hill to a small white house, centering in about an acre of cleared ground, and held a conversation with the occupant of the house. One can look back and see the little white farmhouse and the wild trees, bushes, and vegetation of the place at the time, and then glance at the magnificent navy yard that is there now with its immense dry docks, wharves, repair shops, marine barracks, storehouses, etc., with some of the largest and finest battleships in the world either anchored in the Bay in or lying alongside the immense wharves and thousands of workmen employed the year around looking after the needs of these battleships and the other units of the USN —and wonder.
        On the return of the Manzanita from Seattle the naval commission left for the City of Washington where they submitted a voluminous report to the Secretary of the Navy with their findings that Bremerton was their choice for a site for a naval station. The Bay had plenty of deep anchorages; the whole place could be easily defended; besides, it was close to a growing and thriving town– Seattle, where plenty of artisans and workmen could be obtained.
        When the report, sent from Washington, reached the northwest, certain interests immediately went to work to block the location and the opposition became so intense that President Harrison appointed another commission to go over the same ground and to report their finding as soon as possible. This commission was composed of Captain (later Admiral) Selfridge, USN, Senator Tom Platt of New York, and Ex-Secretary of the Navy Thompson. Once more, the Lighthouse steamer Manzanita was detailed to convey people over the same course the proceeding commission had traveled. Once more, the second group endorsed the site that the first commission had chosen – Bremerton.
        After the usual delays, work was at last started on the new naval station, the old sloop of war Nipsic was anchored in the Bay about opposite where the first dry dock was being built under the direction of Lieut. White, USN, civil engineer in charge, Commander Morong, in command of the Nipsic, with Liut. R. C. Hollyday assistant. The contractors for the drydock work were Messrs. Balow, Blackwell, and Dugan. The first drydock was built of lumber and was known as the Simpson plan.
        After the work had been underway, a difference of opinion in driving the pilings arose between the engineer in charge and the contractors. Work was stopped until the arrival of the Secretary of the Navy, H.A. Herbert. The Lighthouse tender Manzanita was detailed to take the Secretary and party on board... On the arrival of this group, the Secretary of the Navy's flag was hoisted to the main truck, so to the little lighthouse tender Manzanita goes the honor of bearing the Secretary of the Navy's flag for the first time it was shown in the Pacific Coast northwest waters, Secretary Herbert being the first Secretary of the Navy to officially visit the northwest.
        The first step after the tender left Seattle was at Port Townsend where an address of welcome was made by Judge H.A. Ballinger. The next stop was at Fairhaven. From there, the Manzanita returned to Seattle while the Secretary and his party went to Everett via the Great Northern. The Secretary's party joined the Manzanita when they returned to Seattle and the following day the tender proceeded to Bremerton. On arrival at the Navy Yard, the Secretary immediately got in touch with the engineer in charge, and the contractors and a pile were placed in position, ready for driving.

        The first pile driven, while the Secretary was looking on, was 20 feet long and was struck 84 blows and the penetration was only 7.5 feet. The second pile was about the same length and was struck with the same number of blows but it ceased to go down any further. The specifications called for the piles to be struck with an 8000-pound hammer in a fall of 25 feet, they would not sink over one-quarter of an inch the last blow.

        The finding of the Secretary was that the contractors must try to drive the piles deeper and proceed with the plan as insisted on by the engineer in charge.

        A luncheon on board the Nipsic was next and four musicians discoursed some excellent music. The Nipsic will be remembered for the heroic struggle she made during the hurricane at Samoa when the United States frigates Trenton and Vandalia were wrecked and some of their crews were lost. Two German corvettes were also lost and the old Nipsic was driven ashore, but was afterward hauled off.

        The Manzanita with the party on board returned to Seattle and the following morning left for Tacoma. Here the Secretary was taken in charge by the reception committee and he had "resources" talked to him till his eyes stuck out, and the trip to and around Quartermaster Harbor and back to Tacoma he listened to the praises of the State of Washington, Tacoma, and Puget Sound. 

        The following day the Secretary and his party left over the Great Northern for Washington and the Manzanita returned to her regular lighthouse duties."

Captain William E. Gregory
writer of this essay on 
locating the site of the 
Bremerton Navy Yard,
1889.
Original photograph
from the archives of the 
Saltwater People Hist. Soc.©

Words by Captain William E. Gregory, once a widely known master of the North Pacific.

This abridged essay was published by an unknown Seattle newspaper and also by the Marine Digest, Seattle, in 1927. 

This hand-typed document is from Capt. Gregory's estate, courtesy of descendant Dan MacGillivary for the Saltwater People Historical Society. 

US Navy Repair Ship MEDUSA

Launched on the 32nd anniversary 
of the establishment of the 
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard,
Abstract of title to the Navy Yard property,
 having been delivered to Lt. Wyckoff, 
 acting for the Secretary of the Navy,
on 16 April 1891.
Building cost, $4,000,000.
483' 10.5" LOA, 70' x 19' (loaded)
Displacement tonnage ca. 10,000 . 
Original photo from the archives of the
Saltwater People Historical Society©
U.S.S. Medusa notes from H.W. McCurdy's Marine History 
of the Pacific Northwest. Superior. 1966

Bremerton Navy Yard
Dated 22 June 1931.

FAST WORKERS 

This year, the cruiser Louisville was built 
in record time for construction of cruisers, 
and now a new record for speedy work in 
building a new reinforced concrete dry dock,
652 ft long and 120 ft wide in only four months.
The project was approved by Congress as part 
of the emergency construction program to relieve
unemployment. The average number of men 
employed was 23, and the maximum was 310.
The project involved the demolition of an old timber 
dock and building of the new one, 13 ft longer, 
in its place, at $400,000.
Associated Press Photo
From the archives of the
Saltwater People Historical Society©

PUGET SOUND NAVY YARD
Photo dated 6 April 1945
USS SUWANEE

A day ahead of schedule, the war-battered
escort carrier USS Suwanee noses up to a pier 
at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in 
Bremerton, WA., for repairs and a 
thorough overhaul. So rapid was the 
refitting the crew had no time to go out on
"stateside leave," which is usually a feature of 
visits back to the US by Navy warships. 
The Suwanee was hit by three Japanese bombs 
in the Battle for Leyte Gulf, 
24 to 26 October 1944.
An official photograph and text by the U.S. Navy,
File number 48650
from the archive of the 
Saltwater People Historical Society©

Bremerton, Washington.
Dated 23 April 1962
The aircraft carrier Kearsarge 
enters the world's largest drydock located
at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. 
Built for $23 million and big enough
 to hold the largest battleship 
man has ever built, the drydock was 
dedicated today.
Click image to enlarge. 
AP Wire photo from the archives of 
the Saltwater People Historical Society©

22 October 1971

The battleship MISSOURI,
 attracted more than 185,000
to the Naval Shipyard at 
Bremerton last year was moved 
into drydock to have her hull scraped 
and painted –– a $350,000 project.
The Japanese signed surrender papers
on the ship on 7 September 1945, 
ending WW II.
Commissioned in June 1944, the 
Missouri steamed more than 500,000 mi
during WWII and the Korean War. 
The Missouri was decommissioned in Feb. 1955.
Original photo from the archives of 
the Saltwater People Historical Society©

        

❖ THE PACIFIC COAST CODFISH COMPANY FLEET ❖

Schooner JOHN A 

Undated original from the archives 
of the Saltwater People Historical Society.©

"The three-masted codfish schooner JOHN A was launched in the Eureka, California yard of Peter Mathews, in 1893. She was 131.7 feet L with a 32-foot beam and a 9.8-foot depth of hold. The gross was 282.4-tons; a very fine sailing vessel for her small size.

      The JOHN A was the first schooner of the Pacific Coast Codfish Company fleet to come to Poulsbo. In 1911 my father, Captain J. E. Shields, and others formed a new fish processing company named Pacific Coast Codfish Company (PCCC.) A processing and storage plant was constructed on the shores of Liberty Bay. They purchased the three-masted schooner JOHN A in southern California with Captain John Grottle as the ship's master. The vessel was brought north with a good supply of salt for the preservation of the first year's cargo. The JOHN A sailed to the banks near Sand Point, Alaska, and also near Sanak Island. All fishing was done from one-man dories launched each day from the schooner and returned to her in the evening with the day's catch.

      A good catch resulted, and the fish plant in Poulsbo began winter operations. The salted fish were removed from the vessel, scrubbed, and stored in wooden tanks holding 20-tons each. A work crew was hired to further process the fish. Some saltfish was dried in the sun while other fish had skin and bones removed to be packed in one-pound packages for shipment to the various stores. Thus, a new industry came into operation and a winter payroll resulted.

In 1913 the three-masted schooner CHARLES R. WILSON was purchased. She was constructed in Fairhaven (Eureka,) California in 1891 for the lumber trade, but was then laid up. She was 150-feet L with 35-feet beam x 11-foot depth of hold. She was rated at 345-tons gross; she could land nearly 500-tons of cured cod.

      The company purchased other sailing vessels, all without engines, including the three-master C A THAYER, in 1925. The THAYER was built by Danish-American Hans Bendixen in Eureka at the same yard as the CHARLES R. WILSON, also for the lumber trade. She was listed at 452-tons gross. She could land nearly 600-tons of salt cod which may explain why she was the last commercial sailing vessel on the US west coast and the last to operate out of Poulsbo. She landed her last cargo in 1950 with Captain Ed Shields in command.

       Another sailing vessel of the PCCC fleet, probably the most famous, was the SOPHIE CHRISTENSON, a four-masted schooner built in Port Blakely in 1901. She was built for the lumber trade and for hauling general cargo. She was 180.6-feet long with a 38.9-foot beam and a 13.4-foot depth of hold. She first came to Poulsbo with Captain John Grottle, and last in 1941 with Captain J.E. Shields, her famous skipper. She carried a crew of 22 dory-fishermen, a dressing crew, and cooks to make a total of 44 men.                

      When the war broke out in 1941, the US Government took possession of the JOHN A, the C.A. THAYER, and the SOPHIE CHRISTENSON. Only the C.A. THAYER returned to the fishing trade after the war. The CHARLES R. WILSON operated during the war years delivering cargos of salt cod every year except in 1944. During this time she was under the command of Captain Knute Pearson of Poulsbo.

      During the late 1930s to 1941, the codfish plant provided employment for up to 40 persons, some men, and some women. For the men, it was work on the fishing grounds at sea during the summer season of five months, and work in the fish plant in the winter.

      After the war, conditions returned to near normal as far as the worldwide need for food was concerned. Commercial mechanical refrigeration came into more prominent use and the need for salt preservation passed as frozen fish became available in all of the grocery stores. Thus came the end to this fishery in 1950."

  From: ABOUT THE BOATS

By Captain Ed Shields (1916-2002)

Poulsbo, WA.

Captain James Edward Shields established his reputation from the age of 17, when he went to sea to help his father crew the SOPHIE CHRISTENSON into the Bering Sea and the history books. During the five-month fishing trip, the 45-man vessel set the all-time American record for codfish, hauling home an astounding 455,000 cod. He earned a Masters Degree in Engineering from Harvard but never once turned his back to the sea. Some believe his "crowning touch" was his six-year effort to write the incredible Salt of the Sea: The Pacific Coast Cod Fishery and the Last Days of Sail. The artist Shields remarked that he knew he was the only one left to write the story. Soon after the completion of the manuscript, in the words he chose for his salty father, he "crossed the bar," at the age of 86-years.