Boatbuilding Industry

Boatbuilding Industry (HM1AHB)

Location: St Joseph, MI 49085 Berrien County
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Country: United States of America
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N 42° 6.696', W 86° 28.782'

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Inscription
St. Joseph and Benton Harbor once ranked among the nation's leading boatbuilding centers. From 1892 to 1955, waterfront facilities of the Truscott Boat Manufacturing Company, Dachel-Carter Shipbuilding Corporation, and Robinson Marine Construction Company collectively employed hundreds of craftsmen to building thousands of recreational watercraft.

All three businesses prospered during the 1920s, survived the national depression of the 1930s, and then worked double shifts building military vessels for the World War II effort. After the war ended each company faced an increasingly competitive consumer market. Robinson's closing in 1955 would mark the end of a remarkable boatbuilding era in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor history.

(Upper Photo Caption)
Truscott (1892-1948) had global success, with sales in more than fifty countries worldwide. A 1900 view of a Truscott shop shows boats under construction.
Photo: The William and Jim Abraham Collection

(Middle Photo Caption)
Dachel-Carter Shipbuilding Corporation (1915-1945) launches a 130-foot minesweeper for the World War II effort.
Photo: The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center

(Lower Photo Caption)
Workers of the Robinson Marine Construction Company (1927-1955) pose with the newly constructed 60-foot yacht APHRODITE, 1936. Robinson Marine operated boatyards at both Benton Harbor and St. Joseph.
Photo: The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center.
Details
HM NumberHM1AHB
Tags
,
Placed ByCity of St. Joseph, The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center, and the Public History Program at Western Michigan University
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, September 26th, 2014 at 9:12pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)16T E 543014 N 4662298
Decimal Degrees42.11160000, -86.47970000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 42° 6.696', W 86° 28.782'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds42° 6' 41.76" N, 86° 28' 46.92" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)269
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 601-699 Water St, St Joseph MI 49085, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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