AmShip Buffalo
Buffalo NY
Most recent update: November 6, 2021.
The AmShip yard in Buffalo NY was started in 1808 by Nathan Bidwell. The first graving docks were dug in 1836, on a site across the Buffalo River from the intersection of Chicago Street and Ohio Street. A major client, Union Steamboat Company, invested in the yard in 1871 and bought Bidwell out in 1882, changing the name to Union Dry Dock Company. In 1900, Union leased the yard to the American Ship Building Company and it was renamed Buffalo Dry Dock: American Ship Building bought it outright in 1910 and in 1914 renamed it AmShip Buffalo. It effectively stopped building ships after World War One and, except for building a few tugs for the DPC in World War Two, it concentrated on ship repair until 1962, when AmShip closed it and sold it for redevelopment. Today it is an empty lot. See it from the air on Google here.
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O/N | Name | Customer | Type | GT | LOA | Built | Notes | |
Built by Bidwell & Banta | ||||||||
Queen City | Charles M. Reed | freighter | 906 | 1848 | barge 1862 | |||
Northern Indiana | Michigan Southern RR | freighter | 1,475 | 1852 | burned 1856 | |||
Southern Michigan | Michigan Southern RR | freighter | 1,470 | 1852 | scrapped 1863 | |||
Crescent City | Dean Richmond | freighter | 1,746 | 1853 | scrapped 1863 | |||
City of Buffalo | Michigan Southern RR | freighter | 2,026 | 1857 | Bulker 1864, barge 1866, abandoned 1875 | |||
Built by Union Dry Dock Co. | ||||||||
1 | 80265 | William H. Tweed | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 1,299 | 216 | 1871 | later Newburgh, stranded 1892 |
2 | 110155 | Rambler | tugboat | 42 | 57 | 1873 | ||
3 | 75602 | James L. Beckwith | tugboat | 103 | 59 | 1872 | ||
4 | 80432 | Waverly | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 1,104 | 191 | 1874 | lost in collision off Harbor Beach MI 1903 |
5 | 115381 | Starucca | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 1,313 | 1874 | wrecked off Grand Marais MI 1888 | |
6 | 150042 | Portage | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 1,608 | 238 | 1875 | later George H Van Vleck 1909, foundered 1918 |
7 | 150084 | Pacific | tugboat | 42 | 62 | 1876 | ||
8 | 80598 | Wissahickon | Erie & Western Transportation | freighter | 1,619 | 238 | 1876 | later Wasaga 1906, burned in Copper Harbor MI 1910 |
9 | 105624 | Andrew J. Smith | Frank Perry | tugboat | 239 | 117 | 1876 | |
10 | 105733 | Avon | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 1,702 | 251 | 1877 | later Stormount 1919,wrecked in the Williamsburg Canal 1920 |
11 | 130125 | Nyack | Union Steamboat Co | passenger | 1,257 | 231 | 1878 | later cargo ship 1916, breakwater at Big Summer I. WI 1933 |
12 | 75012 | Juniata | Erie & Western Transportation | freighter | 1,708 | 252 | 1878 | later Winnipeg 1905, Weavercoal 1923, wrecked Montreal 1929 |
13 | 85539 | Gazelle | yacht | 36 | 1878 | |||
14 | 130157 | New York | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 1,921 | 269 | 1879 | burned Thunder Bay MI 1910 |
15 | 91135 | Minnie Matham | tugboat | 12 | 42 | 1879 | ||
16 | 91151 | M. M. Drake | tugboat | 13 | 43 | 1879 | ||
17 | 110438 | Rochester | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 2,220 | 267 | 1880 | later Sydney C McLouth 1906, burned Pennsaukee WI 1912 |
18 | 95608 | Huntress | yacht | 114 | 109 | 1880 | ||
19 | 145222 | T. M. Moore | tugboat | 25 | 52 | 1880 | ||
20 | 145231 | Tom Matham | tugboat | 39 | 63 | 1880 | ||
21 | 76204 | John C. Gault | Wabash-St Louis RR | freighter | 1,212 | 218 | 1881 | later Felix Carbray 1908, Crescent 1916, foundered 1916 |
22 | 110472 | Russell Sage | Wabash-St Louis RR | freighter | 1,224 | 218 | 1881 | later barge Atlasco 1917, foundered 1921 |
23 | 155034 | O. W. Cheney | tugboat | 41 | 62 | 1881 | ||
24 | 105994 | A. C. Adams | J-Ash & others | tugboat | 41 | 62 | 1881 | |
25 | 95712 | H. J. Jewett | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 1,953 | 265 | Sep 1982 | later Binghampton 1903, wrecked Gannet Rock Ledge 1921 |
26 | 126018 | Cornelia | passenger | 38 | 61 | 1882 | ||
27 | 95684 | Hecla | J-Ash & others | freighter | 1,167 | 224 | 1882 | later Captain Dan 1917, scrapped 1930 |
28 | 115833 | Shaughraun | tugboat | 43 | 60 | May 1982 | ||
29 | Will Moore | scow | 1882 | |||||
30 | 76318 | J. W. Hahn | tugboat | 31 | 41 | 1882 | scrapped | |
31 | 91485 | M. M. Drake | J-Green | freighter | 1,102 | 201 | 1882 | foundered 1901 |
32 | 120513 | Fred Mercur | Lehigh Valley Transportation | freighter | 1,293 | 232 | 1882 | burned near Stanley I. 1925 |
33 | William P. Fessenden | USCG | revenue cutter | 330 | 198 | Sep 1983 | later Chippewa 1909, barge 1938, scrapped 1943 | |
34 | 115917 | Shaughraun | tugboat | 45 | 60 | June 1983 | ||
35 | 155067 | O. A. Crandall | tugboat | 17 | 42 | 1882 | ||
36 | Commodore Perry | USCG | cutter | 451 | 404 | June 1984 | sunk 1910 | |
37 | John B. Hawley | USCG | launch | 16 | 1883 | |||
38 | 126237 | Calumet | Danforth & Pratt | freighter | 1,526 | 257 | 1884 | wrecked Fort Sheridan IL 1889 |
39 | 145405 | Tioga | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 2,085 | 285 | June 1885 | wrecked N. Eagle River MI 1919 |
40 | Comm. James Pratt | scow | 1885 | |||||
41 | 116128 | Susquehanna | Erie & Western Transportation | freighter | 2,500 | 302 | Nov 1886 | later Papyrus 1923, Da Costa 1925, Papyrus 1925, scrapped 1925 |
42 | Maytham No. 2 | scow | 1886 | |||||
43 | 155153 | Owego | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 2,611 | 326 | Apr 1888 | later Yin Tung 1925, Ting On, Voo Yang 1930, Buyo Go 1942, wrecked 1944 |
44 | 126495 | Chemung | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 2,615 | 326 | Mar 1888 | later George F Brownell 1914, Chemung 1915, torpedoed and sunk 1916 |
45 | 76755 | Julian V. O'Brien | tugboat | 57 | 68 | 1888 | ||
46 | 81204 | W. I. Babcock | tugboat | 63 | 71 | 1888 | ||
47 | 86017 | Grace Danforth | tugboat | 65 | 72 | 1888 | ||
48 | 106638 | America | J-Kelderhouse | freighter | 2,171 | 275 | Apr 1889 | later Glenstriven 1919, wrecked Cove I. ON 1923, scrapped 1924 |
49 | 161612 | Viking | F W Gilchrist | freighter | 1,117 | 217 | Sep 1889 | later Clinton 1920, Viking 1925, scrapped 1936 |
50 | 110841 | Robert H. Hebard | tugboat | 65 | 69 | 1889 | scrapped 1916 | |
51 | 3467 | Brazil | M M Drake | freighter | 2,186 | 276 | Feb 1890 | later Glenbrae 1919, dredger Brazil 1925, scrapped 1949 |
52 | 116340 | S. C. Reynolds | Lake Erie Transportation | freighter | 1,895 | 255 | June 1890 | later John G McCullough 1912, torpedoed and lost 1918 |
53 | City of Buffalo | Chautauqua SB Co | passenger | 1890 | assembled in Jamestown NY | |||
54 | 106738 | Alva B | Vessel Owners Towing | tugboat | 83 | 73 | 1890 | |
55 | 116358 | S. C. Schenck | S C Schenk | tugboat | 126 | 90 | Oct 1890 | |
56 | 81283 | William L. Scott | tugboat | 54 | 68 | 1890 | ||
57 | 106802 | Apalachee | A. J. Sweeney & Sons | passenger | 161 | Feb 1891 | assembled in Wheeling WV | |
58 | 145580 | Townsend Davis | tugboat | 67 | 70 | 1890 | ||
59 | 100490 | Island Belle | Ossian Bedell | passenger | 153 | 93 | 1891 | |
60 | 120839 | Frank W | Frank Gilchrist | tugboat | 93 | 75 | May 1891 | |
61 | 92314 | Major | barge | 147 | 1891 | |||
62 | W. C. Rhinearson | Chautauqua SB Co | passenger | 83 | 1891 | assembled in Jamestown NY | ||
63 | 150542 | Pier | New York Dock Dept | tugboat | 99 | Aug 1891 | ||
64 | 136214 | Edward Gillen | Knapp & Gillen | tugboat | 57 | 68 | 1891 | |
65 | Mary Belle | Lake Keuka Nav. | passenger | 1892 | assembled in Hammondsport NY | |||
66 | 126886 | Codorus | Erie & Western Transportation | freighter | 2,165 | 275 | July 1892 | scrapped 1919 |
67 | 56605 | Red Jacket | scow | 310 | 1892 | |||
68 | 136360 | Erastus Day | Hand & Johnston | tugboat | 69 | 70 | June 1893 | |
69 | 126955 | Cris Grover | tugboat | 56 | 69 | 1893 | ||
70 | 81435 | Wm. Kennedy | Vessel Owners Towing | tugboat | 86 | 1893 | ||
71 | 86267 | George J. Gould | Lake Erie Transportation | freighter | 2,237 | 266 | Sep 1893 | later Granville A Richardson 1912, Glencairn 1919, Nassau 1926, scrapped 1951 |
72 | 145645 | Tonawanda | tugboat | 31 | 59 | 1893 | ||
73 | 120969 | Fabian | tugboat | 71 | 71 | 1894 | ||
74 | U.S. Government | scow | 1894 | |||||
75 | John H. Farley | City of Cleveland | tugboat | 109 | 1894 | |||
76 | 127088 | Cascade | O. W. Cheney | tugboat | 72 | 73 | 1895 | |
77 | 136651 | Enquirer | W. J. Conners | yacht | 140 | July 1896 | ||
78 | 111123 | Ramapo | Union Steamboat Co | freighter | 3,045 | 319 | Aug 1896 | later F D Underwood 1912, scrapped 1940 |
79 | 116763 | S. O. Company No. 81 | Standard Oil | tank barge | 1,774 | June 1897 | ||
80 | 116786 | Starrucca | Erie Railroad | freighter | 3,114 | 326 | Aug 1897 | later Delos W Cooke 1913, Steel King 1941, cut into two barges 1954 |
81 | 107302 | America | Erie Tug Line | tugboat | 123 | 83 | Aug 1897 | |
82 | 162758 | Reciprocity | Dunbar & Sullivan | scow | 446 | 1897 | ||
83 | 162759 | Monroe Doctrine | Dunbar & Sullivan | scow | 446 | 1897 | ||
84 | 29616 | Queen | tugboat | 29 | 40 | 1897 | later Carlotta | |
85 | 127241 | Charles F. Dunbar | Maytham Line | tugboat | 136 | 86 | May 1898 | |
86 | 92852 | Marion | Hickler Bros. | tugboat | 63 | 70 | May 1898 | |
87 | Yankee | T. A. Gillespie Co. | dredge | 404 | 1898 | |||
88 | 56689 | Roughrider | T. A. Gillespie Co. | dredge | 404 | 1898 | ||
89 | launch | 1898 | 44' waterboat | |||||
90 | 3805 | Buffalo | Western Transit Co | freighter | 3,951 | 382 | Sep 1899 | later P E Crowley 1925, Kurikka 1947, scrapped 1953 |
91 | 127391 | C. Persons Sons | canal boat | 49 | Dec 1899 | canal boat | ||
Ordered from Union Dry Dock but built by Buffalo Dry Dock Co. | ||||||||
92 | 81733 | Wilkes-Barre | Lehigh Valley Transportation | freighter | 4,153 | 382 | Dec 1900 | later Edward E Loomis 1921, scrapped 1940 |
93 | Dunbar & Sullivan | barge | 79 | 1900 | Two of these four barges were named Cyclone and Tornado: we don't know which | |||
94 | Dunbar & Sullivan | barge | 79 | 1900 | ||||
95 | Dunbar & Sullivan | barge | 79 | 1900 | ||||
96 | Dunbar & Sullivan | barge | 79 | 1900 | ||||
97 | 86536 | Georgetown | Atlantic Coast Lumber | freighter | 1,358 | 243 | Dec 1900 | later Etretat 1917, foundered in North Atlantic 1917 |
98 | 93133 | Mauch Chunk | Lehigh Valley Transportation | freighter | 4,499 | 382 | June 1901 | later W J Conners 1921, Malacca Straits 1947, W J Conners 1948, Haeringur 1948m, scrapped 1957 |
99 | 155414 | Ossian Bedell | Buffalo & Erie Tpt. | passenger | 296 | 104 | May 1901 | |
100 | 127590 | Chicago | Western Transit Co | freighter | 3,195 | 324 | Nov 1901 | wrecked Michipicoten Is. 1929 |
Built by Buffalo Dry Dock Co. | ||||||||
200 | 111354 | Rocket | fishing tugboat | 39 | 62 | Aug 1901 | ||
201 | 81804 | William Nottingham | United States Transportation | laker | 4,234 | 376 | Apr 1902 | scrapped 1947 |
202 | 30291 | Alexander Maitland | Franklin Transportation | laker | 3,351 | July 1902 | ||
203 | 77580 | J. S. Keefe | Great Lakes & St L Transportation | laker | 1,640 | 239 | May 1903 | later Parame 1916, Glenfarn 1921, Canmore 1927, Ashleaf 1942, Manzzutti 1951, scrapped 1971 |
204 | 111466 | Robert Wallace | Great Lakes & St L Transportation | laker | 1,640 | 239 | June 1903 | later Tregastel 1916, Glendowan 1921, Chandler 1927, Aspenleaf 1942, Helen Hindman 1949, Grovedale 1952, scrapped 1959. |
205 | 200346 | P. P. Miller | Miller Steamship | laker | 3,845 | 354 | Oct 1903 | later Collier 1920, John McCartney Kennedy 1922, R E Moody 1937, scrapped 1959 |
206 | 200537 | Marquette & Bessemer No. 1 | Flint & Pere Marquette RR | Ro-ro Laker | 1,732 | 241 | Dec 1903 | later Carollton 1937, scrapped 1961 |
207 | 162466 | Norman Kelley | Kelley's I. Transportation | barge | 513 | July 1905 | ||
208 | 162507 | James H. Pellet | Kelley's I. Transportation | barge | 346 | Aug 1905 | ||
209 | 203983 | Favorite | Great Lakes Towing | salvage tugboat | 1,223 | 181 | Apr 1907 | to USN 1918 as Favourite (SP-1385/IX-45), to Peru 1948 as Guardian Rios, Rios, struck 1958 |
210 | 204416 | Wissahickon | Erie & Western Transportation | laker | 4,062 | 350 | Aug 1907 | later Daniel Willard 1925, Anne Marie 1948, scrapped 1954 |
211 | 163349 | Reliance | Great Lakes Towing | crane barge | 1,738 | Oct 1907 | ||
212 | 204745 | Harvard | Great Lakes Towing | tugboat | 75 | 71 | Nov 1907 | |
213 | 205096 | Americana | Lake Erie Excursion | passenger | 1,009 | 203 | May 1908 | scrapped 1953 |
214 | 205261 | Honduras | Davidson Steamship | laker | 2,350 | 248 | June 1908 | later Guarany 1919, burned in Barbados 1919 |
215 | 207479 | Canadiana | Lake Erie Excursion | passenger | 974 | 210 | June 1910 | hulked 1959, scrapped 2004 |
216 | 207434 | Niagara Frontier | Buffalo & Fort Erie Tpt. Co. | ferry | 421 | 120 | May 1910 | |
217 | 207808 | West Shore | Pickands Mather | lighter | 675 | Aug 1910 | scrapped 1974 | |
218 | 208690 | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Coal Co | lighter | 1,270 | June 1911 | abandoned 1948 | |
219 | 164473 | derrick No. 5 | Great Lakes Dredge | dredge | 329 | July 1911 | ||
Built by the American Shipbuilding Company | ||||||||
900 | No. 2 | scow | 1911 | no trace | ||||
901 | No. 3 | scow | 1911 | no trace | ||||
212345 | E. N. Smith | American Ship Building | tugboat | 20 | 49 | July 1914 | later AmerShip | |
212746 | H. G. Smith | American Ship Building | tugboat | 20 | 49 | Nov 1914 | ||
902 | AT-19 | Huron/Allegheny | US Navy | tugboat | 750d | 156 | May 1918 | scrapped 1947 |
903 | AT-20 | Comanche/Sagamore | US Navy | tugboat | 750d | 156 | June 1918 | sold 1948 as John E McAllister, scrapped 1953 |
904 | 216669 | Lake Bledsoe | USSB | freighter | 2,316 | 251 | July 1918 | scrapped 1926 |
905 | 216903 | Lake Delancey | USSB | freighter | 2,316 | 251 | Sep 1918 | scrapped 1927 |
906 | 217057 | Lake Galera | USSB | freighter | 2,316 | 251 | Oct 1918 | later Dora Weems 1925, Dora 1928, Sniaffiocco 1937, Sereno 1940, bombed and lost at Tobruk 1940 |
907 | 217139 | Lake Otsquago | USSB | freighter | 2,337 | 251 | Nov 1918 | scrapped 1926. |
908 | 217309 | Lake Cathcoon | USSB | freighter | 2,319 | 251 | Dec 1918 | scrapped 1926 |
909 | 217857 | Lake Fugard | USSB | freighter | 2,607 | 251 | June 1919 | scrapped 1927 |
910 | 217856 | Lake Furley | USSB | freighter | 2,607 | 251 | June 1919 | scrapped 1926. |
911 | 218472 | Lake Furlough | USSB | freighter | 2,607 | 251 | July 1919 | scrapped 1926. |
912 | 218954 | Lake Fernando | USSB | freighter | 2,594 | 251 | Sep 1919 | later Munami 1926, Lisieux 1940, foundered 1940. |
913 | 219186 | Lake Ferrona | USSB | freighter | 2,598 | 251 | Oct 1919 | completed at AmShip Cleveland, Turkmen 1930, scrapped 1960 |
914 | 219213 | Lake Fessenden | USSB | freighter | 2,599 | 251 | Nov 1919 | completed at AmShip Cleveland, Cumberland 1925, Western Head 1939, torpedoed and lost 1942 |
221267 | Service | American Ship Building | work boat | 190 | May 1921 | |||
227455 | Sid Jr. | American Ship Building | work boat | 12 | 38 | Apr 1928 | ||
915 | 173884 | Junior | Great Lakes Dredge | dredge | 434 | 110 | 1937 | sold to British owners 1959 |
916 | 244419 | DPC-93 | DPC | tugboat | 146 | 81 | Oct 1943 | sold 1946 as Kevin Moran, Mutela 1947, NLD 1953 |
917 | 244420 | DPC-94 | DPC | tugboat | 146 | 81 | Oct 1943 | to WSA as WSA-15, to USN as YT-478, YTM-478 1944, back to WSA 1946 as WSA-15 |
918 | 244421 | DPC-95 | DPC | tugboat | 146 | 81 | Oct 1943 | to USA as ST-764, sold 1946 in Greece, Grangetown 1950, Polaris 1970, in Croatia 1992 |
919 | 244422 | DPC-96 | DPC | tugboat | 146 | 81 | Oct 1943 | to USA as ST-765, sold 1946 as Hippone, in Algeria 1964 |
920 | 244515 | DPC-97 | DPC | tugboat | 146 | 81 | Nov 1943 | to USA as ST-766, sold 1946 as Rekin, NLD 1966 |
921 | 244517 | DPC-98 | DPC | tugboat | 146 | 81 | Nov 1943 | sold 1946 as Ferry Point, Captain RK 1950, Dianne M. 1988, NLD 1989 |
922 | 244518 | DPC-99 | DPC | tugboat | 146 | 81 | Nov 1943 | to USA as ST-767, sold 1945 as Cornhill, Hannah Spearing 1980, burned off Fleetwood and scrapped 1996 |
923 | 244518 | DPC-100 | DPC | tugboat | 146 | 81 | Nov 1943 | to USA as ST-768, sold 1948 as Kronos, Whitburn 1964, Abou Shanab 1978, scrapped 2005 |
258807 | American | American Ship Building | tugboat | 29 | 47 | Oct 1949 | ||
924 | 268858 | Service II | American Ship Building | work boat | 149 | 87 | Dec 1954 | |
925 | Federal | Grasse River | St. Lawrence Seaway | Gatelifter | 754 | 1958 |