Ames Shipbuilding ~ Shipbuilding History

Ames Shipbuilding

Seattle WA

Most recent update: August 25, 2021.

Ames Shipbuilding & Drydock Company was organized in 1916 by Edgar Ames, who was President of the Seattle General Contract Company: the yard was located on Blocks 427 and 428 of Terminal 5, in West Seattle. Ames Shipbuilding first leased, and then purchased, these blocks during World War I; in 1920, they sold essentially all the improvements to the Seattle Contract Company and converted the yard into the Ames Terminal Company, which primarily handled salmon for Libby, McNeil & Libby. After World War II, business declined and in 1955 they sold everything to the Port of Seattle.

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	USSB #	O/N	Name	Customer	Type	GT	Delivered	Notes
1		215983	War Brigade/Westerly	USSB	freighter	5,600	Feb 1918	collision and lost 1918
2		216045	War Apollo/Westwood	USSB	freighter	5,600	Mar 1918	scrapped 1933
3		216110	War Cupid/West Eagle	USSB	freighter	5,600	Apr 1918	scrapped 1924
4		216747	Montrolite	Standard Oil of N. J.	tanker	6,835	May 1918	later J. C. Fitzsimmons 1926, Valerian Kuibishev 1943, J. C. Fitzsimmons 1944, scrapped 1947
5		216986	L. J. Drake	Standard Oil of N. J.	tanker	6,835	June 1918	torpedoed and lost 1942
6		216333	Westmount	USSB	freighter	5,600	July 1918	later Pacific Redwood 1928, Empire Chamois 1941, Granview 1947, Chamois 1949, scrapped 1957
7		216563	War Diana/Westford	USSB	freighter	5,600	Aug 1918	scrapped 1933
8		216902	Westport	USSB	freighter	5,600	Sep 1918	later Empire Nightingale 1941, Inchmull 1947, Jalamatsya 1948, scrapped 1953
9		217152	War Dido/Westmead	USSB	freighter	5,600	Oct 1918	later Willanglo 1927, San Angelo 1929, Empire Springbuck 1940, torpedoed and lost 1941
10		217238	West Cape	USSB	freighter	5,600	Nov 1918	later Empire Woodcock 1940, Epiros 1942, San Andrea 1951, scrapped 1953
11		217441	War Hector/Western Ally	USSB	freighter	5,600	Jan 1919	later Forbes Hauptmann 1929, Empire Kittiwake 1940, Norfalk 1942, mined and lost 1944
12		217840	War Helen/Western Knight	USSB	freighter	5,600	Mar 1919	wrecked off Cape Recife 1929
13		218196	War Juno/Western Glen	USSB	freighter	5,600	Apr 1919	later Willwelo 1927, San Felipe 1929, Empire Gemsbuck 1940, torpedoed and lost 1941
14	2050	218025	West Irmo	USSB	freighter	5,600	May 1919	torpedoed and scuttled 1942
15	2051	218466	West Islay	USSB	freighter	5,600	June 1919	later William Perkins 1923, Yorkmar 1927, torpedoed and lost 1943
16	2052	218638	West Isleta	USSB	freighter	5,600	July 1919	later Empire Merlin 1940, torpedoed and lost 1940
17	2053	218782	West Islip	USSB	freighter	5,600	Aug 1919	later Goldenrod 1928, Willhelo 1934, Indianan 1937, Empire Eagle 1940, Norjerv 1942, breakwater at Normandy 1944
18	2054	218942	West Ison	USSB	freighter	5,600	Sep 1919	later Everett 1928, Jean Lafitte 1938, Dynastic 1942, scrapped 1946
19	2055	219060	West Ira	USSB	freighter	5,600	Oct 1919	torpedoed and lost 1942
20	2056	219196	West Iuka/Cathlamet	USSB	freighter	5,600	Oct 1919	later Eurydamas 1947, scrapped 1950
21	2057	219305	West Ivis	USSB	freighter	5,600	Nov 1919	torpedoed and lost 1942
22	2058	219423	West Jena	USSB	freighter	5,600	Dec 1919	later Myrtle 1925, San Marcos 1930, Empire Ocelot 1940, torpedoed and lost 1940
23	2059	219510	West Jessup	USSB	freighter	5,600	Jan 1920	later Laurel 1925, wrecked off the Columbia River 1929
24	2060	219624	West Jester	USSB	freighter	5,600	Feb 1920	later Oran 1926, San Anselmo 1929, A. D. Huff 1940, shelled and lost 1941
25	2061	219422	West Jappa	USSB	freighter	5,600	Mar 1920	later Oriole 1926, San Bernardino 1929, Atlantico 1940, Hokumei Maru 1941, Nikkei Maru 1942, torpedoed and lost 1942