Frank W. Wheeler & Co. ~ Shipbuilding History

Frank W. Wheeler & Co.

West Bay City MI

Most recent update: April 29, 2016.

The Wheeler shipyard was started by Captain Frank W. Wheeler in 1876, as Wheeler & Crane, but became F. W. Wheeler Company in 1880 and Frank W. Wheeler & Co. In 1889. It was located on the Saginaw River, close to Third Street. See the site from the air on Google here. In 1899, Captain Wheeler sold it to The American Ship Building Company, who renamed it West Bay City Shipbuilding, initially, and then AmShip West Bay City, but closed it in 1908.

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	O/N	Name	Customer	Type	GT	LOA	Built	Notes
Built by Frank W. Wheeler & Co. (and predecessors)
1	90978	Mary Martini		freighter	91		1877	built in Winona MI
2	140257	Luther Westover	B. Boutel	tugboat	125		1877
3	125649	Christina A Forbes		tugboat	51		1878
4	42646	Hanna B		barge	98		1879
5	91130	Marian Teller		tugboat	33		1879
6	125812	Charles W. Liken		tugboat	36		1879
7	140416	Lycoming	Erie & Western Transportation	freighter	1,609		1880	burned 1910
8	125858	Conemaugh	Erie & Western Transportation	freighter	1,609		1880	wrecked 1906
9	85638	Geo. W. Cuyler		tugboat	46		1880
10	91383	Maud S		tugboat	45		1881
11	115769	Saginaw Valley	M. J. Galvin	freighter	720		1881	later Meriden 1898, Kongo 1904, Overland 1917, breakwater 1925
12	120452	Fred McBrier	James McBrier	freighter	442		1881	collision and sank 1890
13	85709	Galatea	Jennison & Miller	freighter	606		1882	wrecked 1905
14	95683	Handy Boy		ferry	25		1882
15	155063	Osceola	T. R. Weight	freighter	980		1882	later Golspie 1905, wrecked 1906
16	14413	Kittie M. Forbes	C. McLachlan	freighter	958		1883	burned 1902
17	115920	Sarah M. Smith		tugboat	45		1883
18	120577	Frank W. Wheeler	Frank W. Wheeler	freighter	797		1884
19	106266	Alta	J. B. Zerbe	freighter	235		1884	wrecked 1905
20	145372	Tempest		tugboat	14		1884
21	81048	Waldo A. Avery	Hawgood & Avery	freighter	1,294		1884	later Phenix 1895, Liberty 1918, scrapped 1924
22	145402	T. S. Christie	A. Peterson	freighter	769		1885	wrecked 1933
23	106368	A. Folsom	Mitchell Transportation	freighter	672		1885	later Trude R. Wiehe 1903, burned 1910
24	3333	B. W. Arnold	Mills Transportation	freighter	944		1885	burned 1896
25	95877	H. A. Hawgood	Hawgood & Avery	freighter	1,276		1886
26	155124	Ossifrage	Smith, Fee & Co.	passenger	432		1886	wrecked 1919
27	81120	William H. Stevens	Wards Line	freighter	1,332		1886	burned 1902
28	81126	W. R. Stafford	Hopkins Transportation	freighter	744		1886	scrapped 1931
29	91872	Mabel Wilson	C. D. Waterman	freighter	1,224		1886	foundered 1906
30	81145	Wm. H. Gratwick	W. H. Gratwick	freighter	1,688		1887	later Fleetwood 1900, scrapped 1926
31	120676	Frank W. Wheeler	D. C. Whitney Jr	freighter	1,688		1887	wrecked 1893
32	116174	Sitka	Thos. Wilson	freighter	1,790		1887	wrecked 1904
33	85977	Gogebic	Mills Transportation	freighter	1,620		1887	later Green River 1921, scuttled 1932
34	91983	Mecosta	D. Whitney Jr.	freighter	1,776		1888	scuttled 1922
35	135940	Elfin-Mere	J. Gordon	freighter	1,054		1888	later Charles B. Packard 1902, sank 1906
36	145481	Tom Adams	Adams & Farwell	freighter	1,810		1888	later Langham 1902, burned 1910
37	85990	Geo. W. Morley	Hawgood & Avery	freighter	1,054		1888	burned 1897
38	91986	Moravia	Hawgood & Avery	freighter	1,067		1888	later Brookdale, scrapped 1923
39	110766	Robert L. Freyer	W. H. Gratwick	passenger	1,810		1888	scuttled 1930
40	116217	Soo City	Delta Transportation	passenger	670		1888	foundered 1908
41	116221	Servia	Hawgood & Avery	freighter	1,425		1888	burned 1898
42	120710	Frank D. Ewen	Hawgood & Avery	freighter	882		1888	abandoned 1928
43	136001	Eber Ward	Ward SS Line	freighter	1,843		1888	foundered 1909
44	76748	John V. Moran	Ward SS Line	freighter	1,350		1888	sank 1899
45	86031	George W. Roby	Roby Transportation	freighter	1,843		1889	burned 1906
46	76786	John M. Nicol	Crescent Transportation	freighter	2,126		1889	wrecked 1906
47	76792	John Mitchell	Gratwick, Smith & Fryer	freighter	1,865		1889	later Major 1902, converted to dry-dock 1920, burned 1941
48	120746	Fedora	Jas. McBrier	freighter	1,848		1889	burned 1901
49	130432	News Boy	King & Voight	passenger	199		1889	scrapped 1919
50	92078	Monarch		tugboat	95		1889
51	110815	Romeo		freighter	61		1889
52	76795	Juliet		freighter	61		1889
53	76798	John Plankington	R. P. Fitzgerald	freighter	1,821		1889	sank 1917
54	150391	Plow Boy	T. A. Bishop	passenger	114		1889
55	150428	Post Boy	R. Armstrong	passenger	123		1889
56	140922	Lulu Eddy		tugboat	19		1889
57	120748	Fred B.		tugboat	16		1889
58	86060	George F. Williams	Hawgood & Avery	freighter	1,888		1889	scrapped 1913
59	96006	H. Houghton	H. Houghton	freighter	332		1889	burned 1926
60	126550	Clarence J. Fillmore	Mitchell & Co.	freighter	410		1889	abandoned 1929
61	76815	John A. Francomb	Wayne Transportation	freighter	658		1889
62		Dredge No. 2	Bay City Dredging	dredge			1889
63	130462	Nyanza	Jas. McBrier	freighter	1,888		1890	later Landbo 1917, sank 1920
64	106706	A. C. Tuxbury	W. H. Sawyer	freighter	680		1890	abandoned 1927
65	126609	C. E. Redfern	W. H. Sawyer	freighter	680		1890	sank 1937
66	81253	W. H. Sawyer	W. H. Sawyer	freighter	747		1890	sank 1928
67	136106	Edward Smith	Wm. H. Gratwick	freighter	748		1890	later Zillah 1899, foundered 1926
68	126627	City of Chicago	Graham & Morton	passenger	1,164		1890	later City of St. Joseph 1916, sank 1942
69	136129	Emily P. Weed	Hollister & Woodruff	freighter	2,362		Aug 1890	later Savona 1897, wrecked 1905
70	92226	Mackinaw	Saginaw Steel	freighter	2,578		Oct 1890	later Sawa Maru 1916, torpedoed and lost 1917
71	130647	Newell A. Eddy		freighter	1,271		1890	lost 1893
72	155181	Olive Jeanette	W. A. Hawgood	freighter	1,272		1890	sank 1905
73	161010	Keweenaw	Saginaw Steel	freighter	2,511		May 1891	missing 1894
74	145555	Tampa	D. C. Whitney Jr.	freighter	1,972		1891	collision and sank 1923
75	126653	Charles H. Bradley	Bradley Lumber	freighter	894		1890	burned 1931
76	98904	Michigan	Canadian Pacific RR	ferry	1730		1891	wrecked 1943
77	120812	F. & P. M. No. 5	Flint & Pere Marquette RR	passenger	1,722		1891	later Pere Marquette 5 1902, foundered 1917
78	81317	William F. Sauber	Mitchell & Co.	freighter	2,053		1891	sank 1903
79	116393	Sailor Boy	R. Armstrong	passenger	162		1891
80	100484	Iosco	Mitchell & Co.	freighter	2,051		May 1891	foundered 1905
81			Bay City Dredging	76' Scow			1891
82			Bay City Dredging	76' Scow			1891
83	27647	Yulu	Geo. D. Emery	tugboat	340		July 1891	later Nicaragua 1917, Rotarian 1919, deleted 1931
84		lightship No. 51	U.S. Lightship Service	lightship	375		1892	rammed and sunk 1924
85		lightship No. 52	U.S. Lightship Service	lightship	375		1892	sold 1932
86		lightship No. 53	U.S. Lightship Service	lightship	375		1892	sold 1953
87		lightship No. 54	U.S. Lightship Service	lightship	375		1892	sold 1947
88	25289	Uganda	Jas. McBrier	freighter	2,054		July 1892	foundered 1913
89	81382	W. H. Gilbert	Empire Transportation	freighter	2,856		1892	sank in collision 1914
90	77028	John C. Fitzpatrick	John C. Fitzpatrick	freighter	1,270		1892
91	126887	C. F. Biehlman	Stewart Transport	freighter	2,056		Aug 1892	scuttled 1926
92	81403	W. G. Wilmot	W. G. Wilmot	tugboat	150		1892
93	81427	William H. Gratwick	Mitchell S.S. Co	freighter	2,878		Apr 1893	later Minnekahta 1911, Glenyon 1914, wrecked 1924
94	116558	S. S. Curry	Hawgood & Avery	freighter	3,260		June 1893	later Elmore 1920, P. W. Sherman 1922, , E. G. Mathiott 1927, scrapped 1936
95	92514	Merida	D. Whitney Jr.	freighter	3,261		June 1893	foundered 1916
96	92503	Mary E. McLachlan	C. McLachlan	freighter	1,394		1893	sank 1921
97	141272	L. R. Doty	W. A. Hawgood	freighter	2056		June 1893	foundered 1898
98	86261	George Stone	M. A. Bradley	freighter	1,841		July 1893	wrecked 1909
99	136363	Ed McWilliams	Hope Transportation	freighter	744		1893	later Dan Proctor, scuttled 1937
100	126994	Centurion	Hopkins Transportation	freighter	3,401		1893	later Alex B. Uhrig 1920, scrapped 1946
101	27656	Yukon	Forbes & Wilson	freighter	1,602		1893	sank 1905
102	120929	Fashion		tugboat	29		1893
103	150670	Pleasure	Detroit BJ&W ferry	ferry	489		1894	scrapped 1940
104	92601	Minnie E. Kelton	P. C. Smith	freighter	632		1894	later Rochelle 1913, wrecked 1914
105	77170	John J. McWilliams	J. Mitchell	freighter	3,400		May 1895	later Central West 1916, M. J. Barthelme 1928, wrecked 1928
106	81507	Wapiti		yacht	83		1895
107	100597	J. Watson Stephenson	Stephenson Transportation	freighter	639		1895	scuttled 1935
108	150705	Penobscot	Eddy Bros. & Co.	freighter	3,402		Aug 1895	scrapped 1963
109	116676	Silver Spray		tugboat	38		1895
110	116684	Simon J. Murphy	Murphy Bros.	freighter	1,381		Oct 1895	later Melville Dollar 1901, Tallac 1907, wrecked 1920
111	161078	Katahdin	H. W. McCormick	freighter	1,381		Oct 1895	collision and sank 1918
112	141481	L. C. Waldo	Roby Tptn Co	freighter	4244		Mar 1896	later Riverton 1916, Mohawk Deer 1944, wrecked 1967
113	127131	City of Bangor	Eddy Bros. & Co.	freighter	3,690		Mar 1896	wrecked 1926
114	136547	E. W. Oglebay	D. C. Whitney	freighter	3,666		May 1896	scuttled 1927
115	141432	Lagonda	Etna SS Co.	freighter	3,647		July 1896	scrapped 1958
116	86367	George Stephenson	Bessemer S.S. Co	freighter	4,584		Oct 1896	scrapped 1963
117	77231	James Nasmyth	Bessemer S.S. Co	barge	3,422		Aug 1896	later Merle H 1937, Pic River 1949, scrapped 1978
118	116741	Sir Isaac Lothian Bell	Bessemer S.S.Co	barge	3,418		Oct 1896	later Blanche H 1937, Black River 1949, Tuxpancliffe 1979, scrapped 1983
119	150740	Pere Marquette	Flint & Pere Marquette RR	ferry	5,580		Feb 1897	later Pere Marquette 15 1902, scrapped 1935
120	81561	W. LeBaron Jenney		barge	3,422		1897	later Colindoc, scrapped 1973
121	130738	Niagara	J. L. Crosthwaite	freighter	1,951		1897
122	11163	Robert W. Wilmot	W. G. Wilmot	tugboat	407		1897	to USN 1898 as Potomac (AT-50), sold 1922, deleted 1981
123	81584	William H. Brown	W. H. Brown & Co	tugboat	470		Nov 1897	to USN 1898 as Piscataqua (AT-49), barge in Manila 1931
124	116841	Samuel F. B. Morse	Bessemer S.S. Co	laker	4,936		Aug 1898	later Wychem 105 1954, scrapped 1974
125	77308	John Fritz	Bessemer S.S. Co	barge	4,693		1898	scuttled 1968
126	77310	John A. Roebling	Bessemer S.S.Co	barge	4,693		1898	scuttled 1968
127	77362	Jesse Spalding	Spalding Lumber Co	freighter	1,043		July 1899	later Mooremack 1916, Vindal 1918, Cordova 1923, J. C. Pearson 1925, Rockwood 1935, scrapped 1963
After the sale of his shipyard to American Ship Building Wheeler ordered these next two hulls for himself from Craig Shipbuilding as their Hulls 85 & 86
128	3904	Buckman	United Fruit SS Co.	passenger	1,820		Dec 1901	subcontracted to Craig SB, Admiral Evans 1914, scrapped 1936
129	81788	Watson	United Fruit SS Co.	passenger	1,820		Dec 1901	subcontracted to Craig SB, Admiral Watson 1915, scrapped 1935
Built by West Bay City Shipbuilding/AmShip West Bay City
39	100707	Isaac L. Ellwood	Pittsburgh S.S. Co.	laker	5,085		May 1900	subcontract from Cleveland SB, scrapped 1961
40	81702	William Edenborn	Pittsburgh S.S. Co.	laker	5,085		June 1900	subcontract from Cleveland SB, scrapped 1962
600	117033	A. D. Werner	Calumet Transportation	barge	2,279		Apr 1901	scrapped 1950
601	107635	A. W. Thompson	Calumet Transportation	barge	2,279		Apr 1901	scrapped 1920
602	141717	Lake Shore	J. C. Gilchrist	laker	3,871		June 1901	later Indys 1913, Altadoc 1926, wrecked 1927
603	86569	Gilchrist	J. C. Gilchrist	laker	3,871		June 1901	later Lupus 1913, Prindoc 1926, sank 1943
604	136977	Etruria	Robert B. Wallace	laker	4,744		Apr 1902	collision and sank 1905
605	3925	Bransford	H. A. Hawgood	laker	4,744		Apr 1902	later John H. McLean 1916, Clifford F. Hood 1944, scrapped 1974
606	141793	L. C. Smith	United States Transportation	laker	4,744		May 1902	later Sweden 1916, scrapped 1961
607	107778	A. E. Stewart	A. E. Stewart	laker	3,943		July 1902	later Glenorchy 1919, sank after collision 1924
608	86667	G. Watson French	C. W. Elphicke	laker	3,883		Apr 1903	later Henry P. Werner 1923, John J. Boland Jr. 1937, Algoway 1940, scrapped 1964
609	117248	Sinaloa	Superior S.S. Co	laker	4,539		May 1903	later William F. Rapprich 1924, Sinaloa 1928, Stonefax 1960, scrapped 1971
610	117266	Sonoma	Duluth S.S. Co	laker	4,539		June 1903	later David S. Troxel 1924, Sonoma 1928, Fred L. Hewitt 1947, scrapped 1962
611	200378	Frank W. Gilchrist	Gilchrist Tptn Co	laker	4,551		Oct 1903	later Cepheus 1913, Mantadoc 1926, R. G. Sanderson 1963, scrapped 1983
612	200479	J. L. Weeks	Gilchrist Tptn Co	laker	4,551		Nov 1903	later Corvus 1913, scrapped 1950
613	201840	Sylvania	Duluth S.S. Co	laker	6,272		Apr 1905	later D. M. Philbin 1915, Sylvania 1930, scrapped 1983
614	202088	Socapa	Superior S.S. Co	laker	6,272		June 1905	later George G. Barnum 1915, Hennepin 1937, scrapped 1975
615	202443	Henry C. Frick	Pittsburgh S.S. Co	laker	6,490		Sep 1905	later Michipicoten 1964, scrapped 1972
616	202867	James B. Wood	Gilchrist Tptn Co	laker	7,159		Mar 1906	later Arcturus 1913, sank under tow 1962
617	202910	John Sherwin	Gilchrist Tptn Co	laker	7,159		Mar 1906	later Saturn 1958, George M. Steinbrenner 1958, Kinsman Venture 1969, scuttled 1970
618	203184	Charles Weston	Tonawanda Transit	laker	6,996		June 1906	later J. Leonard Replogle 1916, Saucon 1925, scrapped 1950
619	203507	Daniel J. Morrell	Cambria S.S.Co	laker	7,239		Sep 1906	broke in two and sank 1966
620	203658	James S. Dunham	Chicago Nav Co	laker	4,795		Nov 1906	later Lynford E. Geer 1926, Otto M. Reiss 1934, scrapped 1972
621	203974	General Garretson	Wilson Transit Co.	laker	6,765		Apr 1907	later E. J. Kulas 1935, Powhatan 1936, Charles A. Paul 1937, B. F. Jones 1956, scrapped 1973
622	203980	H. P. McIntosh	Wilson Transit Co.	laker	6,765		Apr 1907	later Edward S. Kendrick 1934, scrapped 1973
623	204136	Henry Phipps	Pittsburgh S.S. Co	laker	7,240		1907	scrapped 1976
624	204346	Hemlock	Interlake S.S. Co	laker	4,796		July 1907	scrapped 1960
76	204631	Arthur H. Hawgood	H. A. Hawgood	laker	6,486		1907	subcontract from Chicago SB, scrapped 1978
173	204864	Caldera	Croxton SS Co.	laker	6,328		1908	subcontract from Detroit SB, scrapped 1968
625	205106	Alexis W. Thompson	Valley S.S. Co	laker	6,436		July 1908	later W. H. Becker 1922, Edward N. Saunders Jr. 1933, Ernest R. Johnson 1955, scrapped 1962
626	205250	W. R. Woodford	Hawgood S.S. Co	laker	6,929		June 1908	later N. F. Leopold 1912, E. J. Block 1944, scrapped 1987