Great Lakes Engineering Works records

Collection

Identifier: GLMS-0133

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

Naval architectural drawings for most of the vessels built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, as well as construction specifications documents for a handful of them. Includes the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Dates

Creation: 1901-1962

Extent

66.61 Cubic Feet (174 roll storage boxes, 11 flat file drawers, 4 card boxes, 3 legal manuscript boxes, and 2 flat boxes)

Creator

Great Lakes Engineering Works (Organization)

Scope and Contents

This collection mainly consists of naval architectural drawings produced by the Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW) during its more than 60 years of operation. A wide spectrum of vessel types are represented: bulk carriers, yachts, barges, tugs, scows, and sections of the underwater railroad tunnel connecting Detroit, MI, and Windsor, ON. Most notable among these vessels is the Edmind Fitzgerald, launched in 1958 and lost in Lake Superior in 1975. GLEW produced nearly 330 hulls during its existence. Some of the drawings are stored onsite in drawers, while others are stored at Jerome Library's offsite storage facility. Several days' notice is required to provide in-person access to these materials. Drawings are roughly arranged by hull number. HCGL holds the majority of the drawings for GLEW vessels, while the balance are held by the Great Lakes Historical Society. These will be transferred to the HCGL at a future date. Please note that the GLHS cannot currently provide access to their collection of drawings. For a comprehensive list of vessels built by GLEW see this page on the website U.S. Shipbuilding History.

In addition to the naval architetural drawings, specifications for a small number of vessels are available in box 1-3 of the collection. Several more are cataloged individually in the library catalog.

Company History

Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW) was formed in order to purchase the Riverside Iron Works, in 1902 in Detroit, Michigan. In these first couple of years the company focused on building marine steam engines, a feature it would continue throughout its existence. Its facilities expanded rapidly with the opening of shipyards in Ecorse, Michigan (1903), St. Clair, Michigan (1905), and Ashtabula, Ohio (1912).

The World Wars brought massive contracts and prosperity to the company and to the Detroit region. GLEW built dozens of cargo vessels for the global war effort during World War I, and built several new lakers during World War II to support the skyrocketing demand for hauling iron ore. The end of World War II resulted in a surplus of tonnage, with GLEW building only one new hull, the Ojibway (1946) from 1944-1951.

Conditions Governing Access

Naval architectural drawings are located in offsite storage. Please provide 72 hours for in-person access.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Related Materials

For more information on GLEW and of the vessels it produced, see the book extref>.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The records of Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW) were donated to the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes as part of the donation of American Shipbuilding Company's donation of company records in 1983. After GLEW closed in 1962, American Shipbuilding Company purchased its collection of naval architectural drawings and retained them until donating their own materials.

Custodial History

After GLEW closed in 1962, American Shipbuilding Company (AmShip) purchased its collection of naval architectural drawings and retained them until donating their own materials. AmShip obtained these drawings in order to better facilitate future repairs conducted on vessels built by GLEW.