Shipyards -- Illinois -- Chicago

The records of the Chicago Shipbuilding Company span the years from 1890 to 1962 and document early twentieth-century shipbuilding on the Great Lakes. The bulk of the materials in the collection fall between 1900 and 1950. The most significant record series include dry dock ledgers and reports, legal and labor correspondence, South Yard surveys, financial records, and World War I shipbuilding activities.

The brief corporate history (1901-1912) of the Ship Owners' Dry Dock Co. is documented in this collection. The company purchased the assets of the Miller Brothers Dry Dock Co. which had started a shipbuilding and ship repair business in 1855. The business of both companies centered on work from local repairs and building tugboats. The collection includes financial records, minutes, and stock certificates.