Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company
Encyclopedia
Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company was a major shipbuilding and construction company, located in Seattle, Washington
. The firm was established in 1898 on Elliott Bay
in Puget Sound
. The company was engaged in construction projects around the United States
and built ships for the U.S. Navy
at its shipyard
on Harbor Island
on Puget Sound during and after World War II
. In 1959 the firm was purchased by Lockheed
and became the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company
. The shipyard was permanently closed in 1987.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. The firm was established in 1898 on Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay is the body of water on which Seattle, Washington, is located. A line drawn from Alki Point in the south to West Point in the north serves to mark the generally accepted division between the bay and the open sound...
in Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
. The company was engaged in construction projects around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and built ships for the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
at its shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
on Harbor Island
Harbor Island
Harbor Island is an artificial island in the mouth of Seattle, Washington's Duwamish Waterway where it empties into Elliott Bay. Built by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, Harbor Island was completed in 1909 and was then the largest artificial island in the world, at 350 acres...
on Puget Sound during and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1959 the firm was purchased by Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
and became the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company
Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company
Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company , was a shipyard in Seattle, Washington on Harbor Island at the mouth of the Duwamish River. Founded in 1898 as the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, the company that built Harbor Island, it was purchased by Lockheed in 1959...
. The shipyard was permanently closed in 1987.
Construction and shipbuilding
During its 61-year history as Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, the firm completed many major construction projects. Among these were:- The Governor Pingree was the company’s first vessel built, in 1898. The ship was a 140-foot, flat-bottomed stern-wheeler built for use in the YukonYukonYukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
gold tradeKlondike Gold RushThe Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
. - Harbor IslandHarbor IslandHarbor Island is an artificial island in the mouth of Seattle, Washington's Duwamish Waterway where it empties into Elliott Bay. Built by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, Harbor Island was completed in 1909 and was then the largest artificial island in the world, at 350 acres...
in Seattle (1909). Until 1938, it was the largest artificial island in the world, and is still the largest artificial island in the United States. - A large system of irrigationIrrigationIrrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
canals known as the Umatilla Project in northwestern OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
(1906) - The original 5-story King CountyKing County, WashingtonKing County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
courthouseCourthouseA courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
in Seattle (1914) - Two 5,400-ton steam-driven, wooden cargo vessels: Broxton and Snoqualmie (1918). Originally built for service in World War I but completed too late for war service. Later served in Pacific trade between British Columbia and Australia.
- Husky StadiumHusky StadiumHusky Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home of the Washington Huskies...
at the University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in Seattle (1920) - The harborHarborA harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
of Port Townsend, WashingtonPort Townsend, WashingtonPort Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States, approximately north-northwest of Seattle . The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County...
(1931) - The first Lake Washington Floating BridgeLake Washington Floating BridgeThe Lake Washington Floating Bridge could refer to one of three floating bridges on Lake Washington:* Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge, opened in 1940 to carry U.S. Route 10 and now carries Interstate 90....
(1940) - More than 2,000 vessels and 100 steel ships for the U.S. Navy during and after World War II. One of the notable Navy ships built by Puget Sound was the USS Turner JoyUSS Turner Joy (DD-951)USS Turner Joy was one of 18 s of the United States Navy. She was named for Admiral Charles Turner Joy USN . Commissioned in 1959, she spent her entire career in the Pacific...
, one of two U.S. Navy destroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s involved in the Gulf of Tonkin IncidentGulf of Tonkin IncidentThe Gulf of Tonkin Incident, or the USS Maddox Incident, are the names given to two incidents, one fabricated, involving North Vietnam and the United States in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin...
in 1964. - Rebuilding railroad locomotiveLocomotiveA locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s (1949–52) - The first Hood Canal Floating Bridge (1961)
- Several large ferriesFerryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
for the Washington State Ferry SystemWashington State FerriesWashington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...