Introduction | Agency Sketch | Scope and Contents | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

The four volumes of the Ship Owners' Dry Dock Company files form a one cubic foot collection regarding company meetings and finances. These items are part of the Wright Marine Collection.

Literary and property rights have been dedicated to the public. Photocopying is permitted for the purposes of conservation and research.

Agency Sketch

The business that became known as the Ship Owners' Dry Dock Company in 1901 began operations in 1855 as a partnership between E. M. Doolittle and Andrew Miller in Chicago, Illinois. Miller, born in Londonderry County, Ireland in 1820, was an experienced shipbuilder by the time he joined with Doolittle to purchase land on Goose Island in the north branch of the Chicago River for constructing a shipyard. Miller had built boats in St. John, New Brunswick and in Cleveland, Ohio before arriving in Chicago in 1848. Miller remained in Chicago until his death in September of 1881.

In 1860 the company was named the Miller Brothers Dry Dock Company and retained this name until 1901. The Miller Brothers Company developed a large clientele for repair work and tug construction, but seemed to be in chronic financial difficulty because of Andrew Miller's unaggressive bill collection methods. Miller was known as the vessel owners' friend and often left debts owed him to accumulate for lengthy periods. Business was good enough to allow expansion to three dry docks during the life of the company.

After Andrew Miller's death in 1881, Thomas E. Miller and Bryce L. Miller ran the family business until 1900 when the decision was made to sell the company to the newly incorporated Ship Owners' Dry Dock Company. Investors from Chicago, Cleveland and New York pooled resources to start the new shipyard. C.A. MacDonald and J.J. Rardon of Chicago ran the local affairs of the company. William W. Watterson was hired from Lorain, OH as the Bradley and James Corrigan of Cleveland were joined New Yorkers August Belmont and G.L. Boissevain as significant stockholders.

Financial and labor trouble hindered growth for several years. Robert J. Dunham was hired as president in 1903 in order to seek new construction contracts and labor agreements through his contacts. A new contract with the Ship Carpenters Labor Union was negotiated. Profits, however, remained lower than expected.

In 1907 the owners decided to sell the Ship Owners' Dry Dock Company to the Chicago Ship Building Company. Over the next five years portions of the company were sold to the American Ship Building Company's Chicago subsidiary. The Goose Island facility served as a repair yard until 1916 when the yard was closed. The dry docks were filled in when the Ogden Ave. Viaduct was built in about 1928.

Scope and Content

This collection records the meeting minutes and financial transactions of the Ship Owners' Dry Dock of Chicago, IL from 1901 into 1912. The volume of minutes from 1901-1912 covers board of directors meetings and special business transactions of the company. Costs for individual vessel construction projects are included.

Series Description

PROCEEDINGS

Minutes
Jan. 1901-July 1912
Arranged chronologically
Series contains minutes of Board of directors meetings and special stockholders' meetings for the Ship Owners' Dry Dock Company of Chicago, IL. Also included is the charter of incorporation issued by the State of Illinois on Dec. 22, 1900. Letters regarding the initial sale of stock also appear.

FINANCIAL RECORDS

Account Ledgers
April 1901-April 1908
Arranged by account and then chronologically
Series contains three ledgers recording accounts for the Ship Owners' Dry Dock Company of Chicago, IL. The Account Ledger for April 1901-March 1908 contains a record of credits and debits for the accounts maintained by the company. Included among the general office accounts are those for vessel construction projects.

Payment Record Journal
April 1901-April 1908
Arranged chronologically
Contains a daily record of payments for company purchases and revenues. The name of the business involved is recorded with amounts paid or received. An index to the Account Ledger is included. This index refers the reader to the page number in the Account Ledger pertaining to any given transaction noted in the Payment Record Journal. This refers the reader to the correct account into which money was paid or from which it was withdrawn.

Financial Ledger
April 1901-December 1903
Arranged by account and then chronologically
Records financial transactions between the company and other businesses.

Inventory

Volumes

1. Minutes, Jan. 1901-July 1912
2. Account Ledger, April 1901-March 1908.
3. Payment Record Journal, April 1901-April 1908.
4. Financial Ledger, April 1901-Dec. 1903.

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