The American Ship Building Company, Superior WI

(formerly American Steel Barge Co. [1888-1900] and Superior Shipbuilding [1900-1913])

The American Steel Barge Company was organized in 1888 for the construction of the unique whaleback design of freighter, developed by Alexander McDougall, an immigrant from Scotland.  McDougall sold it to The American Ship Building Company in 1900 and started another shipyard in Duluth.  AmShip renamed the shipyard Superior Shipbuilding, but it later became AmShip Superior.  It lives on today as Fraser Shipyards.  See the shipyard from the air on Google here.

Hull # Original Name Original Owner Vessel Type GT Delivered Disposition
Built by American Steel Barge
101 101 Barrett Manufacturing  Whaleback Barge 428 1888 Sank 1908
102 102   Whaleback Barge 1192 1889 Later Sir Joseph Wentworth, later Bath, sank 1905
103 103   Whaleback Barge 1192 1889 Later John Scott Russell, later Berkshire, sank 1905
104 104   Whaleback Barge 1295 1889 Sank 1898
105 105   Whaleback Barge 1295 1889 Later Baroness, sank 1910
106 Colgate Hoyt   Whaleback Steamer 1252 1890 Later Bay City,sank 1909
107 107   Whaleback Barge 1295 1891 Later Bombay, sank 1913
108 Joseph L. Colby   Whaleback Steamer 1245 1890 Later Bay State, abandoned 1935
109 109 Pittsburgh Steamship  Whaleback Barge 1227 1891 Later Bavara, sank 1914
110 110 Pittsburgh Steamship   Whaleback Barge 1227 1891 Later Badger, burned 1932
111 111 Pittsburgh Steamship   Whaleback Barge 1227 1891 Later Ivie, sank 1916
112 Charles W. Wetmore   Whaleback Steamer 1399 1891 Aground 1892
113 A. D. Thompson   Whaleback Steamer 1399 1891 Later Bay View, scrapped 1936
114 S.O. Company No. 55   Tank Barge 323 1891  
115 115   Whaleback Barge 1169 1891 Sank 1899
116 116 Pittsburgh Steamship   Whaleback Barge 1169 1891 Later Britannia, scrapped 1946
117 117 Great Lakes Eng. Works Whaleback Barge 1310 1891 Later Providence, abandoned 1932
118 118 Great Lakes Eng. Works Whaleback Barge 1310 1891 Later Boston, scrapped 1946
119 E. B. Bartlett   Whaleback Steamer 1399 1891 Later Bay Port, sank 1916
120 Thomas Wilson American Steel Barge  Whaleback Steamer 1713 1892 Sank in collision 1902
121 Samuel Mather   Whaleback Steamer 1713 1892 Later Clifton, sank 1924
122 Pillsbury Soo Line Railway Co. Whaleback Steamer 2234 1892 Later Henry Cort, sank in collision 1934
123 Washburn Soo Line Railway Co. Whaleback Steamer 2234 1892 Later J. T. Reid, scrapped 1936
Islay     26 1892  
124 Pathfinder   Whaleback Steamer 2424 1892 Later Progress, scrapped 1933
125 Sagamore Huron Barge  Whaleback Barge 1601 1892 Sank 1901
126 126 Pittsburgh Steamship   Whaleback Barge 1128 1892 Later Baden, abandoned 1905
127 127 Pittsburgh Steamship   Whaleback Barge 1128 1892 Later Jennie, later Dallas, scrapped 1936
128 James B. Colgate Standard Transit  Whaleback Steamer 1713 1892 Sank 1916
Christopher Columbus Goodrich Transit  Passenger Steamer 1511 1893 Scrapped 1936
129 129 Pittsburgh Steamship   Whaleback Barge 1310 1893 Sank in collision 1902
130 130 Great Lakes Eng. Works Whaleback Barge 1310 1893 Later Lynn, scrapped 1924
131 131 Great Lakes Eng. Works Whaleback Barge 1310 1893 Later Salem, scrapped 1946
132 132 Great Lakes Eng. Works Whaleback Barge 1310 1893 Later Portsmouth, sank 1927
133 133 Great Lakes Eng. Works Whaleback Barge 1310 1893 Later Searsport, sank 1911
134 134 Great Lakes Eng. Works Whaleback Barge 1310 1893 Later Bangor, abandoned 1912
135 John B. Trevor   Whaleback Steamer 1713 1895 Later Atikokan, scrapped 1925
  S.O. Company No. 75   Tank Barge 793