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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Stone Boat Yard...


...that's who they were, and that's what we've called them...NOT! (Finding the forgotten partners of the Stone Family boatyards.)

By Sara Diamond, Archivist.

Sometimes a simple fact checking exercise leads to surprising discoveries. That's what happened when I was wrapping up the final details of one of our newer collections, the Jack Ehrhorn collection of Stone Boat Yard naval architectural drawings (HDC1611, SAFR 22826).

I decided to double check the business addresses of the boatyards W. Frank Stone operated in Tiburon from 1893 until 1899, and at Harbor View, in San Francisco, from 1899-1911. Imagine my surprise when I was unable to find a listing for W.F. Stone boatyard in either the San Francisco City Directory or in the Marin County Directory. What I found instead were two previously unacknowledged business partners.

From 1853 until 1975 three generations of the Stone family built some of the most celebrated wooden work, pleasure and racing craft to come from the shores of San Francisco Bay; and until 2004, Stone Boat Yard continued to carry the family name and legacy under new ownership. As the businesses grew and evolved over 141 years, William Isaac Stone, his son W. Frank Stone, and his grandson Lester F. Stone opened and closed boatyards in two San Francisco locations, in Tiburon (Marin), and on both sides of the Oakland-Alameda estuary. In the Historic Documents Department we refer to these boatyards by the shorthand "Stone Boat Yard," and more formally as the W. I. Stone boatyard, the W. F. Stone boatyard, the W. F. Stone & Son boatyard, and finally, as the Stone Boat Yard. These names reflect the history of primary ownership change and were, we assumed, the correct and incorporated business names. Our assumptions were wrong.

I've found a Swann amidst the ducklings of Tiburon. From 1893 to 1899 Frank Stone operated a boatbuilding yard on Beach Street in Tiburon in 1893, in partnership with someone only identified as Swann, and the business was called Stone & Swann. Who was Swann? I don't know! The only information I have comes from a business card which was duplicated on page 62 of James Heig's Pictorial History of Tiburon (San Francisco: 1984). Do you know who Mr. or Ms. Swann was? If so, please leave a comment.

Another heretofore unknown individual person was Edgar N. Van Bergen, Frank Stone's business partner at Harbor View in San Francisco, where they did business as Stone & Van Bergen from 1899 until 1911. After his stint in the shipbuilding business, Edgar Van Bergen became the general manager of a liquor wholesaler on Battery St. in San Francisco. Edgar's path through San Francisco can be followed in the pages of Crocker & Langley's San Francisco City Directories. Do you know anything more about Edgar? If you do, please let us know on the comment page.

I guess the cold fog and sharp wind got on Frank Stone's nerves. In 1912 he moved his home and business to the sunnier side of the bay where he owned and operated a shipyard in partnership with his son, Lester, until his death in 1924. W.F. Stone & Son built wooden boats along the shores of the estuary in Oakland from 1912 to 1941, and in Alameda from 1941 to 1975.

You can find out more about this collection by looking at the finding aid on the Online Archive of California.

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Alaska Packers Association Fleet List


Ted Miles and Ed LeBlanc have compiled a list of the names and rigs of the Alaska Packers Association vessels. Please note that the number of masts are indicated with the abbreviation "m," e.g., "3m" is a 3 masted vessel, and "4m" is a 4 masted vessel. Former names are listed with the prefix "ex-..." and sources for the list are at the end. All the sources are available in the Library, as is information on the vessels--contact us to learn more!

Names and Rigs of Alaska Packers Association Vessels


Star of Alaska (now Balclutha) under sail, undated, J7.90n (SAFR 21374)

Iron and steel sailing vessels:

  • Star of Alaska (built 1886, ship 3m), ex-Balclutha (ship 3m)
  • Star of Bengal (built 1874, ship 3m)
  • Star of Chile (built 1878, bark 3m), ex-Coalinga (bark 3m), ex-La Escocesa (ship 3m)
  • Star of England (built 1893, bark 3m), ex-Abby Palmer (bark 3m), ex-Blairmore (ship 3m)
  • Star of Falkland (built 1892, ship 3m), ex-Arapahoe (ship 3m), ex-Northern Light (ship 3m), ex-Steinbeck (ship 3m), ex-Durbridge (ship 3m)
  • Star of Finland (built 1899, bark, 3m), ex-Kaiulani (bark 3m)
  • Star of France (built 1877, ship 3m)
  • Star of Greenland (built 1892, bark 3m), ex-Hawaiian Isles (bark 4m)
  • Star of Holland (built 1885, bark 3m), ex-Homeward Bound (bark 3m), ex-Zemandar (ship 3m)
  • Star of Iceland (built 1896, bark 3m), ex-Willscott (bark 3m)
  • Star of India (built 1863, bark 3m), ex-Euterpe (ship 3m)
  • Star of Italy (built 1877, bark 3m, formerly ship 3m)
  • Star of Lapland (built 1902, bark 4m), ex-Atlas (bark 4m)
  • Star of Peru (built 1863, bark 3m), ex-Himalaya (bark 3m)
  • Star of Poland (built 1902, bark 4m), ex-Acme (bark 4m)
  • Star of Russia (built 1874, ship 3m)
  • Star of Scotland (built 1887, bark 4m), ex-Kenilworth (bark 4m)
  • Star of Shetland (built 1899, bark 4m), ex-Edward Sewall (bark 4m)
  • Star of Zealand (built 1899, bark 4m), ex-Astral (bark 4m)

Wooden sailing vessels:

  • Bohemia (built 1875, ship 3m)
  • Centennial (built 1875, barkentine 4m, formerly ship 3m)
  • Electra (built 1868, bark 3m)
  • George Schofield (built 1870, ship 3m)
  • Indiana (built 1876, ship 3m)
  • James A. Broland (built 1869, bark 3m)
  • Llewelyn J. Morse (built 1877, ship 3m)
  • Morem (built 1870, ship 3m)
  • Metha Nelson (built 1896, schooner 3m)
  • Nicholas Thayer (built 1868, bark 3m)
  • Premier (built 1876, schooner 3m)
  • Prosper (built 1892, schooner 3m)
  • Servia (built 1883, ship 3m)
  • Tacoma (built 1881, ship 3m)
  • Will W. Case (built 1878, bark 3m)

Other vessels:

  • Alitak (built 1901, motor ship)
  • Arctic (built 1904, steamship), ex-Newport News (steamship), ex-Oldenwald (steamship), ex-St. Jan (steamship)
  • Bering (built 1920, steamship), ex-Salatiga (steamship)
  • Chirikof (built 1908, steamship), ex-Lurline (passenger ship)
  • Delarof (built 1920, steamship), ex-Mohinkis (steamship)
  • Etolin (built 1913, steamship), ex-Matsonia (passenger ship)
  • Kodiak (built 1912, steamship)
  • Kvichak (built 1900, tugboat)
  • Salmon King (built 1918, steamship), ex-H.B. Lovejoy (steam schooner)

Sources:


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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Hot Vichyssoise


The Library has many books concerning food at sea, including some about the elegant dining aboard ocean liners. The Captain's Table : 18 recipes for famous dishes served aboard the S.S. United States and S.S. America contains recipes adapted for the home kitchen so you can enjoy the dishes that were served in the elegant dining rooms at sea, including this one:

Hot Vichyssoise

Mince 2 onions and the white parts of 4 well-washed leeks and combine them in a heavy saucepan with 3 tablespoons butter. Simmer the mixture over low heat for 15 minutes. Add 3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, and 2 cups chicken stock. Season with salt and white pepper to taste and simmer the soup over low heat until the potatoes are tender. Add 2 cups hot milk and 4 tablespoons butter. Strain the soup and pour it into a tureen. Add 12 slices of French dinner rolls. Serves 4.

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Thursday, October 06, 2011

New in the SF Maritime NHP Library


Here are the Library's lists of new accessions for the last half of June through the first half of August; for more information on any title, contact us or search our catalogs:


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