
Hickinbotham Brothers Shipbuilders was a
shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...
company in
Stockton, California
Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...
on the
Stockton Channel
Stockton Channel (or Stockton Waterfront) is a waterway in California, California's Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. It runs 2.5 miles from the San Joaquin River-Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel at the Port of Stockton to McLeod Lak ...
. To support the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
demand for ships Hickinbotham Brothers built:
Type V ship
The Type V ship is a United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) designation for World War II tugboats. Type V was used in World War II, Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Type V ships were used to move ships and barges. Type V tugboats were made o ...
Tugboats
A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, such ...
,
Tank Landing Barge,
balloon barge
A barrage balloon is a type of airborne barrage, a large uncrewed tethered balloon used to defend ground targets against aircraft attack, by raising aloft steel cables which pose a severe risk of collision with hostile aircraft, making the atta ...
s and
Coastal Freighter (design 381, 381 tons). Hickinbotham Brothers also called Hickinbotham Brothers Construction Division was opened in 1852 and is still a working shipyard. Hickinbotham Brothers started by building:
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...
carriage
A carriage is a two- or four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle for passengers. In Europe they were a common mode of transport for the wealthy during the Roman Empire, and then again from around 1600 until they were replaced by the motor car around 1 ...
s, horse
wagon
A wagon (or waggon) is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by Working animal#Draft animals, draft animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people.
Wagons are i ...
s,
threshers and
Combine harvester
The modern combine harvester, also called a combine, is a machine designed to harvest a variety of cultivated seeds. Combine harvesters are one of the most economically important labour-saving inventions, significantly reducing the fraction of ...
. In 1942 Ronald Guntert and L. R. Zimmerman ran the company as a partnership on the Banner Island waterfront. After World War II, Guntert and Zimmerman purchased Hickinbotham out and renamed the company Guntert & Zimmerman Construction. In 1984 the company moved to
Ripon, California
Ripon () is a city located in San Joaquin County, California. The population was 16,013 at the 2020 census. Ripon was originally known as Stanislaus City, but was renamed for Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1876.
History
Ripon, on the site previously know ...
on the
Stanislaus River
The Stanislaus River is a tributary of the San Joaquin River in north-central California in the United States. The main stem of the river is long, and measured to its furthest headwaters it is about long. Originating as three forks in the h ...
, as the business continues. The Banner Island waterfront yard was on the
deepwater port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manche ...
on the
Stockton Ship Channel
The San Joaquin River ( ; ) is the longest river of Central California. The long river starts in the high Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada and flows through the rich Agriculture, agricultural region of the northern San Joaquin Valley befor ...
of the Pacific Ocean and an
inland port
An inland port is a port on an inland waterway, such as a river, lake, or canal, which may or may not be connected to the sea. The term "inland port" is also used to refer to a dry port.
Examples
The United States Army Corps of Engineers publ ...
located more than seventy nautical miles from the ocean, on the
Stockton Channel
Stockton Channel (or Stockton Waterfront) is a waterway in California, California's Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. It runs 2.5 miles from the San Joaquin River-Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel at the Port of Stockton to McLeod Lak ...
and
San Joaquin River
The San Joaquin River ( ; ) is the longest river of Central California. The long river starts in the high Sierra Nevada and flows through the rich agricultural region of the northern San Joaquin Valley before reaching Suisun Bay, San Francis ...
-
Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel
California’s Green Trade Corridor, is part of the Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel
Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel, also called the Baldwin-Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel or Stockton Deep Water Channel, is a manmade deepwater wat ...
(before it joins the
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River () is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for before reaching the Sacramento–San Joaquin River D ...
to empty into
Suisun Bay
Suisun Bay ( ; Wintun for "where the west wind blows") is a shallow tidal estuary (a northeastern extension of the San Francisco Bay) in Northern California. It lies at the confluence of the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River, forming the e ...
. Notable ship:
USNS Shearwater (T-AG-177).
NavSource USNS Shearwater (T-AG-177)
/ref>
Ships
See also
* California during World War II
California during World War II was a major contributor to the World War II effort. California's long Pacific Ocean coastline provided the support needed for the Pacific War. California also supported the European theatre of World War II, war in ...
*Maritime history of California
The maritime history of California can be divided into several periods: the Native American period; European exploration period from 1542 to 1769; the Spanish colonial period, 1769 to 1821; the Mexican period, 1821 to 1847; and United States ...
*Moore Equipment Company
Moore Equipment Company was founded in 1929 by Stanley S. Moore and his father in Stockton, California. Moore Equipment Company a repair and manufacture company of farm machines, road machines and tools. To support the World War 2 demand for ...
in Stockton
* Wooden boats of World War 2
Splinter fleet or Splinter navy was a nickname given to the United States wooden boats used in World War II. The boats served in many different roles during the war. These boats were built in small boatyards on the West Coast of the United Stat ...
* Cryer & Sons
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hickinbotham Brothers Shipbuilders
Hickinbotham Brothers
American Theater of World War II
1940s in California
American boat builders