Walter Butler Shipbuilders Inc. was a large-scale

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 ...

ship manufacturing

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are shipbuilding, built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes m ...

, located at

Superior, Wisconsin Superior (; ) is a city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 26,751 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the western end of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, the city l ...

, United States. Walter Butler purchased the shipyard from Lake Superior Shipbuilding in 1942. Walter Butler Shipbuilders Inc. was at E 1st St, Superior, Wisconsin. The shipyard was located on the western part of

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

. Walter Butler Shipbuilders Inc. was found by Walter Butler in 1942 to build

ship A ship is a large watercraft, vessel that travels the world's oceans and other Waterway, navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally disti ...

s for World War II. Walter Butler Shipbuilders Inc., the

McDougall Duluth Shipbuilding Company The McDougall Duluth Shipbuilding Company was a large-scale wartime ship manufacturing shipyard, located at Riverside (Duluth), the city of Riverside, near Duluth. McDougall Duluth Shipbuilding was at 110 Spring Street, Duluth, Minnesota, now th ...

and the

Superior Shipbuilding Company The Superior Shipbuilding Company was originally called the American Steel Barge Company, and based in Duluth, Minnesota. It was founded by Scottish Alexander McDougall (ship designer), Captain Alexander McDougall who founded it so he could prod ...

(now

Fraser Shipyards Fraser may refer to: Places Antarctica * Fraser Point, South Orkney Islands Australia * Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen * Division of Fraser (Australian Capital Territory), a former federal ...

) were called the

Twin Ports The Duluth MN–WI Metropolitan Area, commonly called the Twin Ports, is a small metropolitan area centered around the cities of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. The Twin Ports are located at the western part of Lake Superior (the we ...

shipbuilding industry of

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

and

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. Once built the ships can travel to the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

through the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

and the

Saint Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway () is a system of rivers, locks, canals and channels in Eastern Canada and Northern United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North America, as far inland ...

. To expand operations and built more ships the

Emergency Shipbuilding Program The Emergency Shipbuilding Program (late 1940 – September 1945) was a United States government effort to quickly build simple cargo ships to carry troops and materiel to allies and foreign theatres during World War II. Run by the U.S. Maritim ...

, Walter Butler purchased the Barnes-Duluth Shipbuilding at 110 Spring Street,

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

, now the site of the West Duluth's Spirit Lake Marina. The Duluth shipyard was located on St. Louis River Estuary 6 miles west of the Superior shipyard. The shipyard was called

Walter Butler Shipbuilders The McDougall Duluth Shipbuilding Company was a large-scale wartime ship manufacturing shipyard, located at Riverside (Duluth), the city of Riverside, near Duluth. McDougall Duluth Shipbuilding was at 110 Spring Street, Duluth, Minnesota, now th ...

-Duluth. At the Duluth shipyards built were C1-M type ships. The Superior and Duluth shipyards closed in August 1945, as all war contacts ended and there was a surplus of ships at the end of the war. In 1950 the Superior shipyard site became the Enbridge Ogdensburg Pier that serves the inland Enbridge's Superior Terminal.

Butler Brothers

Walter Butler shipbuilding was a family company started in 1877 as the Butler Brothers Shipbuilders, then later called Walter Butler Shipbuilders Inc. The brother pass the yard to Robert Butler (1897-1955). After the war Robert Butler was appointed

US Ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the United States' diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of th ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

President Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th Vice president of the United States, vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Frank ...

in 1946. The Butler Brothers started as an

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

company in Cooley and

Nashwauk, Minnesota Nashwauk ( ) is a town in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 970 at the 2020 census. U.S. Highway 169 and Minnesota State Highway 65 are two of the main routes in Nashwauk. Geography According to the United States Ce ...

in the 1920s and 1930s. Butler Brothers sold the company to the Hanna Mining Company. The Butler Brothers were: Walter (1858-1933), Pierce (1866–1939), Emmett (1870-1870), Cooley (1868-1965), John (1876-1926), Willian (1864-1916). They start as the group that ran the Butler Brothers Construction Company''. Pierce Butler was the legal counsel for the Butler Brothers construction company. The Butler Brothers father was Patrick Butler (1824 - 1900) born in

Dublin, Ireland Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

and came to America when he was 20. Patrick married Mary Ann Gaffney on February 11, 1850, in

Galena, Illinois Galena is the largest city in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 3,308 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Plac ...

. They came to Minnesota in 1856. Walter Butler was born in

Lakeville, Minnesota Lakeville is an exurb of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and the largest city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is about south of both downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul along Interstate 35 in Minnesota, Interstate 35. Lakeville w ...

on July 6, 1858. Walter went to

Carleton College Carleton College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1866, the main campus is between Northfield and the approximately Carleton ...

Northfield, Minnesota Northfield is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, Dakota and Rice County, Minnesota, Rice counties in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota. It is mostly in Rice County, with a small portion in Dakota County. The population was 20,790 at the 2020 U ...

. In 1880 he became a bricklayer and moved to

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...

. His brothers also moved to Saint Paul and stated Butler Brothers Construction partnership in 1887. Butler Brothers Construction first large contract was building

Macalester College Macalester College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1874, Macalester is exclusively an undergraduate institution with an enrollment of 2,142 students in the fall of 2023. The college ha ...

in Saint Paul. Next large contract was in 1904 to build

Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal station, terminal located at 42nd Street (Manhattan), 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York Ci ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Other projects included working on the House wing of the

North Dakota State Capitol The North Dakota State Capitol is the house of government of the U.S. state of North Dakota. The capitol, a 21-story Art Deco tower, is located in Bismarck at 600 East Boulevard Avenue, and is the tallest habitable building in the state. On&n ...

(1903) and Detroit River Tunnel (1906-1910). In 1884 Walter Butler married Rose Sweeny, they had five children, Rose died in 1901, Walter remarried in October 1902 to Helen Wood. Walter Butler died on October 28, 1933, at the age of 75.

Walter Butler Superior shipyard

Walter Butler Shipbuilders Inc. Superior shipyard built ships under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program: Rovigo in Malta

N3-S-A1: Type N3 ship, 2,905 DWT cargo ship, length: 258 feet (78.87 m), most sent to Britain, built in 1943: * John W. Arey Hull # 1 Ship ID 169573 (sank 1971) * Rodney Baxter Hull # 2 Ship ID 169619 (sank 1972 and again in 1974 ) * Richard Bearse Hull # 3 Ship ID 169608 * William Brewster Hull # 4 Ship ID 169922 * William Bursley Hull # 5 Ship ID 169577 (mined 1945, collision 1954, wrecked 1964) * Ashman J. Clough Hull # 6 Ship ID 169602 (torpedoed sank 1944) * Calvin Coggin Hull # 7 Ship ID 169600 * Jesse G. Cotting Hull # 8 Ship ID 169613 * Josiah P. Cressey Hull # 9 Ship ID 169596 (sank 1949) * Tully Crosby Hull # 10 Ship ID 169601 (sank 1965) * Elkanah Crowell Hull # 11 Ship ID 169612 * Justin Doane Hull # 12 Ship ID 169618 (sank 1950) * Asa Eldridge Hull # 13 Ship ID 169711 * Anthony Enright Hull # 14 Ship ID 169607 * Watson Ferris Hull # 15 Ship ID 169713 * Bailey Foster Hull # 16 Ship ID 169675 * Gurden Gates Hull # 17 Ship ID 169665 (burnt abandoned 1967) S2-S2-AQ1

Tacoma-class frigate The ''Tacoma'' class was a class of 96 patrol frigates which served in the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War. Originally classified as gunboats (PG), they were reclassified as patrol frigates (PF) on 15 April 1943. The cl ...

, length 303 feet, built in 1944: * Moses Gay Hull # 18 Ship ID 169727 * Hull # 19 Ship ID PF 22 * Hull # 20 Ship ID PF 23 * Hull # 21 Ship ID PF 24 * Hull # 22 Ship ID PF 25 * Hull # 23 Ship ID PF 26 * Hull # 24 Ship ID PF 27 * Hull # 25 Ship ID PF 28 * Hull # 26 Ship ID PF 29 * Hull # 27 Ship ID PF 30 * Hull # 28 Ship ID PF 31 * Hull # 29 Ship ID PF 32 * Hull # 30 Ship ID PF 33 USSFomalhautAK-22

C1-M-AV1 Cargo ship type C1, length 338 feet, 5,032 DWT, with one large diesel engine, built in 1944 and 1945: * Hull # 31 Ship ID AK 182 * Hull # 32 Ship ID AK 183 * Hull # 33 Ship ID AK 184 * Hull # 34 Ship ID AK 185 * Hull # 35 Ship ID AK 186 * Hull # 36 Ship ID AK 187 * Hull # 37 Ship ID AK 188 * Hull # 38 Ship ID AK 189 * Hull # 39 Ship ID AK 190 * Coastal Archer Hull # 40 Ship ID 248952 * Coastal Expounder Hull # 41 Ship ID 248954 * Coastal Ringleader / Hull # 42 Ship ID 248957 * Coastal Spartan Hull # 43 Ship ID 248959 * Coastal Harbinger Hull # 44 Ship ID 248955 * Coastal Herald Hull # 45 Ship ID 248683 * Phoebe Knot Hull # 46 Ship ID 248059 * Chain and Crown Hull # 47 Ship ID 248117 * Cinch Knot Hull # 48 Ship ID 247893 * Hawser Eye Hull # 49 Ship ID 248168 * Dragon Fly Hull # 50 Ship ID 248356 * Sampan Hitch Hull # 51 Ship ID 248570 * Jacob's Ladder Hull # 52 Ship ID 248566

Lake Superior Shipbuilding

Lake Superior Shipbuilding built two ships before being purchased by Walter Butler Shipbuilders Inc. The two ship were *SS ''Bullwheel'' (YO 46)a US Navy Oiler Hull # 101, 1,731 tons, delivered on October 21, 1942, sold to Philippine company in 1964. *SS ''Casinghead'' (YO 47) a US Navy Oiler Hull # 102, 1,731 tons, delivered on November 12, 1942, Struck 1997

Globe Shipbuilding

During World War II Walter Butler Shipbuilders took over the Globe Shipbuilding shipyard in Superior, Wisconsin, near the current

, to build ships under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Globe Shipbuilding Company built ships for World War 1, but in a different shipyard. During World War II Globe employed 2,500 workers, 10% were female, their president was Clarence Skamser. The Globe had a baseball team that played other shipyards, including Marine Ironworks & Shipbuilding and Zenith Dredge. Ships built at Walter Butler Shipbuilders' Globe Shipbuilding shipyard: V4-M-A1

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 ...

seaworthy tugs, 186-foot long with a steel hull: *Point Sur *Farallon *Point Cabrillo *Trinidad Head *Scotch Cap *Watch Hill *Wood Island *Sands Point *Point Judith *Black Rock S2-S2-AQ1 ''Tacoma''-class frigate: * * * * * * * / Worcester * / Scranton C1-M-AV1 Type C1 cargo ship: * * * * * * * * * (wrecked 1970) * * Globe Shipbuilding World War 1 Globe Shipbuilding built: cargo,

Naval trawler Naval trawlers are vessels built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes; they were widely used during the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. Some, known in the Royal Navy as "Admiralty trawlers ...

and

fishing trawler A fishing trawler is a commercial fishing vessel designed to operate fishing trawls. Trawling is a method of fishing that involves actively dragging or pulling a trawl through the water behind one or more trawlers. Trawls are fishing nets tha ...

ships from 1918 to 1920: Lake Washburn, Lake Borgne, Lake Medford, Lake Arline, Sea Gull, (Trawler: Petrel, Ripple, Ocean), Conotton, Contoocook, Coolspring, Copalgrove, Lake Glebe, Lake Glencoe, Lake Fiscus, Lake Fisher, Lake Fitch, Lake Fithian, Lake Flag, Lake Glaucus, Lake Gunni, Lake Harminia, Lake Hector, and Lake Justice.

Walter Butler Duluth shipyard

Some of Walter Butler Shipbuilders Duluth ships: Duluth shipyard built C1-M-AV1 type C1 cargo ships, 2239 tons, 3,805 DWT: USNSPvtJoseFValdez

* (Hull # 328, August 1944) * * (wrecked 1946) * *

Kenneth E. Gruennert Kenneth E. Gruennert (November 19, 1922 – December 24, 1942) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. Biography Born in Helen ...

(wrecked 1953) * * Joe P. Martinez * *Alexander R. Nininger, Jr. *Roband Hitch * * * * * * * * (Hull # 345, August 1945, last Walter Butler Duluth ship)

Enbridge Ogdensburg Pier

Enbridge Ogdensburg Pier was opened in 1950 at the site of the former Walter Butler Superior shipyard. The Enbridge Ogdensburg Pier serves the inland Enbridge's Superior Terminal.

Enbridge Enbridge Inc. is a multinational pipeline transport, pipeline and energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Enbridge owns and operates pipelines throughout Canada and the United States, transporting crude oil, natural gas, and n ...

is a Canadian energy transportation company with headquarters in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

. Enbridge transports, distributes and generates

energy Energy () is the physical quantity, quantitative physical property, property that is transferred to a physical body, body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of Work (thermodynamics), work and in the form of heat and l ...

, in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Enbridge operates in transportation, distribution and generation of

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring u ...

and liquid

hydrocarbons In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and hydrophobic; their odor is usually faint, and may b ...

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

. Enbridge Ogdensburg Pier as a dock for the energy transport ships. The Superior Terminal is 550-acre and is used to store and distributes crude oil to the United States. I also is connected to the

Enbridge Pipeline System The Enbridge Pipeline System is an oil pipeline system which transports crude oil and dilbit from Canada to the United States. The system exceeds in length including multiple paths. More than of the system is in the United States while the re ...

. About 20% United States crude oil imports come through the Terminal.resepkuini.com, Enbridge's Superior Terminal, photos
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walter Butler Shipbuilders Superior, Wisconsin Great Lakes Lake Superior Defunct shipbuilding companies of the United States

Butler Brothers

Walter Butler Superior shipyard

Lake Superior Shipbuilding

Globe Shipbuilding

Walter Butler Duluth shipyard

Enbridge Ogdensburg Pier

See also

References