The Tacoma Ship Building Company was probably established in late 1900. It was first listed in the Tacoma city directory in 1901 with A.T. Stream, J.A. Sloan, and J.B. Hardy as trustees of the Company. When R.W. Smith bought the Company in December 1901, an inventory of any material used in the construction of wooden vessels was taken including: lumber, copper & yellow metal, spikes, clinch rings, pitch cement and paint. One ship yall boat and one set of deluge pumps were included in the sale. The contract for the sale was written on Oct. 12, 1901. On Dec. 26, 1901 the sale to R.W. Smith for $2,000 was final. The bill of sale was signed by Joseph Sloan, Pres. and A.F. Stream, Secretary. It appears there was some litigation for the Company in 1903 because the ledger was filed as evidence in a court case. It appears that the Company languished for a number of years. About 1917 the Company was reactivated because of the urgent need for all types of ships during World War I. It appears that Henry A. Rhodes and a small group of investors either bought or reactivated the Tacoma Ship Building Company. During their period of ownership they built eight hulls. At the time of the armistice, there were two half completed hulls left that were destroyed. Since there was no longer the large demand for ships, the Company began liquidation. They sold the site and buildings. However, it took approximately two years to collect the funds from their government contracts. By 1923, Tacoma Ship Building Company had been disbanded. It appears that there is no relationship between the Tacoma Ship Building Company and the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation that built ships for the United States Navy and merchant marines during World War II.
From the description of Tacoma Ship Building Company inventory and bill of sale, 1901-1902. (Washington State Library, Office of Secretary of State). WorldCat record id: 430048649
