Cleveland, OH: NYC and Pennsy Coal Loading Docks

(Satellite, some of the slips still exist)

I learned from studying coal unloaders in Duluth, MN, that at the beginning of the 20th Century a lot of anthracite coal was shipped from the lower lakes to the upper lakes for home heating. In addition to Pennsy and NYC on the lakefront, Erie and Big Four loaded coal on the river.

Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted

An image from a glass negative of the freighter W.W. Brown being loaded with coal at Cleveland, Ohio circa 1900-1920 (Image Source: Library of Congress – Detroit Publishing Co. Collection). The bow markings below the ship’s name indicate its part of the United States Transportation Co. fleet. 

The history of the W.W. Brown (see below) would indicate that photograph is circa 1902-1911. During the early 1900s, coal was the primary outbound cargo from the port of Cleveland. It was often the return load for ships delivering iron ore to the city from the upper Great Lakes region.

 In 1906, 3.4 million tons of cargo was shipped from Cleveland, of which 2.9 million tons was coal. That same year, over 8 million tons of cargo arrived in Cleveland with about 7.5 million tons being iron ore. 

By 1916, iron ore accounted for 12.3 million tons of the port's total inbound cargoes of 13.4 million tons. The volume of coal outbound, however, had declined to 2.6 million tons. More and more iron ore freighters were now returning empty to the upper Great Lakes.

Information Source:

https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/clevmembks/14

[The description continues with a history of the W.W. Brown.]

Dale Pohto: This was the NYC RR coal dock on the lakefront, located between the river and the PRR coal loader It was dismantled just prior to WW2. Very few photos survive.

1953 Cleveland North Quad @ 24,000

Due to the lack of buildings in the background, I presume this dock was in this area.

Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted

An image from a dry plate negative of coal being loaded into a ship using a car dumper at a coal dock in Cleveland, Ohio circa 1901 (Image Source: Library of Congress – Detroit Publishing Co. Collection). 

An analysis of a high-resolution copy of the photograph shows the vessel to be the bulk freighter Volunteer of Fairport, Ohio. It also shows the dock to be the coal loading and vessel fueling plant of James W. Ellsworth & Co. 

Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted

The James W. Ellsworth & Co. coal dumper loading the freighter Volunteer in Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1900 (Image Source: Library of Congress – Detroit Publishing Co. Collection). 

The sign on top of the dumper reads “James W. Ellsworth & Co. – Coal – Vessel Loader & Fueling Plant.” The name of the photographer is not included in the notes for the image, which was created from a dry plate negative. 

The Ellsworth coal dumper was built in 1895 on Cleveland’s lakefront at Dock 24. The Pennsylvania Railroad would eventually replace the original unit with a McMyler Coal Dumper.

Information Source:

Dale Pohto

[The description continues with a history of the freighter.]