Erie, PA: Aggregates/Ore Dock and Clyde Iron Works

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Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted

Two “Whirleys” unloading iron ore from a vessel docked at Erie, Pa., circa 1900. (Image Source: Library of Congress – Detroit Publishing Co. Collection – Enhanced by Shorpy.com). 

C. Seavey identified the freighter in the background as the George Stone in 2021. The notes for the photograph do not include any information on the photographer. The image was created from a glass dry plate negative.

Additional Historical Information - Whirleys

"Whirleys" were steam powered hoists for handling bulk commodities manufactured by Northwestern Manufacturing of Duluth, Minn. The business was established in 1899 and became the Clyde Iron Works in 1901. In 1907, it opened its first dedicated building. 

One of the company’s first products was a steam-powered, self-propelled hoist for loading logs. The company went on to build some of the largest material handling hoists and cranes in the world, including units used for building the Panama Canal, the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Clyde Iron Works was sold to the Barium Steel Co. of Ohio in 1944. It then had several different owners until 1986 when the business became the marine division of American Hoist & Derrick (AmClyde). That same year, the Duluth plant was closed, and operations moved to St. Paul, Minn.

Information Sources:

https://clydeironworks.com/history/

https://archives.lib.umn.edu/repositories/22/resources/8231

[The description continues with a history of George Stone.]

Dale Pohto: Unique Pennsylvania RR coal trestle in the background.

Andrew Dean Detroit posted seven photos with the comment: "A small gallery of shots from H Lee White’s unload in Erie, Pennsylvania last week."

Andrew Russell shared

Rod Burdick: cool ... PI [Presque Isle] getting paint?

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[Donjon Shipbuilding is the next slip over.]

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Andrew Russell commented on Rod's comment
yup

When looking at a satellite image, it struck me that a bulk material dock doesn't have any rail service. 

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When I saw "Ore Dock Rd," I decided to see what this dock used to look like. Sure enough, there used to be a lot of rail service.

1957 Erie North Quad @ 24,000

And then I noticed that there is a Pennsy track still remaining along Bayfront Pkwy. And that is when I noticed that they had a main dock that does have rail service.

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What is (was?) this toxic mix that also still has rail service? According to the top map above, it existed in 1957. According to a USGS map, these Pennsy tracks are now owned by CSX. (Update: PRJ's comment below explains: "The photo at the bottom is the former Erie Coke works. It was closed about 5 years ago (?) and much of it was subsequently demolished. There was formerly also a blast furnace at the site, the foundation of which is visible in some photos, and why the large "ore yard" with the bridge crane exists. The site has been owned by Picklands, Mather; Interlake; and Koppers, among others. The first iron production there was in 1833 (!)")

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Roger Smith posted four photos with the comment: "Thursday in Erie, PA. The unloading of these windmill blades does not appear to have started."

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This would be at this dock. Here are the silos we see on the left side of the second photo, and here is the yellow derrick we see on the right side of the fourth photo.

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Marty Visnosky posted four photos with the comment: "More BBC in Erie cradles that are being off loaded in 25 mph wind not fun! 2 blades ready for moving. More tips too@"

[Some comments indicate that once they have the deck cleared, they will lift the deck plates and remove more blades from the hull.]

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Amy Daggett posted seven photos with the comment: "Crew are busy unloading wind turbine blades from BBC HOUSTON on this rainy Saturday in Erie PA.

May 3, 2025"

[The comments talks about it being a rainy day. The unload about two blades per hour and will unload 75 blades. There will be a couple more ships bringing blades in. But no one has mentioned which country made them, and there is contradictory information as to where they are going.]

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Jose C Ortiz commented on Amy's post

Did they pave over the grass so that they can used this area to load the blades on a train? I can't imagine those special truck trailers going very far on a regular road.

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