51. Shipyards
Building ships at the shipyards
| Sponsored by: |
William F. Hidden |
| Standifer Shipyards was established in 1917 near the newly opened Interstate Bridge. It produced wood and steel-sided ships until closing in 1921. Kaiser Shipyards opened in 1942. Warship production at the shipyards marked a huge increase in population in Vancouver. Peak employment in 1944 was 38,000 workers, attracting people from all over the nation. Huge housing developments were designed by the Housing Authority to house the many workers and their families. Many women worked in the shipyards – hence the picture of Rosie the Riveter in the top border. There is also a picture of the ubiquitous opossum, introduced here by an enterprising southerner as a food source. The greeting is in Tagalog, a language of the Philippines. |