1909 W. R. Woodford 1987
Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter
Built at West Bay City MI by West Bay City Shipbuilding Co., Hull 626
Launched May 16, 1908
Last vessel built at this shipyard
552’ LOA, 532’ LBP, 56’ beam, 31’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 12’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 1800 IHP
Enrolled at Cleveland OH June 15, 1908 (#75)
532.0 x 56.0 x 27.3, 6929 GT, 5245 NT US 205250 to:
Hawgood Steamship Co., Cleveland OH, W. A. Hawgood, Mgr. (home port Fairport OH)
Entered service 1908
Transferred 1911 to Commonwealth Steamship Co., Cleveland OH
Sold 1911 to Inland Steamship Co., Cleveland OH, a subsidiary of Inland Steel Co., Hutchinson & Co., Mgr. (home port to Indiana Harbor IN)
Renamed N. F. Leopold 1912
Renamed E. J. Block 1943
Repowered 1946 with diesel electric engine at Lorain OH by American Ship Building Co.
Hatches to 24’ centers with hatch crane
Remeasured to 539.1 x 56.3 x 27.0, 6933 GT, 5590 NT
Management of fleet transferred 1957 to Inland Steel Co. (home port to Wilmington DE)
Laid up midseason 1984 and did not operate again
Sold 1987 to Marine Salvage Ltd., Port Colborne ON. Towed to Port Colborne and scrapped there.
IMO 5095531
See history in Great Lakes Ships We Remember III p. 39
0915
I have an original photo of the N.F. Leopold from 1912 by A.E. Young of Michigan; he etched the number 14 at the bottom; maybe one of ?? that he took and sold. It’s been in my family since the early 1900s when they lived near the Great Lakes (Lake Erie). What’s it worth? Must have historical value.