Pacific Bridge Company

During World War II, Pacific Bridge Company of Alameda, California was selected to build US Navy Auxiliary Repair Docks (ARD) a type of Auxiliary floating drydock and Type B ship barges.

In 1942 The Pacific Bridge Company was chosen to build ships, because of their reputation and skills, particularly welding.

Since the coastal shipyards were busy building large vessels for the war effort, such as aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers and destroyers, there was no alternative but to use other builders, like Bridge builders for the production of small and medium ships.

Pacific Bridge also brought its capital into the large project[3][4] The shipbuilding yard was on the Oakland Alameda estuary.

Some residential homes near Clement Avenue and Chestnut Street were purchased and taken down or moved to be part of the Emergency Shipbuilding Program.

[5] The Pacific Bridge Company Oakland Alameda yard discontinued shipbuilding after World War 2, continued manufacturing until 1969.

The Alameda Marina also has a commercial shipyard, ship maintenance facilities, industrial space, storage, and office buildings.

[6][7] [8] On January 21, 2016 demolition started of the Pacific Bridge Company workshop building on Clement Ave.

William Henry Gorrill was an Ohio attorney, who was told to go west for his health, due to his tuberculosis and turned from law to building bridges.

[19][20][21][22] Charles F. Swigert and H. C. Campbell purchased Pacific Bridge Company in the 1890s from William Henry Gorrill.

In 1887 Charles F. Swigert and Mr. Campbell built the City and Suburban railway, which they operated until 1905.

Charles F. Swigert also helped build the Lyle and Goldendale Railroad, later sold to the Northern Pacific Railway.

Charles F. Swigert and Rena Bliss Goodnough Swigert had three children: Charles F. Swigert, Jr., was vice president and manager of the Electric Steel Foundry Company; E. G., sales manager for Electric Steel Foundry and is married and has two children: Nannie and Ernest G., Jr.; and W. G., a director of the Pacific Bridge Company, and is married and has three children: Phyllis, W. G., Jr., and Juliette.

H. C. Campbell built large bridges on the East coast before coming out west.

Was on United Airlines Flight 6, a DC-3, that crashed landed in water a mile off the coast of Point Reyes, CA while flying from Seattle to San Francisco on November 28, 1938.

Pacific Bridge drivers worked many hours to save ships and lives.