During World War II eighteen American shipyards created 2751 Liberty Ships. Portland’s Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard in St. Johns built 322 of them, and the last one, the SS Peter Moran, launched on January 28, 1944.
The Oregonian reported the next day:
The last Liberty was the Peter Moran, named for a Seattle shipbuilder and christened by Mrs. Elmer Comstock, Salem. Wife of a swing shift shopfitter, whose name was drawn at a yard lottery a week ago.
Over the holidays my dad showed me a 1943 Oregon Journal article titled “The Shipbuilding Bergs.” I knew my grandfather worked in yards. I didn’t know four of his brothers also worked the same shift.
The shipyards brought the first family members on my mom’s side to Oregon from North Dakota. A great aunt was a Rosie the Riveter of sorts…Dorothy the Painter.
Cool. Also, that beadee website was like a time machine. Animated gif navigation buttons FTW!
Dear Dave:
I’m looking for a picture of the Portland shipyards circa 1943 with a good look at the cranes. I grew up here and have a strong memory of them but can find no pictures.
Thanks for any help. I enjoy your blog.
Ken
@Ken – Hmm, you might try digging around at Lost Oregon and Vintage Portland. Or maybe the Oregon Historical Society?
Cheers!
I’m going thru old papers tonight and came across my dad’s Seaman’s War Risk Policy (aka life insurance). He shipped out on the SS Peter Moran as a pilot, from San Francisco on Feb 21st 1944…
my grandmother worked in the Liberty shipyards in Portland,OR..would like to find out if there is a written rodster that would have her name on it. How would I go about finding out something like that?
I recently found a hand drawn 1944 Christmas dinner menu from the SS Peter Moran at the local flea market. It hangs on the wall of my tiki bar. No way I can post it here. It has a South Pacific theme depicting a local native. Anybody out there know where the Peter Moran was on Christmas 1944?