James O. Curtis (shipbuilder)
| James Otis Curtis | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
November 1, 1804 Scituate, Massachusetts |
| Died | March 3, 1890 (aged 85) Medford, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Shipbuilder |
| Parent(s) | James Curtis & Desire Otis |
James Otis Curtis (November 1, 1804 – March 3, 1890) was an American shipbuilder who built ships in Medford, Massachusetts (up the Mystic River from Boston). He built wooden ships that were either powered by sail or by screw and steam.
Included in the vessels built by Curtis were at least 18 American Clipper Ships, including the first Clipper Ship built in Medford, the Shooting Star, and the largest ship and clipper ship ever built at Medford, the Ocean Express:
* 1851 Shooting Star, 903 tons Old Measurement (extreme clipper)
* 1851 Telegraph, 1078 tons Old Measurement (extreme clipper)
* 1851 Antelope of Boston, 587 tons Old Measurement (medium clipper)
* 1852 Onward, 874 tons Old Measurement (extreme clipper)
* 1852 Whirlwind, 960 tons Old Measurement (extreme clipper)
* 1852 Star Of The Union, 1057 tons Old Measurement (extreme clipper)
* 1853 George Peabody, 1397 tons Old Measurement (medium clipper)
* 1853 Competitor (renamed Lorelei), 871 tons Old Measurement (medium clipper)
* 1853 Wild Ranger, 1044 tons Old Measurement (medium clipper)
* 1853 Eagle Wing, 1174 tons Old Measurement (extreme clipper)
* 1854 Ocean Express, 1697 tons Old Measurement (medium clipper)
* 1854 Ocean Telegraph (renamed Light Brigade in 1863), 1495 tons Old Measurement (extreme clipper)
* 1855 Good Hope, 1295 tons Old Measurement (medium clipper)
* 1856 Silver Star, 1195 tons Old Measurement (medium clipper)
* 1856 Flying Mist, 1183 tons Old Measurement (medium clipper)
* 1856 Young Turk, 350 tons Old Measurement (medium clipper)
* 1857 Wild Gazelle, 490 tons Old Measurement (medium clipper barque)
* 1858 Industry, 1106 tons Old Measurement (medium clipper)
Shipbuilding was one of the two major businesses at Medford in the mid-19th century. Thatcher Magoun's shipyard, where Curtis did his apprenticeship, was the oldest and largest of the 10 yards, and remained so even after Thatcher's retirement in 1836. In 1845 one-quarter of all shipwrights in Massachusetts were employed in the Medford shipyards. The yards clustered along 1 mile of the Mystic River riverfront, and Curtis' yard was between Union and Swan Streets. The yards drew upon the ready supply of local timber until the local woods were depleted. Ships were then built from timber cut down and floated south from the hardwood forests of New Hampshire. Each ship was built from fifteen or more species of wood carefully pieced together where the special properties of each would do the most good.
...
Wikipedia