Parking lot at Manitowoc shipyards

Date

• ca. 1940-ca. 1945

Summary

• Parked cars, mainly 1930s models but some older, fill one of several large lots that provided parking for employees of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin at the height of the firm's submarine building program during World War II. This view looks north northwest across the west end of the parking area. In the background are some of the shipyard buildings including the light metal shops, joiner shop, and store room. Across the Manitowoc River, which is not visible in this image, the large structure in the left center is the Manitowoc Portland Cement Company at 1801 Spring Street. In the bottom right corner four men stand talking; elsewhere other employees can be seen walking or at work. Also visible on the grounds are rail tracks, large sections of metal tubes, and other parts and equipment. Although the photograph is not dated, there are large water puddles in the parking lot and patches of snow on the hillside in the background, suggesting an early spring day. During World War II the Manitowoc Company built 28 submarines as well as landing craft and other vessels for the U.S. Navy. With some 7,000 employees, the company organized bus transportation for out-of-town workers and set up "ride sharing clubs" for other workers who drove to the shipyards. Even with these measures, large parking lots like this lined areas near the shipyards.