Olympic Steamship Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping |
| Founded | August 22, 1925 in Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Founder | John Ambler, Charles A. Wallace, William W. Shorthill |
| Headquarters | Seattle , United States |
Area served | Pacific Northwest, Puget Sound, Japan (routes) |
Key people | Joseph L. Carman Jr. (Vice President), Ernest Clayton (President from 1940) |
| Products | Cargo shipping, logistics services |
Olympic Steamship Company was established in Seattle, Washington, on August 22, 1925, by John Ambler, Charles A. Wallace, and William W. Shorthill. The enterprise managed a fleet of approximately four vessels catering to the Pacific Northwest region. Taking its name from Washington's Olympic Mountains, the founders brought varied expertise: Ambler was a lawyer, Wallace had a background with Fisher Flouring Mills Company, and Shorthill worked as a clerk at The Pacific Steamship Company. Joseph L. Carman Jr., who previously led Alaska Washington Airways as president, later joined as vice president.
The inaugural ship in the fleet was the 5,335-ton tanker SS Dayton, which was renamed SS Olympic. Originally constructed in 1907 under the name Harport in South Shields, England, this vessel marked the company's beginnings. In 1936, Olympic Steamship entered into a partnership with James Griffiths & Sons, Inc., creating the Consolidated Olympic Company. This joint venture operated the Consolidated Olympic Line servicing routes between Long Beach, Seattle, and Tacoma. The line was subsequently rebranded as the Olympic-Griffiths Line. Among its acquisitions was the 7,216-ton cargo ship SS Olympic Pioneer, primarily employed for transporting lumber and newsprint within the Pacific Northwest and later utilized on Puget Sound to Japan routes carrying supplies for the U.S. Army. Additional vessels were chartered to cover other service areas.
In 1940, Ernest Clayton—previously affiliated with McCormick Steamship Company—assumed the presidency. Under his guidance, Olympic Steamship actively contributed to wartime operations during World War II.
Salmon Terminals
Salmon Terminals originated in 1929 as a cooperative warehousing operation specializing in salmon canning and labeling. The Puckett Company, founded by Jim and Roy Puckett in 1915, initially provided labeling services to canneries throughout Puget Sound. In 1929, a consortium of seventeen Alaska-based canneries established Salmon Terminals to oversee unloading, storage, canning, labeling, and distribution of canned salmon products. Labeling services continued to be supplied by the Puckett Company until 1973. Olympic Steamship Company acquired Salmon Terminals in 1966; operations were conducted from a West Seattle warehouse near Pier 5 before relocating to Kent, Washington in 1983. The division was divested in 1987, resulting in the formation of Salmon Terminals, Inc., headquartered in Kent. In 2006, the company moved into a larger facility near Auburn, Washington. Presently, Salmon Terminals functions as a provider of logistics, shipping, distribution, warehousing, and contract packaging services.
World War II
Throughout World War II, Olympic Steamship Company's vessels supported U.S. military efforts by operating merchant marine ships under contracts with the United States Shipping Board. The firm participated in charter agreements with both the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. Their fleet included Liberty and Victory ships manned by company crews alongside U.S. Navy Armed Guards responsible for deck armaments and communications.
Ships
- Prominent vessels:
- SS Olympic (formerly Harport), owned from 1925 until 1940; lost at sea in 1942.
- SS Olympic Pioneer, a Liberty ship acquired post-war in 1947 and operated through 1962.
- Victory ships operated during World War II:
- SS Knox Victory
- SS Yale Victory
- Clarksburg Victory
- Liberty ships operated during World War II:
- SS Seton Hall Victory
- SS Carl G. Barth
- SS Mesa Victory
- SS Samuel L. Cobb
- Additional vessels:
- Tanker Trio
- Korean War vessel:
- SS Ethiopia Victory
- Vietnam War vessel:
- SS Ocala Victory