Wilmore Steamship Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping, Coal transportation |
| Founded | 1930 in New York City, United States |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Coal transport, Shipping services |
| Parent | Berwind Corporation (later) |
Wilmore Steamship Company was established in 1930 in New York City as a coal transportation enterprise. The company operated colliers primarily moving coal from Hampton Roads, Virginia to various ports across New England. Its initial fleet included the SS Berwindglen and SS Berwindvale, each weighing 4,411 tons and constructed by Bethlehem Steel’s Fore River Shipyard located in Quincy, Massachusetts. These vessels were equipped with advanced pulverized coal-fired boilers, a technology proven effective during trials on the 9,500-ton SS Mercer in 1929. Named after Wilmore Heights, Pennsylvania, the company played an important role in logistics during World War II.
History
The origins of the business date back to 1876 when coal dealers Charles Frederick Berwind, Edward Julius Berwind, John E. Berwind (1854–1928), along with surveyor-turned-Congressman Allison White, founded Berwind, White & Company in Philadelphia. This firm specialized in bituminous steam coal sourced from Greenwich, Connecticut. It was incorporated as the Berwind-White Coal Mining Company in 1886 and expanded its operations into shipping by acquiring its first vessel, the 1,141-ton schooner Edward J. Berwind, in 1897.
In 1900, the Wilmore Coal Company was created as a subsidiary of Berwind-White to oversee coal land acquisitions and transportation activities in Windber, Pennsylvania, under the leadership of John R. Caldwell. Further growth was achieved through the purchase of Shoemaker Coal Mining Company in Wilmore Heights in 1905, which included control over the Wilmore No. 1 bituminous coal mine near Bens Creek on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
The formation of Wilmore Steamship Company in 1930 coincided with the introduction of the SS Berwindglen and SS Berwindvale, which were modern colliers designed to transport coal efficiently using pulverized coal technology. After World War II, the original SS Berwindvale was sold to American Gulf Steamship Corporation in 1946 and renamed James Sheridan. Wilmore replaced this vessel with a larger 6,643-ton ship of the same name built in New Orleans.
During the 1950s, as fuel oil began to supplant coal as a dominant energy source, Wilmore Steamship Company gradually sold off its fleet and leased its extensive coal reserves. The company’s legacy endures through Berwind Corporation, founded in 1962 as an investment management firm.
The Berwind family’s industrial ventures trace back to their patriarch John Berwind (1813–1893), who emigrated from Bavaria to New York City in 1837 and laid the groundwork for their business empire.
World War II
During World War II, Wilmore Steamship Company supported the war effort by operating merchant vessels under contracts with the United States Shipping Board. The company participated in charter agreements with both the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration, managing Liberty ships staffed by Wilmore crews while US Navy Armed Guards handled defense and communications duties aboard these vessels. This partnership played a vital role in wartime maritime logistics and highlighted Wilmore’s strategic contribution to naval operations.
Ships
The fleet under ownership comprised the following vessels:
- The schooner Edward J. Berwind, constructed in 1894, was abandoned amid a hurricane in 1908 and subsequently demolished to prevent navigational hazards.
- The Berwindglen, launched in 1929, measured 350 feet and had a tonnage of 4,411; it was renamed Mary J. Sheridan in 1950 before being dismantled in 1954.
- Also built in 1929 with identical dimensions to the Berwindglen, the Berwindvale was renamed James Sheridan in 1946 and scrapped by 1952.
- The Berwindvale of 1945, initially named Redstone Seam, was acquired in 1946; it changed hands to Staples Coal Company in 1951, received the name Point Vincente in 1963, and was ultimately scrapped in Spain in 1965.
Throughout World War II, Wilmore managed multiple Liberty ships that were essential to its operational strategy and wartime earnings:
- SS David B. Johnson
- David Lubin
- Redstone Seam
- Melville Jacoby
- Lucius Fairchild
- SS Henry W. Grady
- SS Edward P. Alexander
These vessels played a significant role in expanding Wilmore's presence within wartime maritime transport and bolstered its competitive position across the shipping sector.