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John H. Mathis Company, Camden NJ

Most recent update: July 17, 2011.

John H. Mathis Company was started at the turn of the 19th century.  Mathis Yacht Building Company, with which it is often confused, was started in 1909 and operated in an adjacent facility at Cooper Point in Camden, just upstream of the Ben Franklin Bridge.  The former built work boats and the latter yachts and, during WWI, sub chasers.  Mathis Yacht Building relocated to Gloucester City NJ in mid-1942, but this yard carried on at Cooper Point.  The yard closed in the mid-50s, although it was operated for a while by Camden Ship Repair.  Visit the shipyard here: this site seems to confuse the two Mathis yards but it includes some great pictures and a reproduction of a 16-page brochure.  See the site of the shipyard from the air on Google here: it is now used by Weeks Marine.  If anyone can fill any of the gaps in the table below, please e-mail me at timcolton@aol.com  

Hull # Name

Customer

Type

 Tons Delivery Disposition
Whistler U.S. Shipping Board Wooden Tug 188 1918 Later Isabel A. McAllister 
Wizard U.S. Shipping Board Wooden Tug 188 1918 Later Carrie T. Meseck 
Talisman U.S. Shipping Board Wooden Tug 188 1918  
NY Marine Co. No. 8     106 1919  
Mary F. Kelly     103 1919  
Pilgrim II     118 1925 To USN 1941 as YFB 30, returned to owner 1947
93 E. E. Walling Oliver Tptn. Coal Barge   1927 Scrapped 2011
Harold J. Taggert Reading Co. Tug 110 1928  
Reliance Providence Steamboat Tug 124 1929 Later Norshipco Three, Chelsea
Arthur Polovic Construction Tug 31 1930 Active
Nathan Hayward American Dredging Tug 124 1931  
99 Bridgeport Red Star Towing Tug 147 1932  
102 Electric 18 Oliver Tptn. Coal Barge 916 1932 Later EMI-3218
Argo (WPC 100) U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Boat 337 1933 Sold 1955, now Sightseer XII
Galatea (WPC 108) U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Boat 337 1933 Sold 1948, sank 1992
105 Interstate No. 4 Interstate Oil Tank Barge 792 1935  
106 Texaco 325 Texaco Tank Barge 792 1934  
107 Texaco 326 Texaco Tank Barge 792 1934  
108 Poling Bros. No. 9 Chester A. Poling, Inc. Tank Barge 792 Jun-34 To USN 1941 as YO 155, sold 1947
109 Hygrade No. 12 Hygrade Oil Tank Barge 906 Oct-34  
110 Lloyd I. Seaman St. John's Guild Hospital Ship 799 May-35  
111 Hygrade No. 14 Hygrade Oil Tank Barge 806 1935  
112 Hygrade No. 16 Hygrade Oil Tank Barge 1,342 Apr-36  
113 Poling Bros. No. 12 Chester A. Poling, Inc. Tank Barge 1,014 Apr-36 Later Helen A, now Allegheny
114 Hygrade No. 18 Hygrade Oil Tank Barge 1,012 Aug-36  
115 Cities Service No. 6 Cities Service Oil Tank Barge 828 Sep-36  
116 Poling Bros. No. 14 Chester A. Poling, Inc. Tanker 295 1936 Scrapped
117 Poling Bros. No. 15 Chester A. Poling, Inc. Tank Barge 1,014 Mar-37  
118 Hygrade No. 20 Hygrade Oil Tank Barge 986 1937  
119 Coast Transit No. 2 Coast Transit Co. Tank Barge 548 1937 Later Barrett No. 5
120 Poling Bros. No. 16 Chester A. Poling, Inc. Tanker 395 1937 To USN 1942 as YO 137
121 Tuscarora Gulf Oil Tank Barge 1,032 1937 Later HT-17, now B A 17
122 Oil Transfer No. 30 Oil Transfer Co. Tank Barge 1,160 Oct-37  
123 Interstate No. 10 Interstate Oil Tank Barge 899 Jan-38  
124 S. T. Kiddoo Ira S. Bushey & Sons Tanker 613 1938 Later Mary A. Whalen, now a museum in Brooklyn NY
125 F. A. Verdon F. A. Verdon, Inc. Tanker 768 1938 Scrapped 1976
126 Narcissus (WLI 238) U.S. Coast Guard Tender 300 1939 To Guyana 1971
127 Zinnia (WLI 255) U.S. Coast Guard Tender 300 1939 To USAF 1972
128 Poling Bros. No. 17 Chester A. Poling, Inc. Tanker 328 1939 Scuttled 1989
129 A. H. Dumont A.H. Dumont, Inc. Tanker 981 1940 To USN 1941 as Bailer (YO 54), reefed off New Jersey 1986
130 Juniper (WLM 224) U.S. Coast Guard Tender 700 1940 Sold 1975
131 Arthur Hoyt Scott Scott Paper Cargo Ship 2,323 1941 Scrapped 1955
  John B. Caddell   Tanker   1941 To USN 1942 as YO 140
132 Teaberry (YN 29) US Navy Net Layer 560 16-Mar-42 Later AN 34, scrapped 1962
133 Teak (YN 30) US Navy Net Layer 560 7-May-42 Later AN 35, scrapped 1976
134 Pepperwood (YN 31) US Navy Net Layer 560 8-Jun-42 Later AN 36, to France 1944 as Tarentule (A 729)
135 Yew (YN 32) US Navy Net Layer 560 1-Jul-42 Later AN 37, to France 1944 as Scorpion (A 728), wrecked in Fiji 1978
Alaska Mist Gulf Mist, Inc. Fishing Vessel 916 1942 Active (converted AN?)
C-6974 US Navy Patrol Boat   1941 Now Retriever
C-6975 US Navy Patrol Boat   1941  
C-6976 US Navy Patrol Boat   1941  
C-6977 US Navy Patrol Boat   1941 Now Reliance
YOG 5 US Navy Gas Tanker 440 1943  
YOG 6 US Navy Gas Tanker 440 1943  
YOG 32 US Navy Gas Tanker 440 1943 Later YWN 59, scrapped 1975
YOG 33 US Navy Gas Tanker 440 1943  
YOG 34 US Navy Gas Tanker 440 1943  
YWN 83 US Navy Water Barge 440 1944 Sunk as target 1989
YWN 84 US Navy Water Barge 440 1944 Scrapped 1976
Sway (AM 120) US Navy Minesweeper 1,250 20-Jul-43 To Mexico 1973 as Ignacio Miguel Altamirano (C 80), active
Swerve (AM 121) US Navy Minesweeper 1,250 23-Jan-44 Mined off Anzio and lost 1944
Swift (AM 122) US Navy Minesweeper 1,250 29-Dec-43 Scrapped 1972
YN 123-126 US Navy Net Layer 775   Cancelled
147 FS 309 US Army Coastal Freighter 560 3/44-10/44 USCG-manned, to USN 1950 as AKL 24, struck 1959
148 FS 310 US Army Coastal Freighter 560 3/44-10/44 USCG-manned
149 FS 311 US Army Coastal Freighter 560 3/44-10/44 USCG-manned, to the Philippines as Elizabeth
150 FS 312 US Army Coastal Freighter 560 3/44-10/44 USCG-manned, to Korea as City of Chechon
151 FS 313 US Army Coastal Freighter 560 3/44-10/44 USCG-manned
152 FS 314 US Army Coastal Freighter 560 3/44-10/44 USCG-manned, to the Philippines as Governor Smith
153 FS 315 US Army Coastal Freighter 560 3/44-10/44 USCG-manned, to China as Iris
154 FS 316 US Army Coastal Freighter 560 3/44-10/44 USCG-manned, to USN 1947 as Metomkin (AG 136), later AKL 7, to Dept. of Interior 1951
155 FS 317 US Army Coastal Freighter 560 3/44-10/44 USCG-manned, to Korea as City of Pyontaek
156 FS 318 US Army Coastal Freighter 560 3/44-10/44 USCG-manned, to the Philippines as Oriental
157 FS 319 US Army Coastal Freighter 560 3/44-10/44 USCG-manned, to the Philippines as Elcano
158 Y 52 US Army Coastal Tanker 633 10/44-3/45 To Panama Canal Co. as Y 52
159 Y 53 US Army Coastal Tanker 633 10/44-3/45 Disposition unknown
160 Y 54 US Army Coastal Tanker 633 10/44-3/45 To Russia 1946
161 Y 56 US Army Coastal Tanker 633 10/44-3/45 Retired in the 1960s
162 Y 59 US Army Coastal Tanker 633 10/44-3/45 To the Philippines 1945
163 Y 60 US Army Coastal Tanker 633 10/44-3/45 Retired in the 1960s
164 Y 61 US Army Coastal Tanker 633 10/44-3/45 Retired in the 1960s
165 Y 62 US Army Coastal Tanker 633 10/44-3/45 To Paraguay 1946 as Paraguari
166 Esther M.   Fishing Vessel 251 Dec-45 Later Rosa B
167 Bay O'Hara Bros. Fishing Vessel 250 Nov-45 Later Grand Bay
168 Rush O'Hara Bros. Fishing Vessel 250 Dec-45  
169 Bonnie O'Hara Bros. Fishing Vessel 264 Oct-46  
170 Pan Trades Andros Star Offshore Fishing Vessel 187 1946 Now Blue Star
171 Fearless Atlantic Coast Fisheries Fishing Vessel 399 1946 Later Blue Foam
172 Challenger Atlantic Coast Fisheries Fishing Vessel 399 1946 Later Blue Spray
Hannah Glover Rockmore Co. Passenger 68 1946 Active
176 Atlantic 25 Atlantic Refining Tank Barge 624 Apr-48  
177 Atlantic 26 Atlantic Refining Tank Barge 624 Apr-48  
178 Atlantic 27 Atlantic Refining Tank Barge 624 Jun-48  
179 Atlantic 28 Atlantic Refining Tank Barge 624 Jul-48  
180 City of Portsmouth Norfolk County Ferries Ferry 500 Apr-49 Later Delaware Valley, to USN as Wa'a Hele Honua (YFB 83), sold 2003
181 Norfolk County Norfolk County Ferries Ferry 773 Aug-49 Now Buccaneer
182 Barrett No. 1 Barrett Co. Tank Barge 1,262 Aug-49  
J-Way SB107 J-Way Leasing Barge 345 1949 Active
185 Elizabeth Monroe Smith Sanitarium Assoc. of Phila. Passenger Barge 1,169 Jun-50 Now Majestic
186 Cestos Farrell Lines Cargo Vessel 238 Oct-50
189 Owls Head New York City Sludge Carrier 1,643 1952 Active
190 Farmington Farrell Lines Cargo Vessel 238 Apr-51
Jenniffer Miller Tug 57 1954 Later Dawn Marie, now Mighty Jessie
H & W S Explorer Colleges of the Seneca Research Vessel 58 1954 Now William Scandling
  John D. McKean New York City Firefighting Tug 330 1954 Active
LT Samuel S. Coursen Governors Island Corp. Ferry 761 1956 Active
210 Nantucket Nantucket Steamship Authority Excursion Ferry 2,652 1957 Now Bayou Caddy's Jubilation Casino
211 Sylvia A. H. G. Wilks New York City Firefighting Tug 156 1958 Now Ervin S. Cooper
212 Harry M. Archer, M.D. New York City Firefighting Tug 213 1958 Now Miriam Walmsley Cooper
214 Bowery Bay New York City Sludge Carrier 1,578 Aug-59
215 Senator Robert F. Wagner New York City Firefighting Tug 163 1959 Now Georgia
216 Governor Alfred E. Smith New York City Firefighting Tug 213 1961 Active