CHARLES WARD ENGINEERING

Charleston WV

Most recent update: November 27, 2017.
Charles Ward Engineering Works was founded by Charles Ward in 1872, incorporated in 1907 and remained in operation until 1932, when it closed due to economic and ownership succession issues.  It was an early developer of water tube boilers on ships, pioneered the development of the tunnel stern propeller-driven towboat and was among the first companies to install internal combustion engines in towboats.   The yard was located on the south bank of the Kanawha River, on McCorkle Avenue, directly opposite the Haddad Riverfront Park, but there's no sign of a shipyard there any more.  If anyone can add to the table below, please e-mail timcolton@aol.com.
Hull # O.N. Original Name Original Owner Ship Type GT Feet Delivery Disposition
    Mascot US Army Corps of Engineers Launch 8   1893 Sold 1911 as Mascot (ON 209085), abandoned 1921
    Madge (I) Charles Ward Launch     1894  
  92850 Madge (II) Charles Ward Yacht 9   1897 Named for Mrs. Ward, to CoE 1903 as Ouachita
  25342 Unique Charles Ward Yacht 33   Oct-01 To CoE 1904 as Unique, sold 1929 as tug Etta J, sunk 1942
    James Rumsey US Army Corps of Engineers Towboat 126   1903 Sold 1934 as Steve Click Jr. (ON 233621)
  203714 A. M. Scott Charles Ward Engineering Towboat 168   Nov-06 Abandoned 1933
    Madge (III) Charles Ward Yacht     May-09  
    Inspector US Army Corps of Engineers Towboat 158   1915  
10 216817 Clairton Carnegie Steel Co. Towboat 245   Sep-18 Later Kanawha, Alicia, Henry A. Roemer, J. M. Leithead
11 220773 Natchez US Railway Administration Towboat 757   1920  
12 221271 Vicksburg US Railway Administration Towboat 757   1921  
13   No. 21 US Army Corps of Engineers Barge     1921  
14   No. 22 US Army Corps of Engineers Barge     1921  
15   No. 23 US Army Corps of Engineers Barge     1921  
16   No. 24 US Army Corps of Engineers Barge     1921  
17 221980 General Frank M. Coxe

US Army

 Ferry 539   1-Dec-22

Sold 1947 as General Frank  M. Coxe (ON 252866), later Showboat, Pattaya Princess, The Sherman, General Frank  M. Coxe, active
18 222147 General John McE. Hyde

US Army

 Ferry 539   5-Dec-22

Sunk by gunfire at Corregidor 1942
19 222391 Destrehan Pan American Petroleum Towboat 371   3-Aug-22 Charles R. Hook 1941, scrapped 1957
20 222668 Ste. Genevieve Missouri-Illinois RR Rail Ferry 1,667   1-Dec-22  
21   Greenbrier (WAGL 214) US Coast Guard Tender 305   20-Jun-24 Sold 1948 as dredge Mississippi (ON 264233)
22     US Army Corps of Engineers Tank Barge     Mar-23  
23     US Army Corps of Engineers Tank Barge     Mar-23  
24 222941 W. C. Kelly Kelly Axe Mfg. Co. Towboat 111   31-May-23 Later Flavia 19??
25     Kelly Axe Mfg. Co. Derrick Boat     18-Jan-23  
26     Kelly Axe Mfg. Co. Covered Barge     31-May-23  
27     Kelly Axe Mfg. Co. Open Barge     31-May-23  
28   J. B. Battle US Army Corps of Engineers Towboat 174   31-Dec-23 Later La Verne, sold 1947 as J. L. Beatty (ON 253609), Martha E. Greene 1951, sunk 1970s, raised, scrapped
29     Kelly Axe Mfg. Co. Open Barge     31-May-23  
30     Kelly Axe Mfg. Co. Open Barge     29-Jun-23  
31   C. B. Harris US Army Corps of Engineers Dredge 1,304   18-Aug-24 Sold 1953 as C. B. Harris (ON 266334), later Ollie Riedel, Mr. Manson
32 224795 Chris Greene C. P. & C. Packet Co. Passenger 482   17-May-24 Scrapped 1951
33   Lookout US Army Corps of Engineers Towboat 233   1925 George S. Nutt 1927, sold 1937 as Admiral (ON 236325), barge 1953 (ON 264835)
34     US Army Corps of Engineers Quarter Boat     20-Sep-24  
35     US Army Corps of Engineers Maneuver Boat     31-Dec-24  
36     US Army Corps of Engineers Maneuver Boat     31-Dec-24  
37 225161 Geo. T. Price Kelly Transportation Co. Towboat 236   9-Nov-25  
38 225803 E. D. Kenna Ohio River Co. Towboat 388   13-Jul-26  
39 175040   Kelly Axe & Tool Co. Freight Barge 464   13-Jan-26 A.B.L. 1 1927
40 175041   Kelly Axe & Tool Co. Freight Barge 464   13-Jan-26 A.B.L. 2 1927
41     Kelly Axe & Tool Co. Freight Barge 464   13-Jan-26 Lost in hurricane 1926
42 175042   Kelly Axe & Tool Co. Freight Barge 464   6-Mar-26 A.B.L. 4 1927
43     Kelly Axe & Tool Co. Freight Barge 464   17-Apr-26 Lost in hurricane 1926
44 175043   Kelly Axe & Tool Co. Freight Barge 464   Jul-26 A.B.L. 6 1927
45 175044   Kelly Axe & Tool Co. Freight Barge 464   31-Jul-26 A.B.L. 7 1927
46 175045   Kelly Axe & Tool Co. Freight Barge 464   25-Aug-26 A.B.L. 8 1927
47 175046   Kelly Axe & Tool Co. Freight Barge 464   25-Aug-26 A.B.L. 9 1927
48 175047     Freight Barge 464   1926 A.B.L. 10 1927
49 226042 Wild Goose Charles Ward Eng. Towboat 92   25-Sep-26  
50 175048     Freight Barge 464   Nov-26 A.B.L. 11 1927
51 175049   W. C. Kelly Barge Line Freight Barge 464   21-Oct-26 A.B.L. 12 1927
52 175050   W. C. Kelly Barge Line Freight Barge 464   29-Nov-26 A.B.L. 13 1927
53 175051   W. C. Kelly Barge Line Freight Barge 464   7-Feb-27 A.B.L. 14 1927
54 175052   W. C. Kelly Barge Line Freight Barge 464   11-Mar-27 A.B.L. 15 1927
55 175053   W. C. Kelly Barge Line Freight Barge 464   21-Apr-27 A.B.L. 16 1927
56 175054   W. C. Kelly Barge Line Freight Barge 464   1-Jun-27 A.B.L. 17 1927
57 175055   W. C. Kelly Barge Line Freight Barge 464   1-Jun-27 A.B.L. 18 1927
58     Inland Waterways Corp. Freight Barge 464   14-Jun-27  
59 175056   W. C. Kelly Barge Line Freight Barge 464   30-Jul-27 A.B.L. 20 1927
60 226269 W. A. Shepherd W. C. Kelly Barge Line Towboat 267   15-Apr-27  
61 226725 Duncan Bruce W. C. Kelly Barge Line Towboat 357   15-Jul-27  
62   F. H. Hilliard US Army Corps of Engineers Survey Boat 150   12-Nov-27 Sold 1940 as Hugh C. Blaske (ON 240086), later Mississippi
63   Tecumseh US Army Corps of Engineers Towboat 199   28-Apr-28 Sold 1950 as Tecumseh (ON 262468), W. C. White 1954, Robin D 1971, Cotton Blossom 1973, active
64   General Humphreys US Army Corps of Engineers Inspection Boat 100   29-Mar-28 Sold 1946 as Sarah R (ON 251239)
65 227558 Criterion Charles Ward Eng. Towboat 53   1-May-28 D. W. Wyatt 1963, Criterion 1985
66 227557 Alpha Alpha Sand Co. Towboat 75   7-Jul-28  
67 227830 Bull Dog Charles Ward Eng. Towboat 54   16-Jul-28 Pure Gyrol 19??, D. L. Gilland 1949, active
68   Captain Eric Bergland US Army Corps of Engineers Towboat 47   30-Jul-28 Sold 1947 as Sarah (ON 252842), Jeannette B 1987, active
69 228188 Dwight F. Davis Inland Waterways Corp. Towboat 311   25-Apr-29 Chickasaw 19??
70 227779 Incor International Cement Towboat 221   19-Aug-28  
71   No. 15 US Army Corps of Engineers Maneuver Boat     27-Sep-28  
72   No. 16 US Army Corps of Engineers Maneuver Boat     27-Sep-28  
73   Captain George US Army Corps of Engineers Towboat 61     Exploded before delivery, see hull 79
74   Tom Stallings US Army Corps of Engineers Snag Boat 268   17-Apr-29  
75 228076 Major Kelley's Creek Barge Towboat 59   10-Dec-28 Active
76 229186 Leo Charles Ward Eng. Towboat 46   1929 Slade Brown 19??, Southern II 19??
77   No. 2901 US Army Corps of Engineers Mooring Barge     10-May-29  
78   No. 2902 US Army Corps of Engineers Mooring Barge     25-May-29  
79   Captain George US Army Corps of Engineers Towboat 61   30-Jun-29 Sold 1968 as Captain George (ON 515342), Kurt R. Luedtke 1973,  Captain George 1991, active
80   Beverly US Army Corps of Engineers Tender 79d   20-Aug-29  
81 294724 Unique Harold M. Ward Yacht 31   20-Aug-29  
82 252861 Stanton US Army Corps of Engineers Tug 79d   15-Feb-30 Sold 1947 as Wm. R. Farrell
83 230102 Indiana Mississippi Valley B.L. Towboat 913   21-Sep-30  
84 230103 Louisiana Mississippi Valley B.L. Towboat 913   19-Dec-30  
85 270212 Fort Scott US Army Corps of Engineers Towboat 121   7-Dec-30 Sold as Scott, later L.D. No. 419, Robin D Too 1973, P. A. Denny 1975
86 268891 Fort Armstrong US Army Corps of Engineers Towboat 107   20-Nov-30 Sold as  Kathryn, later Tina M. White
87   Gypsy Charles Edwin Ward Yacht     1-May-30  
88 230635 Henry A. Laughlin Vesta Coal Co. Towboat 416   27-Apr-31 T. R. Workman 19??
89 230636 Vesta Vesta Coal Co. Towboat 416   May-31 James A. Rankin 1948, Mike Creditor 1952, Orco 1954, J. S. Lewis 1955, active