JOHNSON IRON WORKS

New Orleans LA

Most recent update: March 7, 2021.
Johnson Iron Works was a major industrial company in New Orleans, in particular a producer of cannons, run by Lewis Johnson.  The shipbuilding division was started in 1898 by Lewis Johnson's son Warren, straight out of college.  The shipyard was part of the former McLellan Dry Dock Company, on Patterson Drive in Algiers, the yard that in 1935 became Todd-Johnson Dry Docks, Todd New Orleans and finally Avondale Ship Repair.  When the U.S. entered WWI, they built a No. 2 yard for the construction of tugs for the EFC, which was operated until 1926.  This second yard was on Bayou St. John, on the east side of City Park: I cannot find an address, but it had rail service, so it was probably close to the railroad bridge on the south side of I-610.  Note that very few of the hull numbers shown below have been confirmed: most represent our "best guess".
Hull # O.N. Original Name Original Owner Vessel Type GT Feet Built Disposition
Built in the Algiers yard
1-5 Mexico   Mexican Navy Sternwheeler   34 1899 5 boats
6-25 Mexico   Mexican Navy Lighter   34 1899 20 boats
26-29 Mexico   Mexican Navy Sternwheeler   34 1900 4 boats (in sections)
30-45 Mexico   Mexican Navy Lighter   34 1900 16 boats (in sections)
46 Federal   U.S. Government Hyacinth Barge     Nov-00  
47 Mexico   Mexican Navy Steel Towboat   65 Dec-00  
48 136966 El Vivo Lou. & Tex. RR & SS Co. Passenger 199 102 1902 Rammed and sunk March 25, 1945 by SS Edwin Christenson
49 136987 El Listo Lou. & Tex. RR & SS Co. Passenger 200 102 1902  
?       Tank Barge   130 1902  
?       Tank Barge   130 1902  
?       Tank Barge   130 1902  
50       Wooden Barge   75 1902  
51       Wooden Barge   75 1902  
52       Wooden Barge   75 1902  
53 Mexico Victoria   Tug   65 1902  
54 150969 Phyllis Lower Terrebonne Ref. Towboat 30 60 1902  
55 Mexico   Mexican Govt. Lighter   40 1902  
56 Mexico   Mexican Govt. Lighter   40 1902  
57   Proteus 12 yachtsmen Sailboat   35 1903  
58 200590 Polo M. P. Doullot Towboat 41 63 1903
59     Warren Johnson Yacht   28 1904  
60   Juanita Pochaska & Cottman Yacht   32 1904  
61 201617 Picayune M. P. Doullot Passenger 19 56 1904 Later Josephine Tully
62 Central America J. B. Camors Camors-McConnell Co. Towboat     Dec-04  
63 Federal Picket Corps of Engineers Survey Boat 32 52 1905  
64                
65 Mexico   San Juan Sugar Co. Sternwheeler     1905  
66 Mexico   San Juan Sugar Co. Barge   100 1905  
67 Federal   San Juan Sugar Co. Barge   100 1905  
68 Federal Chere Amie Corps of Engineers Towboat   96 1906  
69 Federal   Corps of Engineers Barge     1906  
70 Federal   Corps of Engineers Barge     1906  
71 Federal   Corps of Engineers Barge     1906  
72 Federal   Corps of Engineers Barge     1906  
73 Mexico   Tampico Navigation Co. Towboat     1907 Assembled in Tampico
74 205887 Sydney C.   Tug 46 69 1907 To Corps of Engineers 1920
75 Federal Upatoi Corps of Engineers Derrick Boat   87 1909  
76 207697 Hustler Capt. G. J. Labarre Towboat 42 60 1910 Later Wm. Norman, Elizabeth R
77   Capt. V. Maurin Atch. & Laf. Levee Board Barge   107 Sep-10  
78 Federal Lafourche Corps of Engineers Towboat 300d 136 1911  
79 208491 Saccharine Lou. & Tex. RR & SS Co. Towboat 98 124 1911  
80 Mexico Mariano Escobedo Valenzuela & Sons Towboat   86 1911  
81 168249 Louisiana Girl Gulf Refining Tank Barge 178 100 1912 Abandoned 1940
82 Federal No. 31 Corps of Engineers Steel Barge 98d 124 1912  
83 Federal No. 32 Corps of Engineers Steel Barge 98d 124 1912  
84     Henry Peters Derrick Barge   100 1913  
85 Federal B-2 Corps of Engineers Steel Scow 442 110 1914  
86 Federal B-3 Corps of Engineers Steel Scow 442 110 1915  
87 Federal Hull C Corps of Engineers Steel Scow 200 110 1915  
88 Federal Hull D Corps of Engineers Steel Scow 200 110 1915  
89 217415 Marian Williams Cypress Co. Towboat 19 55 1915 Abandoned 1945
90 Federal No. 1211 Corps of Engineers Steel Dredge   121 1916  
91 Federal B-6 Corps of Engineers Steel Scow 442 110 1917  
92 215238 Juniata Gulf Refining Tank Barge 1,432 241 1917 Ex-350-ft rail barge B.L. Winchell (ON 76694) converted to two 240-ft deck barges
Built in the Bayou St. John yard
134 219137 Degolia (1303) U.S. Shipping Board Tug 183 100 1919 Later William P. Feeley
135 219162 Degrey (1300) U.S. Shipping Board Tug 183 100 1919 Later Major Frazer, M. & J. Tracy, Patrice McAllister, wrecked off Atlantic City NJ 1976
136 219554 Delamar (1298) U.S. Shipping Board Tug 183 100 1919 To Corps of Engineers 1920, later LT 797
137 219598 Delanco (1301) U.S. Shipping Board Tug 183 100 1920 Active
138 219604 Deland (1299) U.S. Shipping Board Tug 183 100 1919 To USAT, now Pursuit (ON  270988)
139 219603 Delaplaine (1302) U.S. Shipping Board Tug 183 100 1920 Later Pepe Morales, Delaplaine 1931, Cedros 1965, scrapped 1973
140 167755 Mex 32 Venezuela Gulf Oil Co. Tank Barge 81 79 Nov-19 To Mexico 1927
141 167756 Mex 33 Venezuela Gulf Oil Co. Tank Barge 81 79 Nov-19 To Mexico 1927
142     Anglo-Mexican Pet. Co. Tank Barge   118 1920  
143     Anglo-Mexican Pet. Co. Tank Barge   118 1920  
144 220695 Cortez X Cortez Oil Corp.   133 92 Sep-20  
145 168291 N.E.O. No. 5 New England Oil . Tank Barge 579 200 Nov-21 Later L.T.C. No. 5, abandoned 1943
146 168292 N.E.O. No. 6 New England Oil . Tank Barge 579 200 Nov-21 Later L.T.C. No. 6, scrapped 1949
147 168621 Barge No. 8 Crew Levick Co. Tank Barge 580 201 1921  
148 168666 Barge No. 9 Crew Levick Co. Tank Barge 209 118 1921 Lost 1925
149 169189 Barge No. 10 Crew Levick Co. Tank Barge 204 118 1922  
150     Johnson IW Tank Barge   118 1921 Built for stock
151     New England Fuel Oil . Tank Barge   200 1921  
152     New England Fuel Oil . Tank Barge   200 1921  
153     New England Refining Tank Barge   200 1921  
154 175018 Q Standard Oil Co. of LA Tank Barge 625 200 1921  
155 222571 Mex 42 Anglo-Mexican Pet. Co. Launch 8 40 1921  
156 221628 Mex 43 Anglo-Mexican Pet. Co. Power Boat 40 54 Sep-21  
157 221681 Victoria Johnson IW Passenger 59 76 Oct-21  
158 Mexico   Gulf Refining Co. Tank Barge     1921  
159 Mexico   Gulf Refining Co. Tank Barge     1921  
160 Mexico   Gulf Refining Co. Tank Barge     1921  
161 169010 V.G.O. No. 1 Venezuela Gulf Oil Co. Tank Barge 105 101 1921  
162 169011 V.G.O. No. 2 Venezuela Gulf Oil Co. Tank Barge 105 101 1921  
163 Federal No. 31 Corps of Engineers Tank Barge   87 1922  
164 Federal No. 32 Corps of Engineers Tank Barge   87 1922  
165 Federal No. 33 Corps of Engineers Tank Barge   87 1922  
166 Federal No. 34 Corps of Engineers Tank Barge   87 1922  
167 Federal No. 35 Corps of Engineers Tank Barge   87 1922  
168 Federal No. 36 Corps of Engineers Tank Barge   87 1922  
169 171231 No. 7 Southern Paper Mills Tank Barge 346 144 1922  
170     Jno. Hunt Co. Tank Barge   48 1922  
171     Jno. Hunt Co. Tank Barge   48 1922  
172 Federal No. 6 Corps of Engineers Quarter Boat   60 1922  
173 Federal   Corps of Engineers Quarter Boat   60 1922  
174 223567 Deluge Port of New Orleans Fireboat 370 126 1923 Retired 1992, abandoned
175 Federal Upatoi Corps of Engineers Dredge   100 1924 Rebuild of Hull 75
176   Consolidated Fuel Collier   110 1924  
177 Federal No. 82 Corps of Engineers Tank Barge   100 1924  
178     Johnson IW     42 1927