In 1918 the U. S. government chartered the steamships Chippewa and Iroquois for service in World War I as school ships to be based at the Seattle Yacht Club buildings (recently purchased by the U. S. government) in West Seattle. William Jacob Grambs (1862-1943), previously an engineer at the Puget Sound Traction, Light & Power Company, was appointed supervisor of the Sea Training Bureau of the United States Shipping Board for the Pacific Northwest.
In this image, servicemen line the decks of the S.S. Chippewa, foreground, and S.S. Iroquois, which appear to be docked at Elliott Bay. Both ships were owned by the Puget Sound Navigation Company (the "Black Ball Line"), which operated a fleet of steamboats and ferries on Puget Sound in Washington.
Caption information source: The Seattle Daily Times, May 17, 1918, p. 22 Caption information source: http://www.evergreenfleet.com/chippewa.html
ID Number: 2000.107.233.10.07
Date: 1918
Physical Description: 1 photographic print : b&w ; 7.75 x 9.5 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant.
