Hanson & Scove – Shipbuilders, Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Hanson & Scove was a shipbuilding firm based in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, active in the mid-to-late 19th century. The company specialized in wooden sailing vessels, particularly Great Lakes schooners used for cargo transport.

Notable Vessel Built by Hanson & Scove

• Thomas H. Howland was a large wooden three-masted schooner, built primarily for coal transport and general cargo on the Great Lakes. Schooners of this size were workhorses of 19th-century shipping, carrying bulk commodities such as: Coal (as seen in its final voyage) Lumber Grain The vessel operated for nearly 30 years, surviving at least two major incidents before being abandoned in 1921.
• James H. Hall was a two-masted wooden schooner, built in 1885 by Hanson & Scove in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Primarily used for cargo transport, the vessel had a long working life on the Great Lakes.

Manitowoc, Wisconsin – A 19th Century Shipbuilding Hub

During the 19th century, Manitowoc became one of Wisconsin’s key shipbuilding centers, alongside:

• Milwaukee
• Sturgeon Bay
• Two Rivers

Shipbuilders like Hanson & Scove focused on:

• Wooden sailing ships (schooners, barkentines, scow-schooners)
• Great Lakes cargo vessels (for transporting coal, lumber, grain, and iron ore)
• Later steamship construction, as the steam era replaced sail

Many Manitowoc-built ships sailed on Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, and Lake Erie, forming the backbone of 19th-century Great Lakes trade.

Further Research & Archival Records

To find more information on Hanson & Scove, historical records may be available at:

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes (www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca)
• Wisconsin Maritime Museum – Shipbuilding Archives (www.wisconsinmaritime.org)
• Manitowoc County Historical Society
• Library of Congress – Shipbuilding Records