Globe & Crockett

Goble & Crockett was a shipbuilding firm located in Oswego, New York. The company was active during the mid-to-late 19th century and contributed to the construction of various vessels, primarily focused on the Great Lakes. Goble & Crockett built sailing vessels, including schooners and steamships, which were important for both commercial and passenger transportation on the lakes.

One of the most notable vessels built by Goble & Crockett was the Titan, a wooden schooner constructed in 1856. The schooner was later involved in a tragic storm on November 5, 1869, near Pentwater, Michigan, where it was driven ashore during a violent gale. Of the crew of 9, only one survived. The Titan was carrying 17,500 bushels of wheat when it went down, and the vessel ultimately became a total loss.

The Goble & Crockett shipyard was part of the larger tradition of shipbuilding in the Oswego area, which was a key site for the construction of ships serving the Great Lakes and beyond during the 19th century. Like many shipbuilders of the time, Goble & Crockett built vessels that played vital roles in both commercial trade (e.g., grain and lumber) and passenger travel, contributing to the region’s economic growth.

The Oswego area, and its shipbuilding industry, faced challenges like shifting markets, economic downturns, and the increasing competition from more modern ships and engines in the later years of the 19th century. However, companies like Goble & Crockett were instrumental in helping to establish the foundations of the Great Lakes maritime industry, which continues to be a central part of the region’s heritage today.

Related Vessels Built by Goble & Crockett:

• Hamilton was a wooden schooner, built in 1847 in Oswego, New York, and operated as part of the “Red Bird” line, a fleet known for carrying bulk goods and timber across the Great Lakes. She reportedly had a “peculiar rig”, though historical records do not specify what made her distinctive from other schooners of the time.
• Titan was a two-masted schooner built in 1856 by Goble & Crockett in Oswego, New York. With a length of 132 feet (40 meters), a beam of 26 feet (8 meters), and a depth of 12 feet (3.6 meters), the ship was well-suited for transporting bulk cargo, including wheat. She had a gross tonnage of 361 tons (327 metric tons) and a net tonnage of 336 tons (305 metric tons). The Titan was primarily used for shipping grain, and her voyages included runs across Lake Michigan and from Chicagoto Oswego. It was noteworthy for her impressive speed, particularly during her first trip from Chicago to Oswego, where she set a record for the fastest passage at the time: 8 days and 4 hours, though this record was soon broken by the schooner Surprise, which beat the time by 6 hours.