Old Dominion Steamship Company, also referred to as the Old Dominion Line, was a major cargo and passenger shipping company founded in 1867 in Norfolk, Virginia.Colton, T. (2 May 2014). "Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News VA". Shipbuilding History. T. Colton. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
History
Established in 1867, the founder and first President of the Old Dominion Steamship Company was Isaac Bell (1814–1897), and its first Vice President was George W. Elder. Former Attorney General of Delaware Jacob Moore served for a period as the company's legal counsel."JACOB MOORE: Sudden Death of One of the Leading Lawyers of the State", The Wilmington Morning News (December 15, 1886), p. 3. Subsequent presidents of the company included H.B. Walker and W.L. Woodrow.
The company's "Main Line Division" offered an overnight transportation service between New York and Norfolk could make . That service was between New York pier 26, North River, and Norfolk connecting with the line's "Virginia Division" steamers, including Old Dominion's "Night Line Steamers" Berkley and Brandon serving Richmond with overnight service to Norfolk.
In the 1880s, the longshoremen employed by the company began a widely publicized strike, seeking an increase in wages and overtime pay. Charles H. Kennerly served as the port engineer for the company for several years. In the early 1920s, the Old Dominion Steamship Company became a subsidiary of Eastern Steamship Lines.
Ships Ships owned by the Old Dominion Steamship Company included:
SS Berkeley SS Brandon SS Breakwater SS George Washington SS George W. Elder Tugboat Germania SS Guyandotte SS Hamilton, later the USS Saranac (1899) during World War IBelknap, Reginald Rowan The Yankee mining squadron; or, Laying the North Sea mining barrage (1920) United States Naval Institute pp.46-47,74&110 SS Isaac Bell SS Jamestown SS Jefferson, later the USS Quinnebaug (SP-1687) during World War I SS Madison SS Manhattan SS Manteo SS Mobjack SS Monroe SS Ocracoke SS Old Dominion SS Pocahontas SS Princes Anne SS Richmond SS Roanoke SS Robert E. Lee SS R L Meyers SS Yorktown, later the USS Resolute during the Spanish–American War"Resolute II (Iron Passenger Liner)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History And Heritage Command. 2005. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
In popular culture An 1876 painting by Antonio Jacobsen titled, Old Dominion Line Steamer Isaac Bell off Sandy Hook, is on display at the Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion University.
References