The Irvin L Clymer was a self-unloading bulk carrier
Blt: American Shipbuilding Co - Lorain, Ohio
1917 - 1993
History:
The IRVIN L CLYMER was constructed in 1917 for the Bradley Transportation Company of Rogers City, MI, as the CARL D BRADLEY. She was under charter to the Michigan Limestone & Chemical Co. for ten years to carry limestone from their quarry in Rogers City, MI.
The Bradley was renamed JOHN G MUNSON {1} in 1927 to free the name for the new CARL D BRADLEY {2} being constructed at Lorain, Ohio. The Munson was reboilered in 1943.
The Munson was once again renamed in 1951 as the IRVIN L CLYMER to free her previous name for her new fleetmate under construction at the shipyards of Manitowoc, WI. After corporate restructuring in 1951, the IRVIN L CLYMER was now part of the Bradley Transportation Line, part of the Michigan Limestone Division of United States Steel Corporation. Over the winter of 1953-1954, the Clymer was repowered with a new steam turbine.The IRVIN L CLYMER was laid up at Rogers City, MI, at the Calcite loading docks “frog pond” in 1973.
The Clymer was towed to Fraser Shipyards in Superior Wisconsin on September 23, 1980. She underwent a massive refit at the shipyard and had a bow thruster installed from the scrapped steamer FRONTENAC. She departed Duluth after loading ore on May 16th, 1981, but returned to port for repairs to leaky ballast tanks in heavy weather. She was quickly repaired and sent to work in the coal, stone, and salt trades. The Engineering department was told to keep the exhaust smoke under control, or else the Clymer would have to be taken out of service due to pollution and emissions problems.
The Clymer was and her fleetmates were transferred to the ownership of U.S.S. Great Lakes Fleet, Inc. in 1981. The Clymer spent the 1986 and 1987 seasons in layup at Superior, WI. She returned to service in 1988. To maintain a fleetwide uniform color scheme, the Clymer was repainted in 1990 to a red hull with a red and black diagonal stripe on the bow.
On November 7, 1990, the IRVIN L CLYMER laid up for good at Fraser shipyards with a final 3L 2S salute. She was towed to the Azcon Metals dock in Duluth in June 1993 for scrapping, which was completed in 1994.
Ownership History
CARL D BRADLEY - Bradley Transportation Co - Rogers City, Michigan (1917 - 1927)
JOHN G MUNSON - Bradley Transportation Co - Rogers City, Michigan (1927 - 1951)
IRVIN L CLYMER - Bradley Transportation Line - Cleveland, Ohio (1951 - 1967)
IRVIN L CLYMER - United States Steel/USS - New York, New York (1967 - 1981)
IRVIN L CLYMER - USX GLF - Duluth, Minnesota (1981 - 1988)
IRVIN L CLYMER - Great Lakes Fleet - Duluth, Minnesota (1988 - 1993)
Scrapped 1993 at Duluth, Minnesota