View source for Los Angeles Steamship Company

[[File:LASSCO flag.svg|thumb|House flag used by LASSCO]]
The '''Los Angeles Steamship Company''' or <small>'''LASSCO'''</small> was a passenger and freight shipping company based in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]. 

==History==

The company, incorporated on May 27, 1920, with a capital stock of $5,000,000 and [[Fred L. Baker]] of the [[Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company]] acting as president.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Bernadino Sun|date=28 May 1920|page=1|title=L.A. Steamship Company Announces Its Officers|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SBS19200528.1.1&srpos=11&e=-------en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-%22Los+Angeles+Steamship+company%22-------}}</ref> The early history of the company is that of the establishment of the Los Angeles - San Francisco route.

In 1921, <small>LASSCO</small> added service to [[Hawaii]] in competition with the San Francisco-based [[Matson Navigation Company]] using two former [[North German Lloyd]] [[ocean liner]]s that had been in [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] service during [[World War I]]. Despite the sinking of one of the former German liners on her maiden voyage for the company, business in the booming 1920s thrived, and the company continued to add ships and services. In 1922, the City of Los Angeles, a renamed and refitted liner, was one of the largest American ships sailing in Pacific waters.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Cox|first1=Martin|title=Los Angeles Steamship Company|url=http://maritimematters.com/2010/08/los-angeles-steamship-company/|website=Maritime Matters|accessdate=18 April 2017}}</ref> The worsening economic conditions in the United States, and the burning of another ship in Hawaii, caused financial problems for the company. After beginning talks in 1930, the Los Angeles Steamship Company was taken over by Matson Navigation on January 1, 1931, but continued to operate as a subsidiary. The merger was announced on October 30, 1930, the new combined operation was in control of 31 ships sailing the Pacific.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Healdsburg Tribune|date=31 October 1930|page=5|title=Ship Lines Merge|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=HT19301031.2.41&srpos=66&e=------193-en--20--61--txt-txIN-%22los+angeles+steamship%22-------}}</ref>

In August 1933, the '''California Steamship Company''' was formed as a subsidiary of LASSCO, to operate a coastal service between San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego with the {{SS|Corrales}}, {{SS|Timberman||2}} and {{SS|Coquina||2}}.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=16 August 1933|page=8|title=New Shipping Firm Formed|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19330816.2.164&srpos=6&e=------193-en--20--1--txt-txIN-%22los+angeles+steamship%22-------}}</ref> The subsidiary only lasted till April 1935 and only ran with the ''Corrales''.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=21 December 1935|page=4|title=California Line Asks Suspension of Service|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19351221.2.70&srpos=1&e=------193-en--20--1--txt-txIN-%22california+steamship+co%22-------}}</ref>

Matson called for redemption on July 1, 1935 the entire $4,900,000 of mortgage bonds issued in 1931 as part of the LASSCO merger (due 1936-1940) to curtail interest payments.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=4 June 1935|page=3|title=Matson Calls in Bonds of LASSCO Merger Time|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19350604.2.54&srpos=114&e=------193-en--20--101--txt-txIN-%22los+angeles+steamship%22-------}}</ref>

LASSCO ceased operations in 1937.

==Los Angeles - San Francisco overnight (1921-)==

[[File:Passenger ships Harvard and Yale (postcard).jpg|thumb|Passenger ships Harvard and Yale (postcard)|350x350px]]

{|class=wikitable
! Ship !! First journey !! Last journey || Notes
|-
| {{SS|Yale|1906|2}} || 2 May 1921 ||
|-
| {{SS|Harvard||2}} || 5 August 1921 || 30 May 1931
|-
| {{SS|Waimea|1884|2}} || 24 May 1923 || ???
|-
| {{SS|Iroquois|1927|2}} || 30 June 1931 || 9 December 1931 || chartered
|}

The {{SS|Yale|1906|2}} and {{SS|Harvard||2}}, sister ships launched in December 1906 and January 1907 and both triple-screw steamers capable of a speed in excess of 20 knots, were to make up the fleet, expected to arrive in July 1920 from the Atlantic coast.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Bernadino Sun|date=28 May 1920|page=1|title=L.A. Steamship Company Announces Its Officers|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SBS19200528.1.1&srpos=11&e=-------en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-%22Los+Angeles+Steamship+company%22-------}}</ref> After arrival in Los Angeles both ships were to undergo a $1,000,000 repair and alteration program.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro Daily News|date=10 July 1920|page=8|title=Harvard Steams Into Old Home Port Today|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPDN19200710.2.93&srpos=17&e=-------en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-%22Los+Angeles+Steamship+company%22-------}}</ref> On August 24 the merger with the ''Los Angeles Pacific Navigation Company'' was announced and the size of the fleet was increased to 6.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Riverside Daily Press|date=24 August 1920|page=2|title=Steamship Merger is Affected in Los Angeles|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=RDP19200824.2.31&srpos=37&e=-------en--20--21-byDA-txt-txIN-%22Los+Angeles+Steamship+company%22-------}}</ref> A new $100,000 terminal next to Shed 1, Pier A was built for the daily service between San Pedro and San Francisco. The terminal was reachable by [[Pacific Electric]] rail from [[6th & Main Station]] in downtown Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=6 January 1921|page=1|title=New Terminal Building For Yale, Harvard|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19210106.2.7&srpos=54&e=-------en--20--41-byDA-txt-txIN-%22Los+Angeles+Steamship+company%22-------}}</ref> Eventually there was $8,000,000 spent on Yale and Harvard by the time they were ready for their first journey,<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro Daily News|date=5 April 1921|page=5|title=Yale to Leave May 2; $8,000,000 Invested in the Two Steamers|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPDN19210405.2.67&srpos=66&e=-------en--20--61-byDA-txt-txIN-%22Los+Angeles+Steamship+company%22-------}}</ref> the job was performed by the [[Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company]].<ref name="pmr_21_6_329">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/pacificmarinerev1821paci/page/n466/mode/1up |title=A De Luxe Express Passenger and Freight Service |magazine=Pacific Marine Review |date=June 1921 |page=329}}</ref> The two ships were thereafter referred to as luxury liners on every occasion. According to their entries in Lloyd's register, this overhaul neither changed the principal dimensions of the ships by more than mere inches nor did it involve a replacement of the 3 steam turbines. The duration of the journey between San Pedro and San Francisco was 18 hours, i.e. overnight.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Imperial Valley Press|date=3 May 1921|page=2|title=Last Word In Steamship Service|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=IVP19210503.2.26.2&srpos=92&e=-------en--20--81-byDA-txt-txIN-%22Los+Angeles+Steamship+company%22-------}}</ref> The service was inaugurated with the departure of ''Yale'' from San Pedro at 3 p.m. on May 2, 1921,<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=2 May 1921|page=1|title=Harbor Craft Greets Yale on Initial Trip|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19210502.2.16&srpos=85&e=-------en--20--81-byDA-txt-txIN-%22Los+Angeles+Steamship+company%22-------}}</ref> ''Harvard'' left San Pedro on August 5 for her first run.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Riverside Enterrpise|date=7 August 1921|page=8|title=To Sail Daily|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=MPE19210807.2.67&srpos=20&e=------192-en--20--1--txt-txIN-%22Los+Angeles+Steamship+Company%22----1921---}}</ref>

With her voyage departing San Francisco on May 24, 1923 after overhaul at [[Hanlon Dry Dock and Shipbuilding|Hanlon]], the {{SS|Waimea|1884|2}} began her once-a-week schedule on the line.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=23 May 1923|page=1|title=Waimea on Run May 24|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19230523.2.122&srpos=10&e=------192-en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-Waimea----1923---}}</ref> ''Waimea'' was used to feed cargo to ships sailing on the Los Angeles-Hawaii line,<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=26 May 1923|page=1|title=Waimea Here on Maiden Trip|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19230526.2.14&srpos=12&e=------192-en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-Waimea----1923---}}</ref> but could also ferry 80 first-class passengers along the coast at a lower rate than ''Yale'' and ''Harvard''.<ref name="pmr_23_7_35">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/pacificmarinerev2023paci/page/n304/mode/1up |title=The Los Angeles Steamship Company... |magazine=Pacific Marine Review |date=July 1923 |page=35}}</ref> ''Waimea'' was built as the ''City of Topeka'' in 1884 by [[John Roach & Sons]]. After being laid up for two years in the [[Port of Los Angeles]] ''West Basin'' she was sold for scrap in December 1932.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=29 December 1932|page=10|title=LASSCO Line Sells Weimea For Junk|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19321229.2.227&srpos=7&e=------193-en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-Waimea-------}}</ref>

With the first sailing of ''Yale'' on June 22, 1922 from San Pedro at 3 p.m. and arrival at 8 p.m,, [[San Diego, California|San Diego]] was soon added to the schedule,<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=21 June 1922|page=1|title=Yale-Harvard Start Service to San Diego|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19220621.2.3&srpos=19&e=------192-en--20--1--txt-txIN-Yale+%22San+Diego%22----1922---}}</ref> which in the summer of 1923 consisted of 4 sailings per week between L.A. and S.F. ($22,50 round trip) and 2 sailings per week between  L.A. and San Diego ($6 round-trip).<ref name="pmr_23_8_42">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/pacificmarinerev2023paci/page/n547/mode/1up |title=Summer Fares Now in Effect (advertisement) |magazine=Pacific Marine Review |date=August 1923 |page=42}}</ref> [[Oakland, California|Oakland]] was included in the route in September 1924.<ref name="pmr_24_9_23">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/pacificmarinerev2124paci/page/n624/mode/1up |title=Calling Oakland |magazine=Pacific Marine Review |date=September 1924 |page=23}}</ref> In October 1925 a 24-hour store door-to-store door delivery service between San Francisco and Los Angeles was implemented in cooperation with local trucking firms, <ref name="pmr_25_10_17">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/pacificmarinerev2225paci/page/n706/mode/1up |title=Yale & Harvard Improve Service |magazine=Pacific Marine Review |date=October 1925 |page=17}}</ref> and in October 1931 extended to San Diego.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=10 October 1931|page=6|title=San Diego Store Delivery Planned|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19311010.2.121&srpos=59&e=------193-en--20--41--txt-txIN-%22los+angeles+steamship%22-------}}</ref>

The ''Harvard'' became a total loss after she ran aground at [[Point Arguello]] on May 30, 1931.

The {{SS|Iroquois|1927|2}}, chartered from the [[Clyde-Mallory Line]] as a replacement for the ''Harvard'', arrived from the east coast on June 29, 1931 and started service the next day, going to San Francisco.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=29 June 1931|page=9|title=New Yale Mate Sails Tuesday|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19310629.2.161&srpos=108&e=------193-en--20--101-byDA-txt-txIN-%22Iroquois%22----1931---}}</ref>
After arriving for the last time in San Pedro from San Francisco on December 9, 1931. she departed for New York the same day to return to her owners.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=9 December 1931|page=19|title=Iroquois on Last Voyage|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19311209.2.219&srpos=17&e=------193-en--20--1-byDA.rev-txt-txIN-%22Iroquois%22----1931---}}</ref>

==Los Angeles - Hawaii (1922-)==

The [[United States Shipping Board]] announced on December 1, 1921 that the {{SS|Huron||2}} (later named the ''City of Honolulu'') and {{SS|Aeolus|1899|2}} (''City of Los Angeles''), former German ships seized in World War I would be allocated to a direct steamship service between Los Angeles and Honolulu.<ref name="pmr_22_1_74">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/pacificmarinerev1922paci/page/n83/mode/1up |title=Los Angeles-Honolulu Service |magazine=Pacific Marine Review |date=January 1922 |page=74}}</ref>

The {{SS|City of Honolulu|1896|2}} caught fire on October 12, 1922 while on her maiden voyage for the line and sank October 17.

The next {{SS|City of Honolulu|1900|2}}, in service since her maiden voyage on June 4, 1927, caught fire in Honolulu on May 25, 1930 and never again entered service before the ship was sent to Japan to be scrapped in 1933.

== Fleet ==

This is a list of passenger ships of the Los Angeles Steamship Company:

* sister ships {{SS|Harvard||2}} (1920-1931) and {{SS|Yale|1906|2}} (1920-)
* {{SS|Waimea||2}} (1923-1932)
** purchased from the [[Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company]] (trading among the Hawaiian Islands) in March 1923
** 210ft long, 12 knots, 900 tons cargo capacity
** replaced in the island trade with the {{SS|Haleakala|1923}}<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=San Pedro News Pilot|date=15 March 1923|page=2|title=Purchase Waimea From Hawaii Line|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SPNP19230315.2.58&srpos=1&e=------192-en--20--1-byDA-txt-txIN-Waimea----1923---}}</ref>
* {{SS|Calawaii}} (ex USAT ''Sherman'' 1899–1922, ex S.S. ''Mobile'' of [[African Steamship Company]] 1892–1898, Scrapped 1933 at Osaka, Japan)
* [[SS City of Honolulu (1896)|SS ''City of Honolulu'']] (I), sunk in 1922
* [[SS City of Honolulu (1900)|SS ''City of Honolulu'']] (II), burned in 1930
* {{SS|City of Los Angeles|1899|6}}
* {{SS|Diamond Head}}

== References ==
{{commons category|Los Angeles Steamship Company}}
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite web | last = Cox | first = Martin | title = Los Angeles Steamship Company | url = http://maritimematters.com/2010/08/los-angeles-steamship-company/ | publisher = Maritime Matters | date = 1999 | accessdate = 2008-07-06 }}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Defunct shipping companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Harbor Region]]
[[Category:Companies based in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1920]]
[[Category:Transport companies established in 1920]]
[[Category:Transport companies disestablished in 1937]]
[[Category:1920 establishments in California]]
[[Category:1937 disestablishments in California]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles]]


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