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Los Angeles Steamship Company

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House flag used by LASSCO

The Los Angeles Steamship Company or LASSCO 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.[1] The early history of the company is that of the establishment of the Los Angeles - San Francisco route.

In 1921, LASSCO added service to Hawaii in competition with the San Francisco-based Matson Navigation Company using two former North German Lloyd ocean liners that had been in 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.[2] 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 until it ceased operations in 1937.

Los Angeles - San Francisco overnight (1921-)

Passenger ships Harvard and Yale (postcard)

The Yale and Harvard, 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 from the Atlantic coast.[3] After arrival in Los Angeles both ships were to undergo a $1,000,000 repair and alteration program.[4] On August 24 the merger with the Los Angeles Pacific Navigation Company was announced and the size of the fleet was increased to 6.[5] 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.[6] Eventually there was $8,000,000 spent on Yale and Harvard by the time they were ready for their first journey,[7] the job was performed by the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company.[8] 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.[9] The service was inaugurated with the departure of Yale from San Pedro at 3 p.m. on May 2, 1921,[10] Harvard left San Pedro on August 5 for her first run.[11]

With her voyage departing San Francisco on May 24, 1923 after overhaul at Hanlon, the Waimea began her once-a-week schedule on the line.[12] Waimea was used to feed cargo to ships sailing on the Los Angeles-Hawaii line,[13] but could also ferry 80 first-class passengers at a lower rate than Yale and Harvard.[14]

San Diego was soon added to the schedule, 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).[15] Oakland was included in the route in September 1924.[16]

Los Angeles - Hawaii (1922-)

The United States Shipping Board announced on December 1, 1921 that the Huron (later named the City of Honolulu) and Aeolus (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.[17]

Fleet

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

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Los Angeles Steamship Company.
  1. ^ "L.A. Steamship Company Announces Its Officers". San Bernadino Sun. 28 May 1920. p. 1.
  2. ^ Cox, Martin. "Los Angeles Steamship Company". Maritime Matters. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  3. ^ "L.A. Steamship Company Announces Its Officers". San Bernadino Sun. 28 May 1920. p. 1.
  4. ^ "Harvard Steams Into Old Home Port Today". San Pedro Daily News. 10 July 1920. p. 8.
  5. ^ "Steamship Merger is Affected in Los Angeles". Riverside Daily Press. 24 August 1920. p. 2.
  6. ^ "New Terminal Building For Yale, Harvard". San Pedro News Pilot. 6 January 1921. p. 1.
  7. ^ "Yale to Leave May 2; $8,000,000 Invested in the Two Steamers". San Pedro Daily News. 5 April 1921. p. 5.
  8. ^ "A De Luxe Express Passenger and Freight Service". Pacific Marine Review. June 1921. p. 329.
  9. ^ "Last Word In Steamship Service". Imperial Valley Press. 3 May 1921. p. 2.
  10. ^ "Harbor Craft Greets Yale on Initial Trip". San Pedro News Pilot. 2 May 1921. p. 1.
  11. ^ "To Sail Daily". Riverside Enterrpise. 7 August 1921. p. 8.
  12. ^ "Waimea on Run May 24". San Pedro News Pilot. 23 May 1923. p. 1.
  13. ^ "Waimea Here on Maiden Trip". San Pedro News Pilot. 26 May 1923. p. 1.
  14. ^ "The Los Angeles Steamship Company..." Pacific Marine Review. July 1923. p. 35.
  15. ^ "Summer Fares Now in Effect (advertisement)". Pacific Marine Review. August 1923. p. 42.
  16. ^ "Calling Oakland". Pacific Marine Review. September 1924. p. 23.
  17. ^ "Los Angeles-Honolulu Service". Pacific Marine Review. January 1922. p. 74.
  18. ^ "Purchase Waimea From Hawaii Line". San Pedro News Pilot. 15 March 1923. p. 2.


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