By Thomas Berry
Title: Clyde Iron Works - Amclyde Engineered Products, Inc., 1912-1962 and n. d.
ID: 1/101/261
Primary Creator: Clyde Iron Works - Amclyde Engineered Products, Inc. (1889-)
Extent: 0.3 Linear Feet
Subjects: Air compressor, Air hoist, Amca International, AmClyde, American Hoist & Derrick, Autocar, Barge derrick, Barium Steel Corporation, Belt hoist, Blaw-Knox Company, Boiler, Bucket holding drum, Bulkarier, Bull wheel, Cable backhoe, Cable hardware, Cableway, Cableway engine, Cambria, Camden, New Jersey, Cane derrick, Cane engine, Capstan, Central Engineering Company, Chicago Regional Port District, Churn drill, Clamshell bucket, Clamshell dredge, Clyde, Clyde-Keith Excavator, Clyde-Wiley, Clyde Bailey Excavator, Clydebridge, Scotland, Clyde Iron Works, Clyde Park, Cofferdam, Concrete tower, Concrete tower hoist, Dayton-Wiley, Decker Log loader, Derrick, Derrick car, Dipper dredge, Dombirco, Inc., Donkey engine, Dredge, Dredge engine, Dredge hoist, Drilling platform, Dry dock, Duluth, Minnesota, Duluth Engineering & Manufacturing, Endless rope engine, Erecting engine, Four-Line Self-Propelling Log Skidder, Freighter, G. H. Williams Company, Grand Coulee Dam, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, Guy derrick, Half-swing, Hand winch, Haulage engine, Hayward Company, Hoist, Hoisting crab, Hoisting engine, Hook block, Horizontal engine, Horse Power, Housatonic River Dam, Hydraulic dredge, Industrial Brownhoist, J. B. Rose General Contractor, J. K. Davison & Bro., Kiesler, Koehring-Clyde, Laker, Lakewood Engineering, Land Clearing Machine, Leathem D. Smith Dock Company, Lever bank, Liberty ship, Lighterage derrick, Log loader, Marine derrick, Marine railway, Mast hoist, Material elevator, Material Service, McGiffert Log Loader, McLain Line, Mead-Morrison, Merritt-Chapman & Scott, Microdot, Mine hoist, National Oilwell Varco, Orange peel bucket, Ore dock, Orton Crane, Owen Bucket, Pedestal crane, Phoenix Engineering Corporation, Pile driver, Pile hammer, Pole handler, Portable Excavator and Material Transfer Machine, Port of Beaumont, Texas, Port of Duluth, Minnesota, Port of Long Beach, Quarry engine, Rapid Loader, Republic Industrial Corporation, Reversing engine, Roanoke Rapids Dam, Seaway Port of Duluth, Minnesota, Self-Unloading Boat, Sheave, Sheave block, Sheave engine, Ship unloader, Shop derrick, Sierra, Skeleton engine, Slackline dragline, Slackline dragline engine, Snatch block, Spud hoist, Steam air compressor, Steam engine, Steam fittings, Steam gauge, Stiffleg derrick, Stump puller, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Sugar cane, Swing engine, Swinger, Thomas Nelson, Tonawanda, Tower derrick, Tower excavator, Traction crane, Transfer engine, Truck crane, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, U. S. Engineering Department, Unit Crane & Shovel, Universal Steam Logger, Vare Corporation, Waterfall, Whirler, Whirlette, Whirley, Whirley crane, Wiley Whirley, Williams, Williams Bucket, Winch engine, Windlass, Wire rope, Wisconsin Central, Yarder
Forms of Material: Artist's rendition, Brochure, Catalog, Catalog page, Comparative spec, Crane rating chart, Mailer, Prospect evaluation, Reeving diagram, Sales literature, Sepia print, Spec sheet
Languages: English
Clyde Iron Works was established in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1889. Its first major product was the McGiffert Log Loader, which was introduced in 1902; its inventor became a company officer.
It was owned by a succession of companies, including:
• Barium Steel Corporation, as a subsidiary in 1944 (the Barium names was printed on and then blotted from records dated Nov 1955 and Jul 1956);
• Republic Industrial Corporation, as a subsidiary from at least Nov 1958 into 1967;
• Vare Corporation, as a subsidiary as of 1968;
• A Microdot Company, as of Mar 1973;
• A Unit of the Equipment Systems Division of Dombirco, Inc. as of Oct 1973;
• A Unit of the Equipment Systems Division of Amca International Corporation, from at least Jan 1976 through at least Jun 1981;
• A Unit of Amca International Corporation, as of Jun 1983.
This is not a comprehensive list, but was assembled from records in this collection. Clyde is cited as Koehring-Clyde in an undated Caterpillar diesel engine applications brochure.
American Hoist & Derrick acquired Clyde Iron Works in 1986, and merged it with American’s Marine Division to create AmClyde. The Duluth facilities were closed at this time. In 1988, Duluth Engineering & Manufacturing Company leased the Duluth plant, bought its equipment, hired part of Clyde’s former staff, and began manufacturing parts for AmClyde.
AmClyde was a brand of National Oilwell Varco as of Apr 2008; this company also owned the remnants of Unit Crane & Shovel (Collection 1526).
According to an article in the Thomas Berry Collection (Collection 9, Group 8, Series 1, Folder 8), whirley cranes branded as Clyde-Wiley (Clyde Iron Works and Dayton Whirley Company/Wiley Whirley?) were used in building the second stage of Grand Coulee Dam.
The Clyde Park market, hotel, sports and entertainment complex was constructed on the site of the former Clyde Iron Works facilities in Duluth in the early 2000s, and was open as of 2009.
There is no known relationship between this Clyde Iron Works and an identically named steel fabrication firm that was founded in 1786 and that served the shipbuilding industry at Clydebridge, Scotland until 1978.
Air compressor
Air hoist
Amca International
AmClyde
American Hoist & Derrick
Autocar
Barge derrick
Barium Steel Corporation
Belt hoist
Blaw-Knox Company
Boiler
Bucket holding drum
Bulkarier
Bull wheel
Cable backhoe
Cable hardware
Cableway
Cableway engine
Cambria
Camden, New Jersey
Cane derrick
Cane engine
Capstan
Central Engineering Company
Chicago Regional Port District
Churn drill
Clamshell bucket
Clamshell dredge
Clyde
Clyde-Keith Excavator
Clyde-Wiley
Clyde Bailey Excavator
Clydebridge, Scotland
Clyde Iron Works
Clyde Park
Cofferdam
Concrete tower
Concrete tower hoist
Dayton-Wiley
Decker Log loader
Derrick
Derrick car
Dipper dredge
Dombirco, Inc.
Donkey engine
Dredge
Dredge engine
Dredge hoist
Drilling platform
Dry dock
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth Engineering & Manufacturing
Endless rope engine
Erecting engine
Four-Line Self-Propelling Log Skidder
Freighter
G. H. Williams Company
Grand Coulee Dam
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock
Guy derrick
Half-swing
Hand winch
Haulage engine
Hayward Company
Hoist
Hoisting crab
Hoisting engine
Hook block
Horizontal engine
Horse Power
Housatonic River Dam
Hydraulic dredge
Industrial Brownhoist
J. B. Rose General Contractor
J. K. Davison & Bro.
Kiesler
Koehring-Clyde
Laker
Lakewood Engineering
Land Clearing Machine
Leathem D. Smith Dock Company
Lever bank
Liberty ship
Lighterage derrick
Log loader
Marine derrick
Marine railway
Mast hoist
Material elevator
Material Service
McGiffert Log Loader
McLain Line
Mead-Morrison
Merritt-Chapman & Scott
Microdot
Mine hoist
National Oilwell Varco
Orange peel bucket
Ore dock
Orton Crane
Owen Bucket
Pedestal crane
Phoenix Engineering Corporation
Pile driver
Pile hammer
Pole handler
Portable Excavator and Material Transfer Machine
Port of Beaumont, Texas
Port of Duluth, Minnesota
Port of Long Beach
Quarry engine
Rapid Loader
Republic Industrial Corporation
Reversing engine
Roanoke Rapids Dam
Seaway Port of Duluth, Minnesota
Self-Unloading Boat
Sheave
Sheave block
Sheave engine
Ship unloader
Shop derrick
Sierra
Skeleton engine
Slackline dragline
Slackline dragline engine
Snatch block
Spud hoist
Steam air compressor
Steam engine
Steam fittings
Steam gauge
Stiffleg derrick
Stump puller
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Sugar cane
Swing engine
Swinger
Thomas Nelson
Tonawanda
Tower derrick
Tower excavator
Traction crane
Transfer engine
Truck crane
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
U. S. Engineering Department
Unit Crane & Shovel
Universal Steam Logger
Vare Corporation
Waterfall
Whirler
Whirlette
Whirley
Whirley crane
Wiley Whirley
Williams
Williams Bucket
Winch engine
Windlass
Wire rope
Wisconsin Central
Yarder
Repository: Historical Construction Equipment Association
Access Restrictions: There are no restrictions on this collection.
Physical Access Note: Many records in Group 1 Series 1 Subseries 1 are in poor physical condition.
Acquisition Method:
This is an artificial collection comprised of records from multiple accessions. Initial records in this collection were found in files. Additional records have been added from:
• Judd Griffith Collection, Accession 2000-0113 (received Sep 22 2000)
• Donald W. Frantz Collection, Accession 2005-0150 (received Dec 31, 2005). Filed with his collection per his request.
Other Note: A photo essay on the company’s abandoned property in Duluth is available at the linked url.
Other URL: http://substreet.net/iron-clyde/;
Clyde Iron Works sales literature: Brochure, spec sheet and crane rating chart discusses 14, 20, 24, 28 and 32 whirley crane. Photograph subjects include:
• Whirley crane at construction of Housatonic River Dam, Connecticut, of Roanoke Rapids Dam, Virginia;
• Dockside cranes owned by Port of Beaumont, Texas; Port of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Seaway Port of Duluth, Minnesota; J. K. Davison & Bro.; unidentified dry dock, Camden, New Jersey;
• Marine derrick owned by Chicago Regional Port District and U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, and installed on Great Lakes laker freighter Cambria, on converted Liberty ship Thomas Nelson, and on oil drilling platform; and,
• Components.
Many additional photographs of marine derricks and dockside operations do not identify the owner or location. One shows assembly of sections for underwater tunnel. Last page discusses ship Unloader. 32 pages.