Feb. 28, 1890: Bath Iron Works wins its first contract for the construction of complete ships – two iron gunboats for the U.S. Navy. Flags are hoisted at the shipyard and the yard’s whistles issue three loud blasts at noon to celebrate the occasion.
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The award accelerates the rush to convert the yard’s South Division into a true shipbuilding facility.
Founded in 1884 by Thomas W. Hyde, the storied Bath company would become a subsidiary of General Dynamics in 1995 and remains one of Maine’s largest employers.
Joseph Owen is a retired copy desk chief of the Morning Sentinel and Kennebec Journal and board member of the Kennebec Historical Society. He can be contacted at: jowen@mainetoday.com.
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