Washington DC - Genealogy Trails

Washington District of Columbia

Washington Navy Yard
U. S. Naval Gun Factory
1935 Forge Shop

Furnished by : John G. Sharp

U.S. NAVAL GUN-FACTORY 1935 FORGE-SHOP

This photo appeared in the Yard Log, the official publication, of the U.S. Naval Gun Factory, in the September 16, 1955 issue. The Log would occasionally publish old photographs of employees and events to document its long and unique history.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This is a 1935 photo of the NGF Forge - Shop mechanics, laborers and some of the Forge-Shop's administrative employees. This photo was provided to The Log editor by Richard E. Doughty (# 25), who is listed, as a "Heat Treater" in NGF Shop A-56. Some of the employees in the photograph were listed and identified by Doughty and are numbered in a corresponding article below the picture. Many of the original photos used in the Yard Log have long since disappeared. This illustration was recently copied with a digital camera from the 6 x 3 ½ surviving edition of the Yard Log in the collection of the Navy Library, Washington Navy Yard.
In 1935 Washington DC and our Nation were in the midst of the great Depression. To improve morale and gather money for the many charities the NGF Employees Association sponsored, photos were taken of all the NGF Departments and were made available to NGF employees for a nominal sum. Something of the Washington Navy Yard and Naval Gun Factory's industrial nature is readily seen in this and similar photographs. NGF was connected to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad System the tracks of which can be seen in the foreground. The forge was where the cannons and guns for the naval arsenal took shape.
Most of the employees in this photograph are in their work clothes and wearing jeans aprons, and congress boots to protect against the frequent splash and spills of the forge's super heated metals. While their work was hard and the hours long most employees still had a smile and most considered themselves extremely lucky to have regular employment with so many of their friends and neighbors out of work. .
The names printed in bold face type were still working at NGF on September 16, 1955, the date the photograph was published. The numbers begin on the top row and read from left to right.
One -Derricks, R; 2-Patterson, R; 3-Webster, J; 4-Blackwell, J; 5-Weaver, L; 6-Bell, W; 7-Ware, H; 8-Grace, J; 9-Ashton, S; 10-Miller, C; 11-Becks, B; 12-Taylor, T; and 13-Perry, H.
Fourteen-Engle, F; 15-McNulty, M; 16-Thomas, J; 17-Simmons, F; 18-Schleich, L; 19-Butts, D; 20-Scott, R; 21-Chapman, D.; 22-Scott, 22-Alexander, M; 23-Schartle, C; 24-Baldwin, R; 25-Doughty, Richard E.; 26-Smithson, M; 27-Taylor, J; 28-Powando, J; 29-Phoenix, J; and 30-Green, J.
Thirty-one-Wright, L; 32-Lanham, R; 33-Brown, M; 34-Blakeman W; 35-Sommers; 36-?; 37-Abell, J; 38-Cross, J; 39-Davis, W; 40-Dove, C; 41-?; 42-Hall, H; 43-?; 44-Ruggles, B; 45-Pickler, C; 46-Collins, H; 47-Pilzer, C; 48-Hudson, P; 49-Chroniger, P; and 50-Schwartzman, J.
Fifty-one-Bailey, F; 52-Moody, W; 53-Reed, J; 54-Harley, J; 55-Hommerbocker, H; 56-Greeley, C; 57-Mailand , D; 58-Rock,Joe; 59-Knichel, W; 60-Browning, E; 61-Clark, H;
79-Castle, H; 80-Miller, C; 81-Hamlen, J; 82-Jackson, C.; 83-Graf, L; 84-Trammelle, A; 85-Gregory, H; 86-Blankenship, N; 87-Howes, Ruth; 88-Blankenship, W; 89-Jarboe, Jane; 90-Neumann, F; 91-Glascoe, J.; 92-Vernon, D; and 93-Singer, E.

U.S. NAVAL GUN-FACTORY 1935 FORGE-SHOP
This photo appeared in the *Yard Log, the official publication, of the U.S. Naval Gun Factory, in the September 16, 1955 issue. The Log* would occasionally publish old photographs of employees and events to document its long and unique history.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This is a 1935 photo of the NGF Forge - Shop mechanics, laborers and some of the Forge-Shop's administrative employees. This photo was provided to *The Log* editor by Richard E. Doughty (# 25), who is listed, as a "Heat Treater" in NGF Shop A-56. Some of the employees in the photograph were listed and identified by Doughty and are numbered in a corresponding article below the picture. Many of the original photos used in the *Yard Log* have long since disappeared. This illustration was recently copied with a digital camera from the 6 x 3 ½ surviving edition of the Yard Log in the collection of the Navy Library, Washington Navy Yard. In 1935 Washington DC and our Nation were in the midst of the great Depression. To improve morale and gather money for the many charities the NGF Employees Association sponsored, photos were taken of all the NGF Departments and were made available to NGF employees for a nominal sum. Something of the Washington Navy Yard and Naval Gun Factory's industrial nature is readily seen in this and similar photographs. NGF was connected to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad System the tracks of which can be seen in the foreground. The forge was where the cannons and guns for the naval arsenal took shape. Most of the employees in this photograph are in their work clothes and wearing jeans aprons, and congress boots to protect against the frequent splash and spills of the forge's super heated metals. While their work was hard and the hours long most employees still had a smile and most considered themselves extremely lucky to have regular employment with so many of their friends and neighbors out of work. . The names printed in bold face type were still working at NGF on September 16, 1955, the date the photograph was published. The numbers begin on the top row and read from left to right. One -Derricks, R; 2-Patterson, R; 3-Webster, J; 4-Blackwell, J; 5-Weaver, L; 6-Bell, W; 7-Ware, H; 8-Grace, J; 9-Ashton, S; 10-Miller, C; 11-Becks, B; 12-Taylor, T; and 13-Perry, H. Fourteen-Engle, F; 15-McNulty, M; 16-Thomas, J; 17-Simmons, F; 18-Schleich, L; 19-Butts, D; 20-Scott, R; 21-Chapman, D.; 22-Scott, 22-Alexander, M; 23-Schartle, C; 24-Baldwin, R; 25-Doughty, Richard E.; 26-Smithson, M; 27-Taylor, J; 28-Powando, J; 29-Phoenix, J; and 30-Green, J. Thirty-one-Wright, L; 32-Lanham, R; 33-Brown, M; 34-Blakeman W; 35-Sommers; 36-?; 37-Abell, J; 38-Cross, J; 39-Davis, W; 40-Dove, C; 41-?; 42-Hall, H; 43-?; 44-Ruggles, B; 45-Pickler, C; 46-Collins, H; 47-Pilzer, C; 48-Hudson, P; 49-Chroniger, P; and 50-Schwartzman, J. Fifty-one-Bailey, F; 52-Moody, W; 53-Reed, J; 54-Harley, J; 55-Hommerbocker, H; 56-Greeley, C; 57-Mailand , D; 58-Rock,Joe; 59-Knichel, W; 60-Browning, E; 61-Clark, H; 79-Castle, H; 80-Miller, C; 81-Hamlen, J; 82-Jackson, C.; 83-Graf, L; 84-Trammelle, A; 85-Gregory, H; 86-Blankenship, N; 87-Howes, Ruth; 88-Blankenship, W; 89-Jarboe, Jane; 90-Neumann, F; 91-Glascoe, J.; 92-Vernon, D; and 93-Singer, E.

Return to :
Genealogy Trails - Washington D. C.