Richardson Boat Company in World War Two
North Tonawanda, NY
1909-1962
This page started 4-22-2024.

On December 13, 1879, G. Reid Richardson was born in Midland, MI.  After graduating from high school, he began his boat building career at the Bay City Yacht Works in Bay City, MI.  In 1906, he moved to North Tonawanda, NY to work as a foreman for the Niagara Motor Boat Company.  In 1909 he set off on his own and created the Richardson Boat Company.

Between 1909 and 1911 he built his first boats at 217 Tremont Street in North Tonawanda, NY.  Image courtesy of Google Maps.

In 1911, he built a dedicated boat factory at 370 Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda, NY.  Image courtesy of Google Maps.

Mr. Richardson ran the company under his own ownership and leadership until he passed away at age 57 on February 18, 1937.  The company continued without him through World War Two until 1962, when it closed due to bankruptcy. 

The Richardson Boat Company won the Army-Navy "E" Award five times during World War Two. 
The company won its first award on April 10, 1943.

Richardson Boat Company World War Two Products:  The company produced an estimated 1,141 small wooden boats of various types for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Coast Guard.  It was one of six companies that produced the LCVP 36-foot landing craft which was so important for the large number of amphibious landings made by U.S. forces in World War Two.  It built at least 600 of these important landing craft to help win World War Two.

A close look at this Richardson-built Eureka landing craft indicates that it has a six-foot wide ramp on the bow.  This is therefore a LCP(R) landing craft. 

Table 4 shows that 79% of the Richardson Boat Company's World War Two contracts were for U.S. Navy landing craft.  At a minimum, the company had $2,875,000 in LCVP contracts.  Using a value of $8,000* for the average cost of World War Two landing craft built by a small company like Richardson, this equates to 360 LCVPs.  However, "The Inland Seas, Quarterly Journal Of the Great Lakes Historical Society, Fall 1982 Volume 38" indicates that the company built 604 LCVPs.   Table 5 shows that the company built an estimated 628 LCVPs.  The numbers are close; and considering the lack of data, it appears that the Richardson Boat Company built a little over 600 LCVPs to help win World War Two.  By adding in Navy Contract OBS-1248, the total contract estimated contract value for LCVPs is $5,693,000 which results in an estimated 711 LCVPs.  This indicates that the Richardson Boat Company was building LCVPs for an estimated $9,425 per boat. 

Assuming that Contracts OBS-825 and OBS-1034 were for LCP(R) landing craft, this gives an estimated number built at 260.  This is based on a cost of $9,425 per boat.

Overall, the company appears to have built an estimated 864 36-foot wooden landing craft during World War Two.

*Chris-Craft's first contract for 36-foot landing craft was for $8,000 per unit.  It later reduced the cost per boat to $6,000.  However, Chris-Craft was a high volume manufacturer which Richardson was not.  $8,000 is a good starting point for an estimated cost but then needed to be refined as the data suggested.

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According to Table 3, M-357 was a U.S. Army cable boat.  Here it is being tested on the Niagara River with an Army officer aboard.

This Richardson Boat Company World War Two era photo shows workers building cable boats for the U.S. Army.

This image shows U.S. Coast Guard 36-foot picket boats on parade on the Erie Canal in front of the Richardson factory.

This Google Earth image shows the same location today.  The former Richardson Boat Company factory built in 1911 still exists.  Image courtesy of Google Earth. 

This World War Two era photo shows the factory as it was then.  Note the overhead monorail structure that runs from the factory, across Sweeney Street, and then to the water's edge.  The monorail was used to move a new boat as it came out of the factory to the canal.     

This Google Earth image shows the same location today.  Part of the ground structure of the monorail can still be seen in this image.

Image courtesy of Google Earth.

Image courtesy of Google Earth.

The Richardson Boat Company factory is located under the word "Hospital" in the upper right hand corner of the image.  The company would sail its newly-built boats down the Erie Canal and then test them on the Niagara River.  The distance from the factory to the Niagara River is about one mile.  Image courtesy of Google Earth. 

This LCVP is being tested on the Niagara River.  Note that the steering wheel has been extended so that the operator can see better over the bow ramp. 

The Richards Boat Company Factory: 

This image shows the factory on a cold winter day in 1929. 

The factory on Sweeney Street still exists today.  During World War Two an estimated 1,141 boats were produced in this plant to help win World War Two.  Image courtesy of Google Maps.

Image courtesy of Google Maps.

Image courtesy of Google Maps.

The finished boats would exit from the overhead door that fronts Sweeney Street.  Some of the overhead monorail structure is still present.  Image courtesy of Google Maps.