Steam Tug HERCULES, Hyde Street Pier, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA

Significance: The Steam Tug HERCULES is a National Historic Landmark, significant as the only oceangoing steam tug on the West Coast. Typical in the early 20th century, this steam tug hauled log floats, large ships, and other disabled vessels. Her triple expansion steam engine is in operating condition and she steams San Francisco Bay as a floating exhibition.

At the time of her construction in 1907, HERCULES represented the state of the art in the construction of steam powered tugboats. The vessel currently tied to Hyde Street Pier is little different from when she was launched and stands as a well-preserved model of early twentieth century maritime technology. Beyond her significance as representative of a technological age, HERCULES is important because she and the vessels she towed were a crucial part of the nation's West Coast development.

Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N104

Survey number: HAER CA-62

Building/structure dates: 1907 Initial Construction

National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 75000225

tugboats towing steam engines naval museums transportation pilot houses anchors watercraft equipment windlasses masts winches galleys ship kitchens crew quarters engine rooms boilers porthole windows steel riveted joints capstans propellers maritime golden gate steam tug hercules steam tug hercules hyde pier hyde street pier san francisco san francisco county california alaska aggregate corporation thomas behrens justine christianson coen company todd croteau crowley tug and launch company william j gray w hanell historic american engineering record john dialogue and son dana lockett edward lupyak ted miles moore drydock company rolph navigation and coal company san francisco maritime national historical park shipowners and merchants towboat company thomas and brown shipbuilding company daniel c thomsen western pacific railroad photo ultra high resolution high resolution san francisco bay library of congress national register of historic places

1969 - 1980

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html