Duquesne Marine Terminal Crane

I just found this awesome shot which documents the important role that Erie played in Great Lakes shipping in 1960. There were at least 15 piers, wharves or docks in Erie at that time. We'll focus on one of them today.

"The Duquesne Marine Terminal Pier is owned by the Port Commission, City of Erie, and operated by the Western Stevedoring Company for handling general cargo in foreign and domestic trade. This pier is located between German and Holland Streets extended and provides 1,130 feet of berthing along the west side and 1,335 feet along the east side; water depths along the sides range from 22 to 27 feet at low water datum. A one-story 783 by 72 foot steel frame, metal-covered building is located along the rear of the west side of the pier and provides a total of 56,376 square feet of space; part of this building is used as a transit shed, and part as a public storage warehouse. In addition to covered storage, about 5 acres of open storage are available on the pier." -U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report.

Look closely on the right side of this picture and you'll see a large truck being lifted by the crane. This shot looks south toward the city of Erie. Here is a modern shot of DonJon Shipbuilding and the Intermodal Transportation Hub which appears on the Port Erie website.

Enjoy more historical facts and photos of Erie, Pennsylvania at: Old Time Erie