Unloading History : Historical and Archaeological Investigations of the Self-Unloading Schooner-Barge, Adriatic

Abstract

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th century, the Great Lakes were at the center of rapid technological advancements in shipping and shipbuilding. The diverse demands for trade and unique geographic characteristics of the region created the necessity for highly specialized vessels and technologies. The emergence of self-unloading schooner-barges represents an important chapter in this progression. Self-unloaders were a unique solution to technological and economic issues facing maritime industry and transportation in the first decades of the 20th century. Technological and mechanical developments in self-unloading technology were created to meet demands of a growing maritime industrial culture. As a relatively simple and inexpensive solution to the needs of bulk cargo transportation, self-unloaders were an important link between modern mechanized shipping and traditional methods of waterborne transport, helping propel maritime industry into the modern era. Though examples of this early construction are no longer available above the water, the archaeological remains of converted self-unloader Adriatic provides an opportunity to study the catalysts of maritime innovation and the role these played in the development of the region's unique maritime industrial landscape. Additionally, these sites allow for an analysis of evolving modern industrial landscapes and current issues facing the Adriatic site as the landscapes continues to develop.