Thompson factory picture

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:24 am

Here is a photo circa 1965 at the Peshtigo operation of Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. Co.

This must be a staged picture for the camera. If those ribs were just out of the steam box ready to be bent, the workers would be wearing heavy gloves.

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:34 am

There have been other factory pictures posted on this forum. Ya just need to look. Here is one:

http://www.thompsondockside.com/phpbb/v ... php?t=3075

thegammas · Post by **thegammas** » Tue Feb 16, 2010 12:11 pm

very cool indeed

W Guy · Post by **W Guy** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 8:32 am

I agree. It gives me more appreciation for my '60 Sea Coaster knowing it started life in much the same way. I wonder how they flipped them over after the hull was done....
Verne

Dan Wolf · Post by **Dan Wolf** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 2:32 pm

5 Guys? Dan

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:30 pm

Here is a pic from the 1962 brochure of Thompson of Peshtigo showing a device clamped to the transom to assist flipping the boat. At the bow, they probably used the hole for the mooring bit for something similar.

Andreas

W Guy · Post by **W Guy** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 1:18 pm

Another great photo from your collection! The rear swivel looks like it's adjustible to find the neutral balance point. That makes me wonder if the bow eyes were installed at the neutral balance point as well (depending on the model).

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:47 am

1950s photo of Thompson Boat plant at Peshtigo. Note the metal round boxes sticking out of the wall. These were the steam boxes! The building on the left was constructed in 1949 to replace buildings destroyed by a fire that same year.

The factory directly ahead in the photo and to the right is Unit Structures, Inc.

Andreas

Similar view of the factory building today, taken 25 December 2010. Thompson Boat moved from this facility in 1971:

240sxguy · Post by **240sxguy** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:38 am

Such cool pieces of history!

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 5:30 am

Aerial view of Thompson Boat at Peshtigo circa 1950. The white roofed building in the center of this shot along Peck Avenue are the ones built in 1949 to replace fire destroyed buildings.

The factory complex parallel to the railroad track is Unit Structures, Inc. The two story old school house looking building is the Unit Structures office. It was indeed once a school house, built in the 1870s or 1880s and moved to this location about 1940. Today it is just used for storage. I think I have one of my boats in there!

Andreas

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 6:11 am

Another aerial view of Peshtigo. Circa 1955. The complex nearest the camera is Unit Structures, Inc. Note all the curved "U" shaped things. Those are glued laminated white oak frames/ribs for US Navy Minesweeper ships made by Unit.

Thompson Boat is sorta in the middle. This must have been not too long after the March 1955 fire which wiped out the three story building at Thompson. Nothing has been rebuilt in its place at the time of this photo.

The piles of logs in the upper part of the photo are pulp logs for Badger Paper Mills.

Andreas

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 6:38 am

BIG STEMS. Yup, those are stems for boats on the two truck rigs. Glued laminated white oak stems for 165 ft. US Navy minesweepers. Those stems were manufactured by Unit Structures, Inc. of Peshtigo, WI for Burger Boat of Manitowoc, WI. This is a 1952 photo.

In the background is the factory complex of Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. C

sayuncle · Post by **sayuncle** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:40 am

Andreas, what about the building across the river by the livestock yard. When was that building used?

Brad

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 2:39 pm

In 1971 Thompson Boat sold the factory complex on Ellis Avenue. They planned on moving to Menominee, MI. The local community had a cow and bent over backwards to keep the business in town. So the local Industrial Development group built Thompson a new factory which was leased to them for next to nothing. Thomspon Boat occuped that facility until their backruptcy and closing in 1980. The boat firm never owned the building or land.

It is across the river on old highway 41. It was ERDA in recent years, which just changed hands.

I am sitting in Peshtigo right now. Out the window of the office I am in I can see the old Thompson Boat works (1912-1971 site).

Andreas

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Mon Dec 20, 2010 1:26 pm

circa 1960 aerial view of Thompson Boat plant at Peshtigo