Houston Shipyards

The Houston shipyards in Texas employed hundreds of people during the years of World War II. Although Houston is 50 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, it was a vibrant center of shipbuilding in WWII because of the extensive supply of lumber in the area, among other things.

One Hundred Thousand Shipyard Employees in Texas

Numerous Houston shipyards came into existence in the early 1900s with the start of World War I, but afterward fell silent or were converted for other uses. However, the shipbuilding industry gained almost 100,000 employees during the peak years of WWII, when shipyards in Houston and other Texas ports produced more than 1,500 ships.

Several Houston Shipyards

Some of the Houston shipyards that were active in the war years were:

• Todd Houston Shipbuilding
• Brown Shipbuilding
• Platzer Boat Works
• Schmidt Barge Yard

The Todd Houston shipyard, for example, employed 23,000 at its peak.

Asbestos at Houston Shipyards

As was the case across the United States in the first three-quarters of the 20th century, few if any safety precautions were used to protect Houston shipyard workers from the dangers of asbestos, a carcinogenic mineral that was a component of hundreds of ship parts.

Asbestos exposure has resulted in cancer and other deadly diseases for thousands of shipyard workers and their family members. Mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis are significantly more common among these workers and families than among the general population.

Find Out More about Asbestos at Houston Shipyards

If you suspect that you were subjected to dangerous levels of asbestos at a Houston shipyard, contact us for information and assistance. We look forward to helping you.