Starting in 1916, Texans built seventeen four- and five-masted 
sailing ships out of East Texas pine, making a significant 
contribution in World War I. The ships' careers carried them 
to Europe, South America, both American coasts, and even 
eighty miles up the Danube River.


In Wooden Ships from Texas, Richard W. Bricker brings 
to light this fascinating, but little-known, period in Texas 
maritime history. Bricker has unearthed a considerable quantity 
of archival material, allowing him to describe the ships and 
make at least a partial track of the career of each vessel.


The first ship built was the City of Orange, and her 
irascible captain provided a memorable maiden voyage from 
Orange, Texas, to Genoa, Italy. Official documents told a story 
of events like those found in sea fiction: shanghaiing, cruelty 
to seamen, excessive drinking, and pistol waving. A rare story 
is told, too: an order to jettison part of the cargo with no 
apparent good cause.


Out of fourteen ships built at one shipyard, four burned and 
one was sunk by a U-boat off the coast of Spain. These losses 
did not spell total disaster for the fleet, however. Only three 
lives were lost, and a significant quantity of cargo had been 
delivered to Europe by some of these ships before tragedy struck. 
Only one of the other nine vessels burned after being transferred 
to the Italian flag. Two other vessels were lost at sea after 
leaving Texas registry.


For each vessel, Bricker provides a description; narratives of 
the ship's career; and selected photographs of construction, 
launching, and anchored views. Because no known photographs of 
the vessels under sail survived, Bricker himself has painted 
these views.


Bricker's engaging and informative text, which also covers a 
massive effort to build wooden steamships in Texas for the war, 
will interest Texas history, maritime history, and World War I 
enthusiasts as well as ship hobbyists.




RICHARD W. BRICKER, an avocational historian of Texas 
sailing vessels and a recreational sailor, received a B.S. in 
mechanical engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of 
Technology. He spent most of his career at the Johnson Space 
Center, performing spacecraft and commercial aircraft fire 
research. He lives in Shoreacres, Texas.


Number Seventy-seven: The Centennial Series of the 
Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University