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Monday, September 26, 2011

Happy 125th, Newport News Shipbuilding!

In 1886, the Virginia General Assembly charted the Chesapeake Shipbuilding and Dry dock Company.  With the primary financial backing of railroad tycoon Collis B. Huntington, the company began building infrastructure along the James River in what is now Newport News, Virginia.  By 1889, workers finished the company's first dry dock and opened its doors to business.  By the early 20th century, the company became a major builder of the U.S. Navy's new steel hulled warships.  Now called Newport Newport Shipbuilding, the company is one of the largest privately-owned shipyards in the world. Click on the article at left to learn more about the 1889 opening.

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