Orange, Texas, may not be the first place that jumps to mind when you think of shipbuilding, but the town has been an integral part of the nation’s maritime history since 1859, when a small shipyard began building paddle-wheel steamboats there. The town’s shipbuilders produced more ships for America’s World War II fleet per capita than any of the major U.S. shipbuilders located across the country.
Today, many of the original shipyards have been sold to other companies, but the town continues to provide ships for both commercial and government markets. Unfortunately, because so many of the materials used to build ships between the 1930s and 1980s contained asbestos, many workers breathed in the carcinogenic fibers and were later diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
The History of Orange, Texas Shipyards
In 1859, Samuel Levingston built Orange’s first shipyard. He started off building paddle-wheel steamboats, but when the Civil War broke out, he was sent to New Orleans to build gunboats for the Confederacy. After his discharge, he returned to Orange to begin building paddle boats again. His son George later took over the business, and when Joseph Weaver came to Orange in 1892 after also working on boats for the Confederacy, the two became partners. They built barges for years until Levingston left the business, selling his interest in the company to Weaver’s son Ed in 1912. He later returned to Orange and became part of Levingston Shipyards.[1]
By World War I, Orange had several active shipyards: the Orange Maritime Corporation, Southern Dry-dock and Shipbuilding Company, Weaver and Sons, Levingston Shipbuilding Company, Consolidated Western Steel, and the National Shipping Company, which built wooden ships in its Orange shipyard. Orange’s shipyards built wind- and steam-driven wooden ships for World War I, then experienced a lull in demand until World War II, when Congressman Martin Dies worked to bring a defense contract to the town. A contract for destroyers was awarded to Consolidated Western Steel, and soon the town’s shipyards became the only ones in Texas building warships.[1]
Consolidated Western Steel
Consolidated Western Steel was one of Orange’s smaller shipyards, but it expanded its yard when it was awarded a Navy contract for 12 destroyers. The yard employed 20,000 workers for the project, then was asked to build 102 destroyer escorts, 27 Gearing-class destroyers, and 106 landing craft vessels between 1942 and 1945. After the war, the shipyard reverted to fabrication and became a division of U.S. Steel.[1]
The Levingston Shipyard
The Levingston Shipyard was located next to the Consolidated yard, and when Consolidated was awarded the contract for the 12 destroyers, Levingston was also asked to contribute to the war effort. It built a total of 160 vessels for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army between 1941 and 1945, including tugs, tankers, barges, and ocean-going rescue vessels. The yard also built ships for the British Navy. The company eventually became a worldwide leader in the design, engineering, and construction of off-shore drilling rigs, jack-up platforms, and self-propelled drilling ships. It also built ferries for the Staten Island, New York ferry system. The company remained privately owned until 1977, when it was purchased by Ashland Oil. The company closed in 1985.[1]
The Weaver Shipyard
The Weaver Shipyard was also awarded a shipbuilding contract by the Navy. Asked to build 26 136-foot-long wooden YMS class minesweepers because of its previous expertise in doing so during World War I, the yard expanded to manage the scope of the new contract. It was later asked to build two subchasers. After the end of the war, Weaver continued to build ships, including 12 patrol boats for use by the U.S. Army during the Korean War. The Weaver family sold the shipyard in 1975, and the company name was changed to Weaver Shipyard and Drydocks, Inc. In the late 1980s, the family regained ownership, but the yard closed a few years later.[1]
The Post-War Years of Shipbuilding in Orange, Texas
Orange saw the greatest number of ships being built during World War II: the town’s population swelled from a few thousand to over 70,000 people to support the industry. Though the need for ships diminished after the war, the town maintained its reputation as a key source for ship production and, as late as the 1990s saw demand for tank barges for the Navy and towboats for the Army Corps of Engineers. Today, Conrad Industries operates what was originally Orange Shipbuilding in Orange, Texas.[1]
Asbestos Use in Orange, Texas’s Shipyards
Shipbuilding in the years between the 1930s and 1980s depended upon asbestos for the strength and durability that the mineral added, and this was particularly true of vessels built for the U.S. military. Unaware that asbestos was carcinogenic, the Navy and other branches specified its use in the belief that it would protect service members. Tragically, the material did the exact opposite, exposing those who worked in shipyards and onboard the ships to the deadly diseases caused by inhaling the mineral’s fibers. In the case of Navy ships, tons of the material were ordered used in each vessel’s fabrication.[2]
How Were Shipyard Workers in Orange, Texas Harmed by Asbestos?
Asbestos was a part of almost every part used in shipbuilding. From the sheet metal workers who fabricated the ship’s hulls to the pipefitters and boilermakers who installed the equipment that made the ships run, workers were exposed to the toxic material on an everyday basis. Working with any asbestos-containing product that required cutting, sanding, or in some other way manipulating the materials put workers at risk of breathing in microscopic particles that broke free and became airborne.
Those who were most at risk were workers who labored in tight places like boiler rooms that offered little insulation or airflow, but anybody who worked with asbestos-containing parts or materials was in danger of later being diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease.
Asbestos-containing parts used in Orange’s shipyards included:
- Adhesive
- Insulation
- Pipes
- Gaskets
- Valves
- Cement
- Boilers
- Pumps
- Fireproofing materials
- Ropes
- Gloves
- Ceiling tiles
- Floor tiles
Which Orange, Texas Shipyard Employees Were at Risk of Asbestos Exposure
With the shipyards heavily contaminated by asbestos, few jobs did not carry a risk of inhaling or ingesting asbestos’ invisible fibers, but those who were most at risk included:
- General shipyard laborers
- Painters
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Boilermakers
- Insulation installers
- Pipefitters
- Mechanics
- Electricians
In addition to these tradespeople, their family members were also at significant risk of illness as a result of secondary exposure to asbestos that they carried into their homes each day after work. Many children of shipyard workers, as well as their spouses, have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases after years of laundering their loved ones’ clothing or being exposed to asbestos fibers that contaminated family automobiles, furniture, and carpeting.
Were You Exposed to Asbestos in Orange, Texas’s Shipyards?
If you or someone you love worked in Orange, Texas’s shipyards, there is a real risk of being diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. Even if you feel well and are symptom-free, it’s a good idea to notify your healthcare professional of your previous exposure so that they can add it to your medical records and respond quickly should symptoms arise in the future.
If you have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease after having been exposed in one of Orange’s shipyards, you may be eligible to take legal action seeking compensation for the damages you’ve suffered.
Among the best resources you can work with in the face of a diagnosis is an asbestos lawyer. An attorney with experience in mesothelioma lawsuits can explain your options and what you should expect, detailing the process of filing a lawsuit against the asbestos companies that supplied Orange’s shipyards and negligently exposed you to asbestos. They will also help you identify whether your exposure came from any of the companies that have set up asbestos trust funds. Though these funds offer less compensation than filing a lawsuit, they provide funds much more quickly.
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