2007-03-14

Center for Public History, University of Houston; University of Houston Libraries, University of Houston

This is an oral history interview with Len Hartman conducted as part of the Houston History Project. Len Hartman is president of Burton Shipyard in Bridge City, TX. He has been in ship building for 40 years. Hartman started at Burton Shipyard in Port Arthur, TX in 1962. Went to work for Zapata Marine. Started a company with his uncle and bought land in Bridge City from O.W. Burton. He later partnered with Mr. Burton and the yard was renamed Burton Shipyard. Currently, Burton Ship yard has 45 employees and repair and refurbish vessels for offshore and fishing industry.  Company's history/significance: O.W. Burton began building ships in Orange during WWII. After the war he built some of the first supply vessels in the Gulf of Mexico for Tidewater Marine. In the 1960s Burton shipyard in Port Arthur employed 250 workers and built 12 vessels a year for the offshore industry. Many of the workers then were from south Louisiana and had little education but were skilled hands. Burton, a smaller yard compared to his neighbors, specialized in new construction "from the keel to the key." He later built a new yard in Bridge City for new construction in utility vessels. Today, the yard specializes in repair and refurbish only. The company is still family owned. Interviewer: Jason P. Theriot.

interviews

Energy development; Petroleum industry and trade; Hartman, Len

Bridge City, Texas

Oral Histories from the Houston History Project

University of Houston Libraries Special Collections

English

Collection
University of Houston Libraries Special Collections
Houston History Archives
Oral Histories from the Houston History Project

Preservation Location: ark:/84475/pm0511xd673