The Benjamin C. Terry Park

The Benjamin C. Terry Park. . , Dedicated to the memory of the famous ship-builder who, between 1852 and 1878 ± built more than 100 ships: 11 propeller steamers, 49 paddlewheel steamers,, and approximately 40 sailing vessels on these shores. His largest steamer was the 'Jesse Hoyt', 239'-6" long, 29'-6" wide, drawing a draft of 9'-3" and weighing 828.84 gross tons; two stacks. It was built in 1862 at this location., Mr. Terry's most famous steamer to be constructed here and launched on March 31, 1864 was his 'River Queen', 181 feet long, weighing 536 tons (in photo shown above, around 1890). It was of this ship that the quartermaster at Fort Monroe (Confederate forces) wrote to quartermaster General Meigs at Washington his opinion as to the use of the 'Queen' as General Grant's dispatch boat: "This boat is almost new, is built in a most substantial manner, is very fast and powerful and well adapted for a dispatch boat". Based on this appraisal, the 'River Queen' was officially assigned to Grant as his dispatch boat. The date was January 25, 1865., The final weeks of President Lincoln's life were intertwined with the 'River Queen'. He, his wife and son Tad spent time on the 'Queen'. On March 8, 1865 the vessel sailed from city point down the James River to the Capitol (Washington). Before Lincoln retired on the evening of March 9th, the news reached him of Lee's surrender to Grant that day. This was the last time Lincoln was on the 'River Queen'; he was shot at Ford's Theatre on the 14th and died the next day., Mr. Benjamin C. Terry mysteriously disappeared to California around 8178. His last known ship-building involved pre-fabricating the 'San Rafael' and 'Saucelito' here, in Keyport, and transporting them across the country by train for assembly in San Francisco; the first ship-builder to accompany such a mammoth task. A San Francisco paper reported: "An old New Yorker builder has arrived to put the steamers together". March 21, 1877.