Mallows Bay boasts a diverse collection of
historic shipwrecks dating back to the Revolutionary War, but is most renowned for the
remains of more than 100 wooden steamships,
known as the “Ghost Fleet.” These ships were
built for the US Emergency Fleet between
1917–1919 as part of America’s engagement
in World War I. Their construction at more than
40 shipyards in 17 states reflected the massive
national wartime effort that drove the expansion
and economic development of communities
and related maritime service industries.
At the end of WWI, the now obsolete ships
were brought to Mallows Bay to be burned.
Bethlehem Steel later built a salvage basin
during World War II to recover metal to
support the war effort.
iNaturalist Observations