New York Electric Ferries

History and Photos

The Hedbloms' company, Boston General Ship & Engine Works, built two electric ferries which plied the waters between Brooklyn and Staten Island.

The Electric Ferries were financed by General Motors Corp and the engines were supplied by General Motors. The Hudson - shown below in operation - was completed in 1941 and put into service between Brooklyn's 69th Pier and St. George, Staten Island. The operator Electric Ferries Inc. of New York City painted the ferries a dark green, with the words "Electric Ferries" across nearly the full length of each side. (text continues after photos)

Collection of Photos New York Electric Ferries - Click on Photos to Enlarge! Boston Shipbuilding History - Shipyard in East Boston
(Left to Right) Byron C. Hedblom, a General Motors Representative, and Carl G. Hedblom, after signing Electric Ferries of NY Contract.	The Hudson in Operation Photo courtesy of the Collection of the Staten Island Museum	The Hudson Under Construction at Boston General Ship & Engine Works	The Laying of the Keel for the ferry Hudson. Boston Mayor Maurice Tobin welded his name on the keel.
The Hudson Electric Ferry is shown under construction at the shipyard of General Ship & Engine Works	Keel - 650 pixels Keel - 2000 pixels	The Hudson Under Construction at Boston General Ship and Engine Works	Hull - 650 Pixels Hull - 1800 Pixels
Hull - 650 Pixels Hull - 1500 Pixels	Hull - 650 Pixels Hull - 1500 Pixels	Hull - 650 Pixels Hull - 2000 Pixels	Hull - 650 Pixels Hull - 2000 Pixels
Hull - 650 Pixels Hull - 2000 Pixels	The Hudson Under Construction at Boston General Ship and Engine Works

The Hudson was borrowed by the Navy during WWII and designated YFB-31 with the name Gould Island. She was used during the Second World War as a ferry boat at Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, R.I.. She was returned to her former owners 25 May 1946 and stricken from the Navy List 28 January 1947.

She continued in service as a ferry in New York until 1964. In 1965 she became the "Chester" and was scrapped in 1979.

When construction of the Hudson was complete at General Ship & Engine Works, launchways had to be excavated, and a series of pilings were discovered. "We had a suspicion that these might have been from Donald McKay's shipyard [Where the famous Clipper Ships had been built], since it was supposed to have been in the area," Hedblom recalled. "We had Pat Ford, our young attorney got to the City Hall and investigate to see if he could find records in the 1800s of Donald McKay's ownership. He did find sufficient records to establish that this plot of land had been Donald McKay's shipyard. When the newspapers got wind of this fact, they gave a great deal of publicity about the rejuvenation of the Donald McKay shipyard."