Swayne & Hoyt was an American steamship company based in San Francisco, California, and in operation from the 1890s to 1940. During its tenure, the company witnessed the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 and the massive shipbuilding program of World War I orchestrated by the United States Shipping Board which peaked in 1918 and 1919.

History

In 1850 the ship brokerage firm of Hughes and Hunter was established in San Francisco. In 1865 it became Hughes & McDaniel and, in 1871, Hughes, McDaniel and Edson. In 1873 McDaniel dropped out, in 1879 Hughes dropped out. The company continued as C. A. Edson & Co. Robert H. Swayne and John C. Hoyt, former employees, took over business in 1887. Swayne & Hoyt was engaged in trade with Japan by 1896, when the company was recorded as protesting duties assessed on ceramic goods it had imported in February 1896. Swayne & Hoyt was incorporated in August 1896 as a warehouse, commission and mercantile business in the state of California with principal area of business in San Francisco, with a capital stock of $100,000 of which $25,000 had been actually subscribed. On February 27, 1897, the S&H warehouse was the scene of the "biggest opium seizure in California" ($200,000 of Chinese opium). In 1926, the company was operating the American-Australian-Orient Line which sailed to Australia, New Zealand, and Asian ports. Also in the mid-1920s, Swayne & Hoyt was engaged in trade between Pacific ports and the east coast of South America. By the late 1930s, Swayne & Hoyt was engaged in intercoastal shipping between U.S. ports on the Gulf of Mexico and on ports on the Pacific coast via the Panama Canal. Swayne & Hoyt v. United States challenged the legality of an order of the Secretary of Commerce to cease offering 6-month contracts to clients at a reduced rate if the clients only use the same shipping company for all their shipping during that period. The case was dismissed on the ground that Section 16 of the Shipping Act of 1916 forbids preferential treatment of any kind and that the arrangement violates unrestricted competition and furthers the establishment of a monopoly. The court conceded though that the arrangement had benefits to both the suing shipowners and their clients. Robert H. Swayne died 8 August 1936. The business closed officially on April 30, 1940, also the date of the last traditional annual company dinner party. Final employment figures were 500 seagoing personnel and 220 in the home and branch offices.

Fleet

Pacific Coast Trade

Inter-coastal and Foreign Trade

The referenced recollection of Lloyd Swayne is not accurate. In December 1939 five ships were sold to the Ocean Dominion Steamship Corporation of New York (aka the Aluminum Line): Point Brava, Point Caleta, Point Chico, Point Palmas, Point Salinas, i.e. all the Downey-built ships. The reason given by The Log was lack of freight on the line. In February 1940 the Point Bonita, Point Arena, Point Judith (then located in the Gulf) and Point Clear, Point Ancha, Point Lobos (then on the West Coast) were sold to the Greek steamship operator A. G. Pappadakis.

Pacific Coast Tramp Trade

Lines

Albion River Steamship Company

was incorporated May 31, 1902 by Robert H. Swayne, who also incorporated the Albion & Southeastern Railroad on May 8, 1902, and had bought on April 1, 1902, the Albion River Railroad from the Albion River Lumber Co. for $67,500. The goal was a transport service from Bonneville to Albion and from thereon by ship to San Francisco.

Pacific Argentine Brazil Line (1920-)

Established in 1920, first announced in May, to be on a monthly schedule, through the Magellan Strait and return through the Panama Canal or this route in reverse. Initially four newly launched ships, the Pallas and SS Rotarian by Todd Tacoma, the West Notus and West Norranus by Southwestern Shipbuilding in San Pedro, all owned by the USSB, all going on their maiden voyage for the Line. Seattle - San Francisco - San Pedro - Magellan Strait - Buenos Aires - Montevideo - Santos - Panama Canal - San Pedro - San Francisco - Seattle Swayne & Hoyt was classified as a Class 8 manager and/or operator (25,000 to 49,999 dwt) by the USSB in 1920, with 32,600dwt (2 * 7,500 + 2 * 8,800 = 32,600). Barber SS Lines was the largest at that time, Class No. 2 with 344,187dwt and there was a total of 42 Class 8 operators managing 1,437,336dwt worth of USSB-owned ships. At the end of 1922 the composition of the ships was changed, three combined Passenger / Cargo liners with refrigerated cargo holds were allocated by the USSB: SS President Hayes, SS President Harrison and SS Susquehanna, which were to operate alongside 2 cargo ships.

Pacific Caribbean Gulf Line (1920-1926)

Establishment of the line was first announced on July 13, 1920, by Charles Brown of S&H. First ship was to be the Eldorado sailing from New Orleans in August, followed by the Alvarado in September. The Iris was added to serve the route on September 11, after finishing repairs in Long Beach. The Colombian ports of Cartagena and Barranquilla were also served on a regular basis, Cuba and other West Indian ports were considered opportunities from the start, if the business conditions allowed. Round-trip time was on the order of two and a half months. A perennial advertisement in Traffic World started appearing in August 1920, listing (updated) approximate departure dates of named ships. The J.H.W. Steele Company (630 Common Street, New Orleans, La.) acted as agents in Gulf ports. The Alvarado was delayed due to lack of freight. The New Orleans Chamber of Commerce was urging shippers to make use of the new service. Alvarado departed New Orleans on October 13 for Cartagena and crossed the Panama Canal on October 28. Swayne & Hoyt announced in November that despite rumors the new service would be made permanent.

Gulf Pacific Line (1926-)

The successor to the Pacific-Caribbean-Gulf Line, effective September 1, 1926. Effective November 1, 1930 the Redwood Line with 6 ships and the Gulf-Pacific Line with 7 ships merged with stocks on ships exchanged on a tonnage basis. Gulf Pacific was operating 9 ships (presumably this refers to the Point San Pablo and Point San Pedro) at the time on the line. The transfer was applied to ships sailing from Puget Sound, after November 1. The Point Ancha, sailing September 20, 1932 marked the beginning of a new passenger and freight service between Pacific Coast ports and Baranquillo, Kingston, Tampico (definite), Cartagena, Curaçao (Dutch West Indies), Vera Cruz, Port-au-Prince and Manzanillo (probable).

Water Carrier Agreements

Agreements approved by the Department of Commerce or the Shipping Board (SB).

Pacific Australia Line

Las Vegas (Los Angeles SB), Vinita (Long Beach SB), West Cahokia (Western P&S), West Islip (Ames), Hollywood (Southwestern), all owned by the USSB.

Agency

For the Calmar Line in Seattle, Portland, Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, from at least Jan 1931 to at least Dec 1933.

Gulf Intercoastal Conference