On February 3, 1916, Skinner & Eddy Shipyard starts constructing ships. During World War I, the firm builds 75 vessels, becoming the largest shipyard in Seattle. The shipyard is located south of Seattle’s Pioneer Square in the area known in the twenty-first century as SODO.
After the war, the demand for ships fell off. The Skinner & Eddy Shipyard was sold in 1923. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, "Hooverville," a shantytown of unemployed, grew up on the site.
Sources:
"Smith Tower Opened the Skies as the City Expanded Below: 1910-1920," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, November 5, 1999 (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com).
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