HERCULES (tugboat)
historic place
The tugboat Hercules, a historic vessel in San Francisco, was built in 1907 in Camden, New Jersey. She began her service with a maiden voyage, towing her sister ship, Goliah, around South America to San Francisco. Hercules initially served as an ocean-going tug, hauling ships, disabled vessels, and log rafts along the West Coast. She also towed a caisson for the Panama Canal. In 1924, her role shifted to shuttling railroad car barges across San Francisco Bay for the Western Pacific Railroad. Hercules continued this work until her retirement in 1962. Acquired for preservation in 1975, she was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. This vessel stands as the last surviving steam-powered ocean tug in the United States, showcasing early 20th-century maritime technology and its crucial role in West Coast development.