Monday, February 5, 2018, speaker, Jim Rubillo

Hog Island is the historic name of an area southeast of Tinicum Township along the Delaware River, to the west of the mouth of the Schuylkill River. Philadelphia International Airport now sits on the land that was once Hog Island. In 1917, as part of the World War I effort, the US goverment contracted American International Shipbuilding to build ships and a shipyard at Hog Island. The project transformed a swampy bog to the world’s largest shipyard in just 10 months. The shipyard produced 122 transport ship in four years (1917 – 1921), and then vanished back into the mud. None of the ships were ready in time to participate in World War I, but many of them were involved in World War II. This presentation examines the growth and demise of the facility, as well as the environmental scars that were left behind.

Jim Rubillo is a retired college dean, professor and non-profit CEO. He is a well-travelled speaker having presented over 800 talks, at least one in every state and Canadian province. Jim has an intense interest in local history and now serves on the board of the Old York Road Historical Society. As a child, he played in the ruins of the Hog Island Shipyard.

Date: Monday, February 5, 2018

Time:  5:30 Refreshments           6:15 Program

Cost: $10 per person if preregistered       $15 if not reserved in advance

Place: Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center

           You can park in the Circle, closer to the FWWIC

Registration: E-mail names and phone numbers of members and guests to

           reesepdavis@gmail.com or phone Reese at 610-692-4456