Captain Earl Palmer was a descendent of famous captain Nathaniel (Nat) Palmer of Stonington, Connecticut, and followed his distant relation into the maritime profession, spending his entire life in the towing industry. According to an obituary from Moran Towing's Tow Line Magazine, for which Palmer wrote a column entitle "Fifty Years Ago," Palmer first entered the towing business in 1909 and joined Moran Towing in 1932, where he spent the bulk of his professional life. During WWII, Palmer commanded Moran's fleet of 52 ocean towing vessels for the War Shipping Administration and served as special assistant to Rear Admiral H.A. Flanigan, USN, the Director of Naval Transportation. Palmer eventually became Assistant Vice President at Moran Towing.
In addition to working in the towing industry, Palmer was an active member of the Steamship Historical Society of America, serving as the President from 1952-1953 and writing two articles for the society's publication, Steamboat Bill. Palmer passed away in 1966.
This collection is available to the public by appointment at the Steamship Historical Society. Objects that are fragile, significant, or require additional tools to access may require archivist assistance.
Use, reproduction, and/or publication of archival material is prohibited without prior approval of the Steamship Historical Society. Fees and/or restrictions may apply. Please contact the SSHSA archivist, Astrid Drew, at adrew@sshsa.org for more information.
Capt. Earl C. Palmer Collection, 1967.01, Steamship Historical Society of America Archives, www.sshsa.org.
The Earl C. Palmer Collection contains photographs, correspondences, and documents from Palmer's employment at Moran Towing and his personal interests. Much of the material is related to tug and towboats, including images and promotional material from Moran Towing and other towing companies from around the United States.
This collection is arranged by material type in boxes. Box 1 contains business correspondence and documents, Box 2 contains periodicals and publications, Box 3 contains photographs, and Box 4 contains general clippings.
This collection was donated to the SSHSA by Palmer’s widow, Clarice, in 1967. Although no deed of gift exists, the SSHSA possesses a correspondence referencing the donation. This collection was retroactively accessioned by Tessa Mediano in September 2022 with an accession number of 1967.01.
Folder-level inventory available upon request.
Correspondence and documents related to Palmer's work at Moran Towing.
Periodicals include the June 28, 1963 issue of the Vineyard Gazette and the Howling Gale (publication of U.S. Coast Guard Academy). Trade publications for tow-related services.
Photographs of tugs/tows and other vessels. Many photos were sent to Palmer from other tow operators and industry companies. Some photos appear to be mockups for inclusion in Moran Towing's magazine, Marine Progress. This box also contains a leather-bound promotional photo album created by Moran Towing.
Clippings of merchant and naval vessels.