Lorain has a long history with shipbuilding. It was the first industry in Lorain. People started building boats and ships on the Black River very long ago. Two pioneers who helped settled Lorain, Augustus Jones and William Murdock constructed wooden sailing vessels on the West Side near the mouth of the Black River. The sloop General Huntington was the first boat launched from Lorain in 1819. This is a picture of the launch of a boat.