Henry "Hank" Grebe officially became a member of the "trade" in 1909 when he hired out to the Eastern Boat Building Company at Milwaukee. Two years later in 1911, Grebe organized the Milwaukee Yacht & Boat Company, that became his Great Lakes Boat Building Corporation.

In 1913, Hank came to Chicago and set himself up as a yacht broker. Things didn't go so well, and the next year he took the Christopher Columbus back to Milwaukee.

Great Lakes Boat Building was located at 333 W. Becher St. in Milwaukee. This is Kingfisher, a 56' power cruiser built in 1916. That same year Hank came back to Chicago and went to work for Edward P. Farley, the city's foremost yacht broker at the time. n goes here

The Grebe yard in March 1943. They built a total of 28 minesweepers, 4 tankers and 21 tugboats for the war.

In World War I, Grebe became Assistant Naval Constructor U.S.N., and was placed in charge of the General Shipbuilding Company, Alexandria, Va., where he established a record in the building of 110' sub chasers.

Hank returned to Chicago in 1920 and re-entered the employ of Ed Farley, serving as a yacht broker, designer, naval architect and offered marine insurance from his office in the Wrigley Building.

Grebe married Marguerite Luckett in 1921. They took a honeymoon cruise in the yawl Sunbeam.

Returning from the honeymoon, Hank bought out Farley and founded Henry C. Grebe & Company. Grebe made the permanent move to Chicago, finding a home on the North Branch of the Chicago River near Belmont Avenue. The shipyard was directly across from Riverview Amusement Park.

Grebe built R. Dream, a 109' yacht for RC Vilas of Chicago in 1927.

Vagabond Lady, delivered in 1936 was 58' long, 12' wide and drew 4' of water.

In 1940, Grebe build the steel tow boat Sohio, their biggest metal boat to date. Metalworking skills would come in handy as the war loomed.

World War II was the Grebe yard's most prosperous time, building mostly wooden mine sweepers called YMS's for Yard Mine Sweepers. These small warships were used in the Pacific to clear Japanese magnetic mines before amphibious landings.

Grebe YMS 418 poses for a photo before the Coast Guard Station at the mouth of the Chicago River.

Grebe also produced welded steel tugboats and tankers during the war.

The Grebe yard in March 1943. They built a total of 28 minesweepers, 4 tankers and 21 tugboats for the war.

Mrs. Sangston Hettler of Hettler Lumber with YMS 280 in August of 1943. The list of launching women was a who's who of Chicago - Mrs. Helen Wrigley, Dorothy Wrigley, Mrs. Loyal Davis, mother of Nancy Reagan and sister of Mrs. Grebe, and the wives and daughters of many Grebe employees.

When her husband died in 1952 "Peggy" Grebe decided she couldn't sell the business he had worked so hard to create. She became the president and face of Henry C. Grebe & Co. while accountant Tom Leonard managed operations . Chicago Daily News, Friday, June 19, 1970.

In 1957 Grebe delivered 65' Bonte for H.A. Gray Jr. and 57' Hummel Hummel II for R.O. Schultz. This is Bonte at the yard.

Bonte

Bonte

In 1965, Grebe produced Princess Marina, a 55' power cruiser for J.W. Cox.

Princess Marina

Princess Marina

Arrowhead, a 55' Grebe yacht in 1966. Grebe's clientele included such names as Wrigley, Morton, Vilas, Bendelari, Borden, Mitchell, Joyce and many others that add proof to the quality of Grebe's yachts.

Arrowhead

In 1970, the last Grebe yacht was built, the 65' aluminum Karen J. She lost money. Modern materials and methods had confounded the traditional workshop that had launched about 200 ships and boats. After Karen J the yard was strictly service and storage. Mrs. Grebe died in 1972 and the yard closed in 1994.