Chicago Bridge & Iron. Whole page of photos by Kenny Kilborn (aerials & on the grd) and text by Ed Newmeier. Mobile dry docks were built at the foot of Washington & used all over the world. At is peck some 3,300 people (800 ) worked there. In Feb. 1942 Don Larson, a resident of Chicago was directed by Chicago Bridge & Iron to go to Eureka to superv the construction. On Feb. 22 he began construction by building Washington street out to a marshy & sandy site. The coming of Chicago Bridge & Iron saved Eureka from becoming a ghost town- people were leaving for other towns for defense jobs- such as Seattle, S.F., LA. Eureka was chosen because it had manpower & housing. By the time the yard closed its gets in the spring of 1946 the works had built 6 YFD's, 4 sections for a battleship deck, 4 cruiser dock sections & 6 small docks- totalling about $50M worth of production.