McAllister Towing history

The R.W. Burke had been built in 1873 in Philadelphia.

R.W. Burke After decades of relying on the wind and tides to move cargoes around New York Harbor, the McAllister family bought its first tug in 1876.

They augmented the lighterage business with towing, with the acquisition of their first steam tug, the R.W. BURKE, in the 1880's, while the Brooklyn Bridge was still being built.

In the 1950s, it was converted to a diesel internal combustion engine. It was one of the first tugs to respond to the catastrophic Hoboken pier fire of 1900, rescuing many people and several ships.

In 1909, the company acquired the Starin Fleet of steamboat excursion vessels, forming the McAllister Steamboat Company, which was then among the largest excursion boat operators in New York, with regular runs to the Statue of Liberty, Bear Mountain, Coney Island, and Long Island.

After the death of Captain James in 1916, his four sons assumed control of the company.

By 1918, the company had moved into the ocean towing business.

Always an innovator, in 1927 McAllister installed a 375 h.p. diesel engine into the DANIEL McALLISTER, making it the first diesel powered tug in New York Harbor.

With the death of Captain Jim in 1936, the third generation of McAllisters took the helm.

During the 1940's and 50's, the company expanded to include operations in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Canada.

Brian A. McAllister In 1951, McAllister began to add flanking rudder tugs to its fleet, starting with the Brian A. McAllister.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Brian graduated from the SUNY Maritime College at Fort Schuyler in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science degree in marine engineering and a 3rd Assistant Engineer’s license.

In 1959, Brian joined the family-owned tugboat company, sailing aboard McAllister tugboats and ferries, obtaining a Master’s license with unlimited pilotage for many of the ports serviced by McAllister.

In recent times McAllister helped pioneer the development of the Kort Nozzle, Flanking Rudder tugs that dominated the 1960's and 70's.

In 1964, Captain McAllister came ashore and became the company’s port captain.

In 1974, Brian and other members of the fourth generation purchased the company from the elder generation; the company has since expanded into an additional eight ports and modernized its fleet, which now consists of over 75 tugs.

McAllister Towing donated it to the South Street Seaport Museum in the year 2000.