"Grandma Crew" at Oregon Shipbuilding Co.

This photo was published in the Portland Journal in 1944 with the caption: "'Grandma Crew' at Oregon Shipbuilding has 6 grannies out of crew of 8 production workers."

The lucrative shipbuilding contracts given to Oregon shipyards during World War II created new job opportunities for women, who were recruited to fill jobs left open by men drafted into the armed services. The jobs were well-paid and interesting, which attracted women from all over the region. Although most women who worked for shipyards were already in the workforce in some capacity, many women who had either retired or had never worked showed up at the employment office.