An early version of an unassembled Thew steam shovel being transported on Broadway Avenue using a horse and dray to the docks at the Black River. The typed caption of the photograph is as follows: "Cap't Thew on the left Mr. Harmon A Cooley, upper right, owner of a moving company, transporting parts of Cap't Thew's new steam shovel to be assembled at the river docks for loading and unloading coal and iron ore for the sailing schooners of the late 1800s."

Captain Richard Thew, an iron ore boat captain on the Great Lakes, designed the first commercial steam shovel in 1895. Thew Shovel Company was incorporated in Lorain in 1899. The photograph likely dates from the time period 1895 - 1899. The photographer is unknown.