Lake Torpedo Company Submarine manufacturer. Submarine design pioneer, Simon Lake, built this company in 1897 on Seaview Avenue in Bridgeport. The East End, waterfront location provided Lake Torpedo with access to a protected waterfront area which was well suited for launching newly built submarines and allowed vessels to cruise into Long Island Sound for test-runs. Before World War I, Lake had contracts with Russia, Germany, Austria, and Great Britain, and in 1912 and 1918, the U.S. Navy granted Lake Torpedo contracts as well. Throughout his life, Simon Lake remained dedicated to his view that the exploration of oceans could benefit mankind. Although he realized their potential for military use early on, he expressed hopes that submarines would not be used for war. Lake devoted his energies for many years to inventing new devices for under water exploration and travel, but he was not a talented businessman. The Lake Torpedo Company suffered several large losses in connection with failed projects and it closed in 1925.