Haskell Boat Co., Ludington, MI info wanted

[Roger Young]

A friend of mine recently came across a lovely older pair of paddles by the Haskell Boat Company of Ludington, MI. see photos. Does anyone have any info on this company or its products? My friend believes these are early 1900's, and bought them from a chap who had owned them for 40+ years. Thanks.

 

[Benson Gray]

There are three Haskell catalogs in the Historic Collection available at http://store.wcha.org/The-Historic-...pany-Catalog-Collection-Version-2-CD-ROM.html from 1917, 1918, and circa 1923. The last one describes "The Redskin Paddle" as shown below. Another one of their catalog pages is shown at http://forums.wcha.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=21051&d=1336249756 here. There has been some discussion of this company here at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?2713 and in about 20 other threads. The 1943 article at http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...umROAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0DsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6822,552508 lists 1917 as the date when Henry Haskell's "experiments led to the building and sale of the one-piece canoe bearing his name." Nice find,

Benson

 

[mccloud]

Benson beat me to the punch, but he's got it right. Haskell built 1-piece plywood canoes in Ludington, MI, from about 1917 until about 1931, and paddles. I have been restoring a Haskell canoe, but have never seen a Redskin paddle. Any chance you'd part with yours? Tom McCloud

 

[Benson Gray]

Someone else had some Haskell canoes and paddles to sell in June as described at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?9484 if they haven't sold already.

Benson

 

[Roger Young]

Thanks Benson and Tom for the quick response which I am certain my friend will appreciate. As he has just bought the paddles, I don't think they'll be for sale anytime soon - more likely destined to be hung on the walls of his new home. He will appreciate the background info.

Cheers,
Roger

 

[Dan Miller]

And here you can see an artists rendition on the cover of the 1930 Haskell catalog (which has undergone some unfortunate differential UV fading...)

And you got your "Genuine Red Skin Paddle" Free! for cash with order... Order Direct from Factory, only $25 down, balance easy payments.... (Canoe cost $79.50). Order form enclosed!

Not only that, but they show photos of throwing a Haskell canoe out of a second story window of the factory.... "Can you imagine any wood-ribbed canvas covered canoe being "Tested" by being thrown from a second story window to the hard ground below?"

 

[Walter Peebles]

I purchased Haskell #30-11 a few years ago in Alpena, MI. See attached pdf for some additional info on Haskell canoes. Mr. Haskell was indeed responsible for the Carrom Company, and patented a number of interesting plywood items including moulded plywood serving trays, a sectional rowboat, and shoe soles. Haskelite Manufacturing Corporation went on to produce wooden automobile and truck bodies, home and office furniture, airplane fuselage parts including (if memory serves me right) the Spirit of St Louis, and Higgins PT boats.

Walt Peebles

 

[Walter Peebles]

OOPS! Should have said " ... for the Spirit of Saint Louis, and large single panels for the Higgins PT boats."