Searching for More Info: 10,000 Lakes Family Boating Club

One of a handful of recently discovered images related to the 10,000 Lakes Family Boating Club of the Twin Cities.

Help wanted! I am searching for more information about the 10,000 Lake Family Boating Club of the Twin Cities. Due to recent discoveries within the Weinhagen family slides collection and old home movies from the 1950's, I have reason to believe that my grandfather, Tom Weinhagen, may have been a charter member of this once popular boating group. The only information I have been able to gather thus far is the club's history as posted on their website. Unfortunately it appears that the website has been abandoned and has not been updated in a decade. Here is what they have on the website:  

“A minister founded the 10,000 Lakes Family Boating Club.  Rev. Wallace (Wally) Pomplun called on marine dealers in the Twin City area and boating enthusiasts early in 1953 to create enthusiasm for a boating club geared toward families with young children.  A handful of families organized to secure better launching ramps, better boating regulation, uniform boating laws and safety and courtesy on our waterways.  Dues were $12.00 a year.
 
Rev. Pomplun was the first Commodore.  The first cruise was held in June 1953, on Lake Minnetonka with eight boats participating.  The first meeting was held the following month in St. Paul. Interest apparently ran so high that a St. Croix cruise was held the same month.  Like some club cruises since, this one tested captains and crews.  Stormy weather struck.  As boats scampered back to the launching site at Prescott, rain and wind made it difficult to follow in line.  The small boats, none of which had tops or windshields, had to be constantly bailed.
 
In August, 30 boats participated in a Mississippi River cruise launched from Holman air field in St. Paul.  That Holiday season saw the first of the annual tradition of a Holiday Party.  Sixty-five boaters crowded into a small room at the St. Paul Athletic Club for dinner.
 
The club was instrumental in the completion of the launching ramp on the west end of Harriet Island, near downtown St. Paul, just before the 1954 snows.  For many years, this was the only free public launch ramp in the St. Paul area.
 
By 1955, cruises were held every weekend of the summer.  There were moonlight cruises, overnights, a water ski cruise, a Lake City to LaCrosse adventure and even seven families trailering boats to Florida.  In 1954, the Keel Klatter was born and the club exhibited at the St. Paul Boat Show.  In 1957, a group boated in Canada, going as far as they could on the Gunflint Trail by car, then loading gas and provisions into boats and continuing by water for a week of fun.
 
Other traditions were begun the burgee, a club logo, club colors, safety programs, crowning a queen, special events for children, mothers and fathers day cruises, luaus, longer trailering trips away from the Twin Cities.  In 1957, the 10,000 Lakes Family Boating Club was featured on the first color cover of Lakeland Boating magazine.  In 1961, the club was awarded the Outboard Boating Club of America award for service to the community, and later, in 1977, was awarded the Boat Club of the Year award at the Minneapolis Boat Show.
 
We have changed much and we have changed little since the days of our founding. Our organization has been modified to accommodate the changing times and life styles.  Our purpose has changed very little from that envisioned by our founders.  We still want to work for the same thing Rev. Pomplun and his handful of boating enthusiasts had, to enjoy safe boating with friends.”

— 10000 Lakes Family Boat Club Website

I've reached out multiple times over the past couple years to get in touch with someone over there using their forum and website with no such luck. I am hoping this post will help get the word out. Along with old slides and movies, we also have a scrapbook that was presented to Tom Weinhagen back in February of 1962. there is a page within that lists these names, along with Wally Pomplun, as early members/founders of the 10,000 Lakes Family Boat Club: Bob Yeager, Vern Rippen (Rippon?,) Howard Griffen, Nels Lundell.

I am very interested in hearing from anyone who has a connection to this club. I'd love to learn more information from old stories, photos, and films of the early days of the 10,000 Lakes Family Boat Club from the early '50's to the early '60's. If you or someone you know may be of help to me and this project, you can contact me here or by clicking on the button below. Thank you! Dz

White Bear Water Ski Company Decal Introduction Timeline

Here are some of the most popular decals used by White Bear Water Ski Company and the year they were introduced. Which ones do you remember?

I wanted to share this "Decal Introduction Timeline" that was created for our most recent White Bear Water Ski Company Road Show Presentation this past July. A more detailed timeline with even more of the company's decals is already coming together nicely as more information is obtained. Please feel free to download your copy here:

Please share and enjoy. Thank you for your continued support!

Histories Intertwined: Bald Eagle Lake’s U.S.S. Gertrude

It’s hard to believe that the White Bear Water Ski Company Preservation Project will celebrate it's four year anniversary this summer! It’s amazing when I think back at how much we’ve discovered and learned about the White Bear Water Ski Company’s history. Occasionally while doing research for the WBWSC Project, I will come across an old photo or home movie that is historically significant to other White Bear Lake area history. This was the case last week!

Late in 2015, I gained access to hundreds of wonderful color slides photographed in the 50's and 60's by my grandfather, Tom Weinhagen. While many of the slides chronicle personal family events like holidays and birthdays, there are only a handful that help with the telling of the story of the White Bear Water Ski Company. I was pleasantly surprised at the large amount of slides that give a glimpse of life in and around the Bald Eagle Lake community during that time. It makes sense though knowing how much closer the neighborhood was back then. "Everyone knew everyone and everyone looked out for everyone." is how I've heard it described by those who grew up during that time period.

As I was looking through these slides, one tray in particular caught my attention. It was labeled "Pontoon Breakfast on July 4th on BE (Bald Eagle Lake) 1955.”  Mixed within this group of slides was this image of four gentlemen sitting on the railings of the pontoons enjoying the beautiful morning on the perfectly still lake. The slide itself was not labeled so I had no idea who the gentlemen were.

Pictured left to right: Gordon Nelson, Dr. Elmer Schroth, Carl Dokomo, and Tuch (W.C.) Tuchfarber, 1955 (Photograph by Tom Weinhagen, courtesy of the Weinhagen Family)

I decided to email the image to the first person that always comes to mind when it comes to the early days of pontoons on Bald Eagle Lake, Tom Tuchfarber. Tom is a long time Bald Eagle Lake resident and White Bear Water Ski Company Project fan and contributor. Tom's father, W.C. Tuchfarber or "Tuch" as he was better known, invented the world’s first motorized pontoon on Bald Eagle Lake back in 1951. It was called a "Cruz-raft” and he named her the “U.S.S. Gertrude.” Back in 2012, Tom wrote a great article for the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society chronicling the history of the Cruz-raft. Along with some technical info on how the craft was built, the article also featured a few black and white photographs of the U.S.S. Gertrude. You can read that article in it's entirety here.

W.C. Tuchfarber and Family on the U.S.S. Gertrude (Photo used by permission)

A few days later, I received a reply from Tom. I was delighted to learn that he knew the four gentlemen sitting on the pontoon railings in that photo! They we’re, as he described, from left to right, "Gordon Nelson, Dr. Elmer Schroth, Carl Dokomo, and Tuch (W.C.) Tuchfarber, the creator of the first motorized pontoon boat in the world." All of the sudden it hit me that this slide featured Tuch sitting on the railing of THE U.S.S. Gertrude herself! Even though I had read Tom's article a couple years before, I had up until this point only seen black and white photographs of the U.S.S. Gertrude and completely forgot that he described it as being painted "a bright yellow color and...a navy blue deck." Once I realized this, I was careful to keep an eye out for a yellow pontoon as I poured over the collection of slides. It wasn't long before I came across the image you see below: a beautiful color photo of the U.S.S. Gertrude docked on Bald Eagle.

A recently discovered color photograph of the U.S.S. Gertrude docked on Bald Eagle Lake in 1955. (Photograph by Tom Weinhagen, courtesy of the Weinhagen Family)

How cool is that! From what I understand, color photographs of this historic craft are quite rare so it’s neat to see it in it’s bright yellow glory. When I asked Tom about the red painted stripe along the deck of the pontoon, he mentioned how that was actually red reflective tape used for safety at night. As he recalls in his article, “…on a clear moon lit night, several Cruz-rafts could be seen cruising together as folks merrily were singing songs. It was a grand time, and it was an immense amount of fun for both children and adults.”

Another interesting connection I was reminded of while rediscovering Tom's 2012 article, is where it mentions the welder, Fred Minser, who helped construct the Cruz-raft's angled iron super structure. Fred Minser, or “Frick” as I know him as in old photographs from the 1930’s-40’s, was one of Tom Weinhagen's best friends when they were younger. Similar to the Cruz-raft story, Fred also played a role in the early days of the White Bear Water Ski Company. But THAT is a story for a different time! Dz

Fred "Frick" Minser & Tom Weinhagen in the late 1930's (Photo courtesy of the Weinhagen Family)

Fred "Frick" Minser & Tom Weinhagen in the late 1930's (Photo courtesy of the Weinhagen Family)

If you have enjoyed this little trip down memory lane and would like to hear more, please consider purchasing a t-shirt, wall canvas, or leaving a donation here. Every little bit helps keep this project going! Thank you for your interest and support of the White Bear Water Ski Company Preservation Project.