A Brief History and Present State of The Tahoe Maritime Museum

by Rebecca Ann Eckland
 

The maritime history of Lake Tahoe was forged in wooden boats; even today the Lake’s history echoes with the rumble of a pre-war engine, mounted in the sculpted frame of a classic wooden boat. In 1988, realizing that this important maritime history of Lake Tahoe might be lost, a group of five dedicated individuals founded what today has become the Tahoe Maritime Museum. For nearly two decades the Museum was in search of a home when, in 2001, the Museum acquired its present location – a cozy niche on the west shore of the Lake, in Homewood, California.
 

Although just entering its third season at the Homewood site, the Museum has already acquired a collection of 25 significant boats; boats that highlight both the history of the Lake as well as the history of particular boat manufacturers. Such a vessel, for instance, is the magnificent Godfather, the sixth hull produced by the Chris Smith and Sons Boat Company. Another rarity currently on loan to the Museum is the 1924 28’ Rochester, Static, one of only three in existence. Star Dust, also a well-known member of the Museum collection, is a custom Model 61 and was for many years a ride boat of the Meeks Bay Resort.
 

In addition to documenting the impressive presence of classic wooden crafts on the Lake, the Museum also preserves the history of early marine activity. Among such histories are the sail-powered boats which carried hay and timber to the mills to be processed, and the later steam-powered vessels that were used to carry freight, mail and passengers to the shore estates and resorts around the turn of the 20th century. Among the ranks of these early cruisers is the Museum’s oldest craft, Shanghai, an 1890’s steam-powered launch which was rescued from the depths of the Lake; it was found by accident while scientists were testing an underwater robot off the west shore.
 

Also preserved are the glorious days of hydroplane racing, which ended in the mid-1960’s. In the Museum loan collection rests Skip-A-Long of California, the hydroplane racer of shipping magnate Stanley Dollar, Jr., which slipped beneath the waves of the Lake in 1949, only to be recovered and donated to the Museum 50 years later. Another hydroplane is Breathless, an unlimited racer that was campaigned for many years on Lake Tahoe and the Gold Cup Circuit. Both Skip-A-Long of California and Breathless have graciously been loaned to the Museum by John Clauss.
 

In addition to vessels, the Museum is home to the Jevarian Outboard Motor collection, reputedly the largest on the West Coast. Other exhibits include a tribute to fishing on the Lake, complete with a classic Dunphy fishing boat and period photographs dating from the early part of the last century; the evolution of waterskiing, beginning with the early wooden aqua planes and Ibsen skis to the popular Maherajah model of the 1960’s; and exhibits that detail gentlemen’s racing and unlimited competition on the Lake from the 1920’s until the late 1960’s, featuring photographs of Jay and Roger Murphy, Mira Slovak and Jack Regas, among others. The Museum also has many exhibits that track the progression of particular wooden boat manufacturers and their significance to the area’s history. Among those displayed are the memorabilia and exhibits of Chris-Craft, Gar Wood and Stephens Brothers.
 

And yet, despite the impressive collection of boats and exhibits, the Museum’s greatest asset is its mantra of “Living History,” adopted at its inception nearly twenty years ago. To experience “Living History,” the Museum offers its Members and Friends a chance to experience firsthand the excitement of riding in a classic wooden boat. Miss Tahoe, a beautiful 1939 28’ Gar Wood runabout, is the Museum ride boat. She was the personal boat of local marina owner, Jake Obexer and a native of the west shore, cruising the same waters today as she did when she was new. She departs from her home marina, Obexer’s, the oldest operational marina on the Lake, to give 30 minute rides to Members and Friends of the Museum.
 

In addition to the excitement of preserving a living history, the Museum itself is in a state of expansion and growth. With over 500 Member families and 90 Friends of the Museum, it is becoming a landmark of the west shore. With the continuing expansion of membership and interest from the community, the Museum plans to build a larger facility for both its visitors and its historic craft.
 

For those familiar with the Tahoe Maritime Museum, it cannot be doubted that it has grown from a vague idea into an impressive reality. And while all can agree the Museum imparts a sense of satisfaction to those who visit its grounds, the Museum is planning even more community events and improvements upon its current operations. In addition to planning a new facility and extending its operational hours, the Museum also has an active educational program for children, teens and adults, and hosts field trips throughout the season.
 

The idea of 1988 has indeed taken shape, molding itself into what today is the west shore’s unique look at local history, providing visitors with not only a chance to glimpse the past, but also to experience it.