EARLY CHAPTER XXXIII. BOATING-THE FIRST SAILBOATS- -THE REGATTA-A LUCKY ACCIDENT-OTHER WATHA-THE BEN LENNOX AND THE QUEEN OTHER STEAMERS-THE OKOBOJI. LOSELY connected with the resort business, and indeed a part of it, is the boating business. The adaptiveness of the lakes to this sport was what attracted the attention of the early pioneers. Previous to this time it is supposed to have been the headquarters of a band of Yankton Sioux as a temporary resort, but there is no evidence that they ever regarded it in the light of a permanent home. It has always been the popular idea that the Indians were very expert in handling canoes and in everything pertaining to water craft. Now, so far as the Sioux are concerned, this may be or may not be true. One thing is certain, there is absolutely no evidence of their ever having had any canoes or craft of any kind on the Lakes. During the summer of 1857 the boys at different times made careful search of places where they suspected canoes might be concealed but never succeeded in finding any and finally came to the conclusion there were none here. The query at once becomes interesting: Did the Indians of this locality ever have any means of navigating the lakes, except the temporary rafts that could be quickly built to meet an emergency and as quickly destroyed? It would seem that if they had ever had canoes on the lakes in any number some vestige of them would have been discovered by the white settlers, but nothing of the kind was ever found and it is an open question whether they ever had any. No sooner had the white settlers established themselves here in the spring of 1857, than about the first thing they set themselves about was to provide some means for crossing the narrow places. At first they used a raft, but early in the summer two log canoes were constructed, one in Okoboji Grove by W. B. Brown and Lawrence Furber, and the other in Center Grove by R. U. Wheelock and Lewis Hart. They were made from basswood logs about twelve feet long, and possibly from twenty to twenty-two inches in diameter. They were capable of carrying two persons each in still water, provided they kept very quiet. This was the size of the lake fleet that summer. It will be remembered that a small sawmill was brought in and set up late in the fall. Several rowboats were built as soon as lumber could be had. They would be considered nondescript affairs compared with the graceful craft of more recent times, but they were staunch and safe and supplied a severely felt want. Not much was done in the way of sailboats for several years. Occasionally some one would rig a small sail to a rowboat and thus relieve the monotony as well as the labor of rowing, but it was not until along in the seventies they turned their attention to sailboats. Who was the first to construct a sailboat 'on the lake is not positively known. O. Crandall and a man boarding with him by the name of Benedict put up a boat in the early seventies which they called the "Martha Washington," which was one of the first, if not the very first, sailboat on the lakes. About the same time Billy Lilywhite built one on Spirit Lake which he named the "Old Tub." Zina Henderson, at Okoboji, built a little two-master which was christened with the taking name "Lady of the Lake." B. B. Van Steenburg was much interested in the early boating movements and had a yacht put up from a model sent him from New York, which he claimed was the same as that of some of the fastest sailers in the New York yacht club. She was very staunch, set low in the water and would stand up under a cloud of canvas. He named her the "Spook." In order to work up enthusiasm in the yachting interest, Mr. Van Steenburg proposed a series of races, and to encourage the sport offered a purse of twenty-five dollars to be distributed in prizes to the contestants. The first of these races came off August 1, 1876. There were six entries: First, the "Old Tub," by William Lilywhite, L. W. Waugh, captain; second, "Martha Washington," O. Crandall, R. L. Wilcox, captain; third, "Lady of the Lake," Henry Baxter, Zina Henderson, captain; fourth, "Little Red Wagon," A. A. Mosher, owner and captain; fifth, "Queen of the West," J. F. Hall, owner and captain; sixth, “Okoboji Star," George Chase, owner and captain. Van Steenburg did not put his own boat into the race, but kept it for the use of visitors. There were no steamers on the lake then. The course was the whole length of West Okoboji and back, the two buoys having been placed as near to each end of the lake as possible and give the boats room to pass around them, thus making the distance to be sailed fully twelve miles in a right line, but as there was a strong south wind they had to beat across the lake several times before the south buoy was turned, thus making the actual distance sailed several miles greater. They started from a point opposite Van Steenburg's house near the north end of the lake. Soon after getting their send off it became apparent that the real contest was to be between the Old Tub and the Martha Washington, both being handled by experienced and skillful sailors. They soon left the others far behind and beat their way up to the south buoy, which they turned within four minutes of each other, the Martha being in the lead. They now spread out their canvas, pulled up their centerboards and made a straight run for the north buoy six miles away. In making this run the Old Tub THE FIRST BOAT RACE 399 passed the Martha Washington and made the turn about five minutes first, but in beating back to the starting point the Martha gained on her competitor so that she was less than two minutes behind when they passed the score. In another half mile she would have evened things up, but the Old Tub took first money, the Martha second, and a half hour later George Chase came in with the Okoboji Star and took third. The other three boats made no pretense of finishing the race. The Okoboji Star was a new boat that had just been built, and Mr. Waugh is reported to have made the remark at the close of the race that he could take the Star and beat either of the others. A curious accident occurred in connection with this boat that might have proved much more serious than it really was. After the race Mr. Chase left the Star for a short time in care of W. B. Arnold. The next morning Mr. Arnold thought it would be a fine idea to take take his family and a few friends out for a sail. The party consisted of some six or eight women and children, the only two men being Mr. Arnold and Mr. Albee, of Spencer, neither of whom knew any-` thing about handling a sailboat. They started off very smoothly for a time, but after passing the protecting bluffs of Pillsbury's Point they found the wind was blowing a stiff breeze from the south and their boat plowed the water at a lively rate. Things began to look serious, and Mr. Arnold decided to get back if he could. In bringing his boat around, instead of coming around head to the wind as a sailor would, he “jibed round” and in doing so the boat capsized, throwing the whole party into the lake. Messrs. Arnold and Albee directed and encouraged the women and children to hang on to some part of the boat or rigging so that they might keep afloat until they were rescued or drifted ashore. Mr. Olin Pillsbury saw the accident from his place and at once set out in a small rowboat to render such assistance as he might. His boat was light and two was all he |