12.9 C
Niagara Falls
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Exploring Photos: Shepherd Boats circa 1950
Aerial photograph of Shepherd Boats along the Niagara River. NOTL Museum

Here is a circa 1950s aerial photograph of Shepherd Boats along the Niagara River. The Niagara-on-the-Lake Sailing Club basin is located along the left side where the row of boathouses is located. Today you would find the King’s Point condominium complex here. Shepherd Boats, founded by Lloyd H. Shepherd and his son Howard, moved its plant to NOTL from St. Catharines in 1940. The custom boat building company created quality mahogany boats that became popular in North America during the 1950s. Becoming a leader in the manufacture and sale of pleasure boats, the company saw a major boom in production during the 1950s. Construction time took from two to 12 weeks, depending on the boat model. The last Shepherd boat built here was a 54-foot yacht called the Ozark Star. Shepherd Boats brought significant economic activity and employment to our small, quiet town. To learn more about NOTL’s boatbuilding industry, visit the museum’s “All Along the Waterfront” exhibition.

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