September 2019
This month features the Reindeer, John Acker's steamboat. There isn't much knowledge to be found about the boat, so a few assumptions are made.
- It may have been built as a necessity rather than something for entertainment. To get from the train depot in Cloverdale to Acker's Point it would have required a ride on a dirt road in a horse drawn wagon. The automobile had not been invented yet. We assume that to provide a faster and cleaner ride for his customers Mr. Acker built and operated this boat to attract them. He charged 5 cents for a ride.
- It probably used coal as a fuel to generate steam.
- When it was abandoned in 1909, Henry Ford's new Model T would have been the way to come from Cloverdale.
Many years after it was sunk, the whistle was removed as a souvenir. It was not a steam whistle, but was actuated with a hand pump which pushed air through the whistle. Since it was probably the only boat on the lake, it was likely used to announce it's departure or arrival.
The whistle was 16 inches tall and 4 inches in diameter. It is solid brass with a wooden handle. The handle in this picture is not original as it was under water for many years and had seriously decayed, so it was replaced.
It did not have the shriek noise we assume that it would be from a steam whistle. If you would like to hear what it most likely sounded like you can click here to hear it.
The whistle was 16 inches tall and 4 inches in diameter. It is solid brass with a wooden handle. The handle in this picture is not original as it was under water for many years and had seriously decayed, so it was replaced.
It did not have the shriek noise we assume that it would be from a steam whistle. If you would like to hear what it most likely sounded like you can click here to hear it.
There was also another local steamboat. It was on Pine Lake and was named Hazel. This picture of it is circa 1895.
You can see that it was shaped nearly the same as The Reinder. Whoever built it could have used The Reindeer as a pattern.