photo by Warren God

Our voyage to discover the Club's history has had many surprises. One of the most astounding was the phone call from Ms. Vera Carroll in 1994, shortly after I became Club Historian. I had progressed to the point where I found that much information about early club activities could be found in old newspapers on microfilm in the Local History Division of the Rochester Public Library - a marvelous resource. I had found an account of the opening day regatta of our first clubhouse on the Bay on June 19, 1884. The major trophy for the sailing canoe event was won by Commodore (Captain) Frank Andrews in Sofronia, the first of its kind built by Frank's friend tugboat Captain Geoge W. Ruggles. Vera, a complete stranger to RCC, left a message on the Club's answering machine that she had some old trophies with the Canoe Club name on them, and did we want them? Joe Kaukeinen picked up the message, and made an appointment to see her. As it turned out, Vera's friend Arthur Harmer had died, leaving her the trophies. His mother was Frank Andrews' niece (Frank never married) who had inherited the trophies from Frank, and she was sitting next to him as a child in the 1891 tenth anniversary photo in our possession! And among his four trophies was June 19, 1884, for Sofronia! Such are the twists and turns of history that these trophies came back to us after 110 years, just after I started as Historian. Andrews was the 7th member of RCC in the charter year of 1882, and was a prime mover in setting RCC on its path to the Bay and competitive activities in ACA and same type boats. The fame of "Sofronia" and Ruggles canoes exploded after Andrews sailed in the 1884 ACA meet at Grindstone Island, in which 180 canoes participated. In 1886, at the same location, he won 1st place in the ACA Class B Sailing event, thus becoming the first RCC sailor to become a national champion. He died in 1913 at age 60.Thank you, Vera, for thinking of RCC! Your consideration will be remembered as long as there are words here. Leo Balandis June 23, 2009

Leo Balandis June 23, 2009

Rochester Canoe Club
June 19, 1884
Presented by C.F.Wolters
Won by Canoe Sofronia
F.F.Andrews, master

The Class B Sailing prize was for all contestants who had not yet won an ACA prize in that event, and were not a novice. This prize was won at the 6th annual meet of the American Canoe Association held at Grindstone Island in the Thousand Islands, N.Y.

1st Prize
Class B Sailing
Won by
F.F.Andrews
Aug. 20, 1886

photo by Warren God

photo by Warren God

From 1885, the Rochester Canoe Club held a series of five sailing races during the year for a cup donated by or in the name of the club Captain, as the Angle Cup 1885, Moody Cup 1886, Ward Cup 1887, and Stewart Cup 1888. These were kept by the winner, and the club is fortunate to have today the Ward and Stewart Cups. Frank Andrews won the Angle, Moody, and Stewart Cups, as well as the first known cup awarded on opening day of the first clubhouse, June 19, 1884. Henry Levi Ward was a naturalist working for his father, Prof. Henry A. Ward, founder of Ward's Natural Science Establishment, which supplied museums around the world. Henry L. was the club's Secretary- Treasurer in 1883, Mate in 1886, and Captain in 1887. He was in three paddling races on opening day of the first clubhouse in 1884, in canoe "Wanderer", though in later years he appeared in sailing races. He left Rochester to become director of the Milwaukee Public Museum, first of its kind in America.

The Wolters brothers, Charles Frederick ( Fred ) after his father. and Charles B. (Charlie) inherited the C.F. Wolters silver and jewelry store and had a yacht on the bay when RCC started. Alhough the brothers were not listed as members on opening day 1884, the cup won by Andrews on that day is engraved "Presented by C.F. Wolters". Fred was on the executive committee in 1886, Captain in 1889 at age 28, Purser in 1903 and twice Commodore of the American Canoe Association 1904-5. Charlie was on the regatta committee in 1888. Both had new sailing canoes in 1886 built by Ruggles, and Fred won the Ward Cup in 1887. Charlie moved to Los Angeles, and Fred bought out his interest in the store with a note for $5,500 (worth $136,000 in 2009) which got paid down to $2,130 before Charlie sold it in the economic depression of 1893-95. Fred was unable to payoff the note without jeopardizing his other creditors, so he assigned his assets to them and went out of business in January 1896. He sailed just about every boat in the club from a sailing canoe to his 20 foot cruising sailboat Belle, and was still mentioned in news articles in 1935 as an early member of RCC. He was a rare honorary life member of ACA, serving 50 continuous years as member 6124 and died in 1939 at age 78.

Leo Balandis March 22, 1997

1887
RCC
WARD CUP
WON BY
C.F.Wolters
CANOE VIXEN

THE Stewart CUP
1888
WON BY
F.F.Andrews
in a
SERIES OF 5 RACES

photo by Warren God

photo by Warren God

RCC 1889
Presented by
Capt. C.F.Wolters
Won by F.F.Andrews
Canoe Hornet

The HUFF Trophy was donated to RCC in 1891 by George Ruggles to mark the club's 10th anniversary. In 1967 it was renamed The Rochester Canoe Club Challenge Trophy and awarded annually for the best performance of a Thistle sailor at a series of away regattas. It is also used as a punch bowl at the Icebreaker opening party, and End of Season Bash.

HUFF
"MASSAWIPPI"
W.H.Martin
1891

photo by Warren God

photo by Warren God

This miniature replica of an 18th century ship cannon (using blank shotgun shells) was used at the club from before 1891 to start races. Since1969, it has been used as the Second Place award for the Thistle Challenge Cup. An inscription on the barrel which appears to be Indian," Oui-ste-a-sko-ak" has never been deciphered.

Rochester Canoe Club
SUNFISH CHAMPION