“I don't have memories of this place but I do have an old boat trailer that has this ID tag on it. Kinda cool!” proclaimed a reader, Jay Pearce, in a recent e-mail.
Mr. Pearce had found an article
that I had written about the manufacturer, the Chattanooga Wheelbarrow Company, back in 2006.
Mr. Pearce shared the following about his restoration project.
“It does have a pretty neat story. I saw the boat sticking out of a barn just around the corner from my house. and had been looking at it for years. One day I went and knocked on the door of this old house and this young man answered (who turned out to be the grandson) living in the old house. I asked him about the boat and whether he wanted to sell it.”
“He had to go asked his dad who lived next door. The dad came out and told me all about how he remembered being in this boat as a kid with his dad (who passed about 10 years ago). Next thing you know I was dragging it home.”
“My house was just about a half mile down the street, and I didn't have the correct ball size on my truck for the coupler on the trailer. My 12 year old twin boys and I just said “Let’s just drag it home,” and we did. It was great!”
“The tires on the trailer had not had air in them for probably 20 or more years. At the last second before we went back to get the boat and to pay them, I grabbed my bicycle tire pump. When we arrived at the barn, I hooked the tire pump to the tires, and they pumped right up (should have seen the look on the dad’s and grandson’s faces - it was priceless.) Both tires pumped right up even with dry rot tires. It was enough air for us to drag it home.”
“The boat was also full of leaves. When we were removing the leaves, we found old fishing poles and reels in the leaves that were in the bottom of the boat. My boys loved that, it was like treasure hunting.”
“Anyway, we got the boat home, and I am going to restore it to the original condition. (We’ll do) the trailer, boat and 1957 Mercury Mark 30 motor that was on the back. I am actually restoring this trailer, and it is at the sandblasting and powder coat shop as we speak. They will leave this tag on the trailer. I told them not to touch it at all. It also has Jasper Georgia rubber rollers on it. The trailer has a Feather Craft boat on it from the late 50's or early 60's not sure. The ID # on the boat is 14F 302W GBP.”
If you have memories of boat trailers made by the Chattanooga Wheelbarrow Company, please send me an e-mail at jolleyh@bellsouth.net.
Thanks to Mr. Pearce for sharing his story, and please send photographs after the restoration is complete.