1909 Evinrude

[Chinewalker]

Hitace requested a photo of our old Evinrude. For awhile it was the oldest known, but a couple with lower serials have turned up over the years. Ours is #780...
- Scott

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

cool

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

The motor to the right in the second photo is a 1928 Elto Quad - 18hp, four cylinders opposed, battery ignition.
- Scott

 

[Esox]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Very cool!

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Mike - got a pic of the motor that tag was referring to?
- Scott

 

[Esox]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Here you go. The pics are from the freshwater fishing hall of fame in hayward wi. Looking back I wish I would have taken more pics the last time I was there. They have some really cool stuff.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Hi Mike,
I wonder if they realize their information doesn't pertain to that motor. That is a later version of the Evinrude "Rowboat Motor". First years didn't have thumb-screws - they used bolts. Also, skegs didn't get put on lower units until about 1911 or 1912. That looks to be about a 1912 model...
- Scott

 

[Esox]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Hi Mike,
I wonder if they realize their information doesn't pertain to that motor. That is a later version of the Evinrude "Rowboat Motor". First years didn't have thumb-screws - they used bolts. Also, skegs didn't get put on lower units until about 1911 or 1912. That looks to be about a 1912 model...
- Scott

That's very interesting info Scott. My guess is they don't know. I wouldn't have known without you pointing that out.

 

[mrfixitman40]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Scott if i may ask where and how did you get all the knowledge of the old outboards ? it just amazes me reading all your posts and how much detail you know. Thank you for the pics that is truely an awsome piece you have.

 

[steelespike]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

I'll but in here:; Scott isn't likely to beat his own drum.I've known Scott and his dad Riggs from a little distance most of my life.His dad was racing outboards when I was a little kid.I'm 64.I think his family has been playing with and collecting outboards and boats all that time.Scott I'm sure has soaked up all those years of work and play.He races outboards,rebuilds boats and motors has a vast collection of outboards big and small he and his dad have collected over the years.If I'm not mistaken there are at least 2 other Evinrudes similar to Scotts within about a mile of him.I think they are newer.
Go to chinewalkers place on the net and look around some amazing things to be seen.Scott lives in an area steeped in old time boat building very early motor production and a high concentration of boat racing and racers.
Not to mention he's down the road from what I think is one of the oldest and largest family owned Evinrude dealers in the northeast if not the country.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Thanks Spike! Things closed up on Murray? I've still got two boats in, although that may change if the water goes much lower...

Unfortunately, 'Chinewalker's Place' is no more. The plug was pulled a couple months ago as it was too difficult to maintain from home. If time permits, I may recreate it once more in the future, but it'll be awhile...

- Scott

 

[steelespike]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Sorry to here about Cws place.But glad to here you still have 2 in the water.
Mom would never let me close till the first week of December.Many times I had to chop a couple of inches of ice out of the Hulk in the dark before I could even bail.
Had to drag the pontoon out of the rental slip about a month ago so have been out since then.Made the very difficult desision to sell the cottage this summer,but kept the pontoon and Aldens 57 Crestliner I bought about 5 years ago.Got a new trailer and brought it to the city so I can pet it once in awhile.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Beautiful motor. I would love to have one of those. Not to mention the very first one. Is it known who has it (obviously the fishing hall of fame doesn't)

Your number 780. Is that #780 off the line, or something different? You have a clue which one that was?

 

[jbjennings]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Neat motor!!! Thanks for posting it... I was just about to look for the Chinawalkers place when I saw the next post. Bummer.
JBJ

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

BassBoy,
Near as we can figure, it is about the 280th sold in the U.S. Apparently the first 500, or a large percentage of them, went to Finland. Details are sketchy, but that's what we were able to get. Dad spoke with Ralph Evinrude (son of Ole and Bess) many years ago and he was the one who alluded to the exported motors. The other motors that we know of with lower serials are both over #500, which leads credence to the exported motors statements, but doesn't rule out lower numbers having been set aside for friends, etc. in Milwaukee when they were starting up... We're approaching 100 years after the fact here and those who were directly involved are long gone...
- Scott

 

[hitace]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

hay bass boy ole evinrudes first outboard got throw away by one of his workers so no one has it,or so I read.Hey Chinewalker how did you get/find that 1909 and where. i would love to know.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

I think my Dad found it in a barn in Vermont. Came to us by word of mouth - someone knew someone who knew someone kind of thing. We didn't even realize exactly what it was until we got it home and cleaned it up a bit. It had been wrapped in an oil cloth, which was good because the tanks are stamped steel and the powerheads are cast iron - both of which could deteriorate with age in a damp barn. Except for the paint job and clean up of the brass, we really didn't have to do much to it. We disassembled it to examine the innards, but it was all good - not a thing wrong with it. It is more of a preserved motor than a restored motor...
- Scott

 

[wbeaton]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Such a beautiful machine. I was looking at a few early rowboat motors at the Maple Leaf Chapter AGM last weekend. There was a 1911, 12 and 13 I believe. I think the 1911-12 were skegless and the 1913 wasn't. The 1911 didn't have the stamped manifold either.

Thanks for posting.

 

[hitace]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

its like someone knew it would be found one day so they wrapped in an oil cloth to keep it from rusting and they were probably hoping someone like you would get it to keep it alive.It might have been a old man who was dying and had no family.So he put it there hoping someone will find it some day.That motor is going on 100 years old they dont get more ole reliable then that.One more question do you run on a boat ever?I am sure that thing really would turn the heads.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: 1909 Evinrude

Hitace,
We have run it on a boat - my Dad built a traditional style rowboat for it back when Evinrude was celebrating their 75th anniversary in 1984. The motor would just about shake your elbow out of joint, but that is typical of the old single cylinder RBMs...
The boat & motor are now on loan to the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NY. We may take it back for Evinrude's 100th in two years...

- Scott