Since 1948 the boat club has done much to help turn Cedar Rapids and the Cedar Rapids riverfront into a better place.

Our History

1948-1958
The Scrapbook
Dedicated to Nancy Cortez

From previous web developer: Nancy Cortez has put together a huge collection of photos, newspaper articles and other memorabilia from the Cedar Boat Club.
I can't image how many hours she must have spent researching and organizing all this information. When I asked to borrow the books to scan them, I thought it would be a quick easy job for my high speed scanner....oops. Some of the pages like newspaper articles need high resolution, while some are viewable fine in low res. I decided to scan high res to preserve the document, then try to clean up and compress them so they can be downloaded. It's a work in progress, but here's what I have so far:

Current webmaster (Jeffrey Kaas)’s note: I have actually found all of the scanned files from the history book. I have compiled all of them and put them on here. Jim Kaas was able to compile and put together the scrapbooks into labeled PDFs, but was only able to label the pages in the PDF file of the first section, pages 1-8, and convert them to pictures. I still need to add picture captions to a couple of the photo series’, but you can also click on the + symbol under a gallery to view the page details.

Notable Pages:

Pg. 79 - Construction & Funding of Ellis Harbor - CBC letter to the city council regarding the funding to be given by Cedar Boat Club to the City of Cedar Rapids to construct the Ellis Boat Harbor. This was the important letter that sought the harbor to be built, which was initially funded by $4000 given to the city by the boat club but was later upped to $4700. Today, this would be $52,159.61 in funding that the Cedar Boat Club gave to the city to fund the Ellis Boat Harbor

Pg. 91 - Additional funding for Harbor - CBC letter to city council adding $700 to the $4000 fund the boat club gave to the City of Cedar Rapids for construction of the harbor. These were the profits from the boat races.

Pages 1 - 8

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    Cover page for Book 1: 1948 - 1958

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    Picture of Russ Markert 9/1/1947 Apache III & R.W.M.

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    Pre-harbor picture of CR harbor area from front page of "Collins Column" issue XL July, 1946

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    Letter regarding meeting to organize the Boat Club, 1948

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    Certificate of Incorporation in the State of Iowa

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    Gazette article July 11, 1948 shows picture of proposed harbor area

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    Rules and Regulations for Boat Houses 1948

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    Suggested By-laws for local Cedar Boat Club, 6-page document

Pages 9 - 34

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    Gazette article July 23, 1948 re speedboat race and water show

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    Gazette article April 3, 1948 about boat and sport show and announcing Carrol Garberson as new Commodore,

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    Program from "The big Boat and Sports Show 1949

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    Gazette articles from April 10, 1949 about boat show and seperate pictures including Merril Lund with scale model of proposed harbor.

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    Gazette articles and pictures April 1949 regarding boat show

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    Photo of boat show 1949

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    Photo of boat show 1949

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    Photo taken at boat show 1949 of scale model of harbor

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    Boat Club party invitation 1949 (Li'l Abner theme)

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    Newspaper photo and article July 3, 1949 showing people in boat and announcing 1,600 mile great lakes boat voyage

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    Gazette articles July 11, 1949 and July 20, 1949. "14,000 persons Jam Ellis Park for Sports Festival", "Soft Lights and Sweet Music for Boat Club Concert"

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    Gazette Photo July 21, 1949 showing band on boat

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    Photo of Charles Nunn & Merrill Lund 1940's

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    Photo labeled "1940's" shows several boats tied together with dance floor for night time party

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    Photo "1940's" shows band on barge

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    Photo "Merrill Lund 1940's" shows small race boat coming on plane

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    Photo "Merrill Lund 1940's" shows small race boat

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    Photo "Merrill Lund 1940's" shows small race boat (can see what appears to be concrete wall upstream of Mohawk)

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    Photo "Merrill Lund 1940's" shows small race boat

    bool1_26

    Gazette article January 1950 announcing Joe Long as Commodore and several advertisements

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    Gazette articles (3) 1950 regarding Boat and sports show

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    Gazette articles (3) 1950 regarding Boat and sports show

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    Gazette articles (2) 1950 regarding Boat and sports show

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    Program from Boat & Auto Show April 14-15, 1950

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    Photo of CBC booth at Boat show 1950

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of Sanford's

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of man with outboard motor

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of men with outboard boats

Pages 35 - 56

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of small boats

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of small boats

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of small boat

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of small boats

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of small boat

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of small boat

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of small boats

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of people at show

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of people at show

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of people at show

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of people at show

    book1_46

    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of people at show

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of people at show

    book1_48

    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of people at show

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of stage performance

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of Indians booth

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of stage performance

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of stage performance

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of stage performance

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of stage performance

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of stage performance

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of stage performance

Pages 57 - 74

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    Photo taken at Boat show 1950 of stage performance

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    Gazette articles and pictures 1950

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    Photo presenting The Killian Trophy 1950

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    Photo of woman holding Killian Trophy 1950

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    Photo of Boat race winners 1950

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    Photo of speedboat 1950

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    Photo of ice going out of harbor 1951

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    Photo of ice going out of harbor 1951

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    Photo of ice going out of harbor 1951

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    Photo of ice going out of harbor 1951

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    Photo of ice going out of harbor 1951

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    Photo of ice going out of harbor 1951

    book1_69

    Photo of ice going out of harbor 1951

    book1_70

    Photo of ice going out of harbor 1951

    book1_71

    Photo of flood 1951

    book1_72

    CBC party invitation for Hobo Moon picnic site July 8, 1951

    book1_73

    CBC invitation for breakfast Sept 23, 1951 at Ellis pavilion

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    Gazette phot taken at CBC breakfast and Gazette article on CBC fall trip to McGregor

Pages 75 - 81

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    Gazette picture showing CBC picnic July 13, 1952

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    Gazette photo July 13, 1952 Joe Long, Sherry Lynn Diehl

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    Gazette article July 13, 1952 CBC picnic at Hobo Beach

    book1_78

    Gazette photos August 22, 1952 showing CBC members at Mississippi beach

    book1_79

    CBC letter to city hall June 24, 1953 proposing harbor and offering funds and land

    book1_80

    Gazette articles July 3, 1953 regarding new harbor proposal

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    CBC invitation for Aug 30, 1953 trip to Mississippi

Page 82 (Section)

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    12 page program for MPBA races Aug 19, 1953

Pages 83 - 89

  • book1_83

    Gazette article and photos of CBC boat races 1953

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    Gazette article and photos of CBC boat races 1953

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    Gazette article and photos of CBC boat races August 10, 1953, 15000 people at Ellis

    book1_86

    Gazette article on CBC boat races 1953

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    Gazette article and photos of CBC boat races 1953

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    Program from CBC boat race 1953

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    CBC invitation to breakfast Sept 13, 1953

Pages 90 - 91

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    Letter Oct 27, 1953 from CBC to city hall re use of boat ramp

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    Letter Oct 27, 1953 from CBC to city hall offering $4,700 to city for construction of harbor

Page 92 (Section)

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    5 page river ordinance committee minutes

Pages 93-96

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    Gazette article Oct 7, 1956 re CBC cruise

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    Gazette photos 1956 from CBC Mississippi cruise

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    Gazette photos 1956 from CBC Mississippi cruise

    book1_96

    Gazette article June 30, 1958 CR revising boating ordinance