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J.J. TAYLOR (boat builder)
& GEORGE F. CROUCH (boat designer) All three HELDENA boats were built
by J.J. Taylor, an English immigrant who arrived in Canada to seek employment
and his fortune in 1904. He worked for a couple of other companies including
a boat builder in Muskoka, and then started his own business around 1914-15.
His first job on his own is reported to be the first HELDENA.
He then went on to build
HELDENA II in 1916-17. He appears to have had a pretty close working relationship
with Fred R. Miller and to have built all his boats. J.J. Taylor built
boats of every description for many people and as a company was longer
in business than almost all other wooden boat operation in Canada. It appears
he built HELDENA II for $2600 without the engine and had discussions with
Miller about different ways in which it could be built. Fred Miller’s total
costs are said to be in the $8,000 -$10,000 range for HELDENA II. It appears
that J.J. Taylor built the boat and a company called Canadian Beaver supplied
and installed the engine.
J.J. Taylor & Sons was
operating until 1940 building everything from race boats to launches to
sailboats and even minesweepers for the Russian Navy. J.J. Taylor became
known as the Dean of Canadian boat building. James Jessie Taylor had several
children and they all were involved in the business.
His business started in
the backyard of his home and was subsequently located in several places
along the Toronto waterfront.
GEORGE F. CROUCH was an
American boat designer based in New York who became very famous in the
1920’s for designing many of the fastest and most famous Gold Cup Racers.
He designed HELDENA II and III for Fred Miller.
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