A River Runs Through It

The Allegheny River flows past the historic boat and canoe clubs that pay homage to life along the water in Verona and Oakmont. Many sprung up in the late 19th and early 20th century, with a few still active today.

Long before the Three Rivers Regatta, there was The Hulton Course. This event took place in June 1878 and was a 5-mile canoe race on the Allegheny, starting at Hulton Station and continuing down to the mouth of Plum Creek and return.

This wasn’t just a Sunday afternoon get together however. Reportedly, over 15,000 people watched the race! It was one of the most famous in the country, and was tantamount to the North American championship for canoe racing. Unfortunately, the Canadian racer won the contest, disappointing the American crowd.

By 1900, the race had attracted the attention of gamblers and hustlers, and races were frequently fixed, causing the event to come to its end.

In the early 1900s, local businessman and entrepreneur J.T. Andersen opened the Oakmont Boat and Motor Company. He had a fleet of over 600 canoes, which he rented out along with swimsuits.

In 1907, the first regatta was held with Oakmont as its starting point. Besides racing, recreational boating and canoeing were an extremely important part of water activities in the Verona and Oakmont area and by 1911, there were more than 3,500 boats and canoes registered in the area!

In 1915 Andersen formed the Western Pennsylvania Canoe Association, which monitored the river and ensured boating and canoeing was a respectable pastime for families. The water was quickly becoming a big draw for Pittsburghers looking to escape the soot of the city, as well as out-of-town tourists.

Andersen owned a great deal of riverfront property in the area and established camp grounds, to provide a place for the visitors to stay. He even opened a dance hall within his motorboat company, called The Willows, which later became one of the premiere places in the country for big band music, including band leaders Guy Lombardo, Tommy Dorsey and Rudy Vallee. The performances would be broadcast nationwide from The Willows via radio.

It was also in this period from the late 18th century and early 19th century that boating clubs and canoe clubs began to flourish.

In 1897, the Duquesne Canoe Club was organized in Verona by a man named Silas Hughes, and he became its first “commodore.” It was granted a state charter and had just 12 members. The first clubhouse was built in Greek Revival style, with storage for 30 canoes. The group acquired more land and added recreational areas for picnics and tennis courts. During World War II, the club decided to absorb the membership of the Wilmerding Sailing Club, increasing its size.

The club is still active today as a private club for members only, but has evolved over the years and most of its members are motorboating enthusiasts, rather than canoers.

Another historic club in Verona that has endured is the Algonquin Boat Club. Like the Duquesne Canoe Club, it is a private club and at one point had several members with sailboats. Although it is listed as a boat and canoe club, the members mainly engage in motorboating activities these days. Located on Arch Street, it bills itself as “the hidden gem of the 2nd pool of the Allegheny River in Verona.” The attractive craftsman style clubhouse is easily recognizable from the river by its nautical blue awnings.

The Sylvan Canoe Club is the only known pre-World War II organization that is strictly dedicated to the sport of canoeing. It was organized in 1904 and is celebrating its 121st year! It’s a private club and has a waiting list to join, but prospective members are welcome to apply. It has storage for 70 canoes, so the membership is limited to that number. Its clubhouse, has lots of photos and other memorabilia reflecting its long history. The club once focused more on competition, but is now much more recreational canoeing.

In addition to historic clubs in Verona, there are also a couple of newcomers as well. Steel City Rowing is a non-profit organization that offers training for youth and adults in the sport of rowing and offers day camps during the summer. They also have the only public boat launch in Verona.

Sylvan Scullers is another relative newcomer that is owned by Dori and Ladislau Tompa. Ladislau was a member of the Romanian Olympic team, and his wife Dori, qualified for the Olympic trials. Although rowing can be an expensive sport with the high cost of insurance, equipment and dock maintenance, Sylvan Scullers offers scholarships for those who cannot afford to pay, and they also have an introductory lesson for $25 for those who want to learn a bit about the sport and see if it’s for them. They also offer lessons in kayaking, which has become extremely popular in recent years.

Boating has changed a great deal in the last century. In the early 20th century, canoers actually got dressed up, with shirts and hats and ties. Although it seems quite comical today, it made for some beautiful photos of a more romantic time. The historic boathouses in Verona are much like the Allegheny River itself, which flows from the past, influences the present and continues to set our course for the future.

As industry of the mid-20th century took over a lot of the waterfront in Verona, the boating culture faded somewhat. But far from extinct, today the factories have left the area, and the riverfront is returning to a place for the community to gather, coming alive once again.

Special thanks to Verona Historical Society, Oakmont Historical Society, the Kerr Museum, and author Gary Rogers in research for this article.

An interesting presentation, “Down By the Riverside” is available on YouTube, on the Oakmont Historical Society channel.

An early photo of the Duquesne Canoe Club, courtesy of Verona Historical Society.