Henry E. Gidley established a boat building company in Penetanguishene, Ontario in the late 1800’s. He built a wide range of boats from canoes, rowboats, sailing skiffs, scows, and small powered fishing boats. Gidley Boats also offered a line of pleasure craft, including the “Kittyhawk”, built for Wilbur Wright (of the famous “Wright Brothers”) who had a cottage on Georgian Bay. Just prior to WWII, Gidley Boats scaled back and the operation was sold to Arthur Grew who already had a facility at Jackson’s Point on Lake Simcoe. Georgian Bay Heritage League is in possession of a few earlier wooden Grew boats all constructed in the lapstrake method. The sailboat in the photo (top) was built at Jackson’s Point, while the other (bottom), a 1954 runabout, was produced at the Penetanguishene plant.