How it all started
Dayton is located on four rivers. These rivers are not sufficient for navigation. However, they are large enough for canoeing as a sport to be enjoyed in all its phases. Dayton had many canoe enthusiasts among its population. Several of them had long dreamed of a real canoe club. This dream was mentioned in a pamphlet given at the opening of the Dayton Canoe Club.
“Late in the fall of 1912, there was talk of forming a canoe club. The Dayton Canoe Club was organized with only fourteen members.”
One of those men was Charles W. Schaeffer. He was a charter member and past Commodore of the Stillwater Canoe Club on Stillwater Avenue (now Riverside Drive). However, he wanted to start another canoe organization. The Stillwater Canoe Club, by virtue of its small clubhouse, had to limit its number of members that could join.
Meetings were held. A clubhouse was planned. Lovers of the canoe and paddle quickly realized the many advantages of being a member of the new Club.
Other canoeist were enthused about the idea. Schaeffer was suggesting a club that was more than a place to store their canoes. His dream was to have a ballroom for dancing. He wanted a veranda with chairs to overlook the river. He also envisioned a club room for relaxing. Within three months the membership had grown to fifty canoeists.
The Dayton Canoe Club was incorporated on December 17, 1912. The corporation was not for profit. It was formed to encourage aquatic sports. It also aimed to promote social relations among its members.
A site was selected just below the confluence of the Miami and the Stillwater. On December 23, 1912, ground was broken for the new Clubhouse.
The Dayton Canoe Club went before the Dayton city council. They applied for a lease on the levee, just south of the Stillwater Canoe Club. The members pledged that their club would be an asset to the community. The lease was granted.
Construction of the new club was going well. The lower level quickly progressed and framing was almost complete in three months.
Suddenly, on March 25, 1913, the greatest flood in Dayton’s recorded history washed over the city. Damage to the city was enormous. Over 1,000 homes were destroyed, and 2,000 more would later be razed due to damage.
The pamphlet tells of the Dayton Canoe Club members fears. “….when the waters of the never-to-be-forgotten calamity had receded, many members journeyed to the site of the new Clubhouse. They expected to find destruction, as elsewhere. However, they hoped for the best. But the Fates which brought the flood were kind to us. Possibly Neptune understood our bond. We three, the water, the canoe, and the individual, were inseparable friends. He interceded and had the angry waters pass up, around, and even through our uncompleted Clubhouse. It did but little damage.”
The Stillwater Canoe Club wasn’t as fortunate. It was pushed off of its foundation and washed against the Steele Dam down river. The Stillwater Canoe Club was later set back upon its foundation and rebuilt at a cost of $1,500.
“On June 11 (1913), the building was completed. The members and their many friends saw and understood its convenience, location, and beauty. They were satisfied.”
Below, at river level, was the real club’s pride and joy. 42 dry storage canoe lockers were available to the members. All of the lockers were 18 1/2 feet deep to accommodate almost any canoe. Five double doors opened to the outside, with the river only a few feet away. A concrete dock ran the length of the clubhouse, giving members easy access to and from the river. A separate room for changing clothes was available, as well as room for the club’s caretaker to live in. The cost of building the club, plus the furnishings, came to approximately $15,000.
With every modern equipment the most captious can suggest, the clubhouse is equipped. We have the long dreamed of and much desired ideal.
Only seven minutes ride from the heart of town, members with their friends can rest on the veranda. They can enjoy the cool, refreshing, sweet scented breezes on a hot summer’s afternoon or evening. Alternatively, they can take their canoes onto the waters. There, they can enjoy the beautiful shaded banks of the Miami or Stillwater during the day. They can also take in the wonderful quieting moonlight in the evening.
Charles Schaffer’s dream had come true.