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.
BY PAMELA PALONGUE
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
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