Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Oar |
Catalog Number |
2000.58.2 |
Maker |
Hicks, Raymond |
Date |
1999 |
Material(s) |
Yellow poplarwood; |
Dimensions |
H-76.5 W-4.5 inches |
Description |
These are two yellow poplar oars to a johnboat (2000.58.1). The handles are round with flat oval blades. They are painted green with white trim. The grips are narrower than the shaft. One oar has "Build by Sara" written on it. |
Notes |
Raymond Hicks (1937-2012) was a boat builder who lived in Carrollton, Kentucky, along the Ohio River. He was a river pilot on the Ohio and Kentucky Rivers. Hicks was active for many years with the Kentucky Folklife Program. Raymond Hicks learned boat building in the shop of his grandfather Patrick O'Conner, an Irish immigrant who brought the designs of ocean going skiffs and other boats from the shores of Ireland. His grandfather adapted those designs to the needs of neighbors in Rabbit Hash, KY and nearby Rising Sun, IN. This boat was built in the traditional way with poplar planks nailed together and using string and paint to seal the joints. A completed boat would be submersed in water for two to three days depending on water temperature. As the wood swelled, the boat became tight as a drum. It was common in the 1940s and 1950s along the river to see hundreds of handmade wooden boats tied to trees and docks. |
Collection |
Raymond Hicks Collection |
People |
Hicks, Raymond O'Conner, Patrick |
Subjects |
Boat building Boating Boats Wood work Wood working |
Search Terms |
Rabbit Hash (Ky.) |
Physical Holder |
Kentucky Historical Society - KHS |