Due to the abundance of submerged trees and stumps in Reelfoot Lake, necessity is the mother of invention. Early on the Calhoun Reelfoot Boat became a reality. The craft is a rather nifty local product in the area surrounding this lake in western Tennessee. Over the years the construction of these boats passed along from generation to generation until recently.
Although there is talk of resurrecting the business of building these interesting craft, no particular plans seem to have emerged. The boats have become collectors’ items as they vanish from the lake. The best preserved one I have found is at Blue Bank Resort on the shore of the lake in Hornbeak, TN next to the state park.. There is one in the museum on the refuge but it is in rather shabby shape.
Invented in the 1800’s to cope with the huge amount of submerged timber and relatively shallow nature of the lake, the boat is particularly adapted to such conditions. It is 17-feet in length and canoe shaped. The original boats were only 12-feet in length. Continue reading – https://dongasaway.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/reelfoot-boat-2/