Gubby Gleason and the Wolverine
![The Saugatuck, Michigan Commercial record May 21,1964 on page 10 in Reminiscences by Jim Sheridan, Gubby Gleason, along with whistling Bill and Red Bolton (who was part of "The Bolton Gang" that ran bootlegged whiskey between Chicago and Saugatuck during prohibition). I do not know anything about Whistling Bill.
During the 1930s and 1940s Gubby Gleason piloted The Wolverine passenger river launch that could transport maybe 40 or 50 on the Kalamazoo River and clear up to New Richmond. It was powered by a flat head Ford V8.
He would tie it off at the river bank at New Richmond and we could walk over to the general store and buy a Houses Cherry Drink. The Wolverine had a "broken back" so it kind of slithered over the shallow spots. The Wolverine finished its final days rotting in the yard next to the street in front of what became Gleasons party store and Marina. The Wolverine cruised The Saint Joseph River prior to The Kalamazoo. It was shown in a paper back History of Saint Joseph book. Carl Irwins cruiser, The Karub, [Kareb] took its place before The Island Queens came along.
Page 2 text:
NOTE: Henry Gleasons obituary doesn't mention a "Gubby". He might have been an uncle. Maybe the Starrings would know. My Mom [Abbie DeYoung] took me on The Wolverine several times up to New Richmond.
Gubby would tie up at the river bank up there and we would walk over the rail road tracks to the general store and get a bottle of Houses Cherry Drink. We also rode it down to the old harbor. That was during the second World War when my mom put us on the train in Omaha Neb. to come up to Saugatuck while my dad was overseas so we would spend the summer in Saugatuck and the winters in Glenwood, lowa. Mom was born and raised in Saugatuck. She was Abigail Harriet Robinson DeYoung and her father was Miller Robinson who was a jeweler in Saugatuck in 1900. In the early 1950s, I rowed the 16-foot ferry scows that replaced the chain ferry that had rotted out and I sat in and in front of the old ferry shack mentioned in "The Record."](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/4124/b5290500-479c-11f0-ae79-a77f07fc4965-vUU146t.lg@2x.jpg)
The Saugatuck, Michigan Commercial record May 21,1964 on page 10 in Reminiscences by Jim Sheridan, Gubby Gleason, along with whistling Bill and Red Bolton (who was part of "The Bolton Gang" that ran bootlegged whiskey between Chicago and Saugatuck during prohibition). I do not know anything about Whistling Bill. During the 1930s and 1940s Gubby Gleason piloted The Wolverine passenger river launch that could transport maybe 40 or 50 on the Kalamazoo River and clear up to New Richmond. It was powered by a flat head Ford V8. He would tie it off at the river bank at New Richmond and we could walk over to the general store and buy a Houses Cherry Drink. The Wolverine had a "broken back" so it kind of slithered over the shallow spots. The Wolverine finished its final days rotting in the yard next to the street in front of what became Gleasons party store and Marina. The Wolverine cruised The Saint Joseph River prior to The Kalamazoo. It was shown in a paper back History of Saint Joseph book. Carl Irwins cruiser, The Karub, [Kareb] took its place before The Island Queens came along. Page 2 text: NOTE: Henry Gleasons obituary doesn't mention a "Gubby". He might have been an uncle. Maybe the Starrings would know. My Mom [Abbie DeYoung] took me on The Wolverine several times up to New Richmond. Gubby would tie up at the river bank up there and we would walk over the rail road tracks to the general store and get a bottle of Houses Cherry Drink. We also rode it down to the old harbor. That was during the second World War when my mom put us on the train in Omaha Neb. to come up to Saugatuck while my dad was overseas so we would spend the summer in Saugatuck and the winters in Glenwood, lowa. Mom was born and raised in Saugatuck. She was Abigail Harriet Robinson DeYoung and her father was Miller Robinson who was a jeweler in Saugatuck in 1900. In the early 1950s, I rowed the 16-foot ferry scows that replaced the chain ferry that had rotted out and I sat in and in front of the old ferry shack mentioned in "The Record."