Dubbed the “Alligator” because of its amphibious nature, the boat moved into full production as orders poured in. By 1894, there were Alligators everywhere along the Lynn River, and the business helped the town flourish over the next few decades.

Improvements over time saw the hulls built in three sizes and new inventions to improve its durability and mobility. The first tugs were produced with paddle wheels, but later on twin screws (one turned left hand, one right) made the tug much more maneuverable as well as faster on the water. The Gator could hook onto a log “bag boom”, often containing over 60,000 logs or more, and haul the whole huge pile of logs along the lake!

Orders came from all over North America, and at least one came from South America. By 1921, the firm’s peak production year, fourteen tugs were built, and orders continued strong until 1937, when over 210 boats had been built.

But by the late ‘30’s, the Diesel engine began to take its toll on the West and Peachey Steam Powered Tug. Companies were building their own mills closer to the source and orders for the Alligator began a steady decline.

The old tugs were hauled up on the beaches, where their last work had been done, from the Gulf of the St. Lawrence in Quebec across Northern Ontario to Manitoba and beyond. They were abandoned and left to rot where they lay. A legacy for future generations to see and wonder what price they paid for such a lonely grave.

The Great Alligator Hunt

In 1991, “The Great Alligator Hunt” was launched by the recently formed Alligator Restoration Committee in Simcoe.

Letters and newspaper articles spread the hunt all over Quebec and Ontario. Many possibilities were checked out but found wanting. But soon word came of an Alligator on Crown Land and easily accessible near the town of Atikokan, Ontario, north of Thunder Bay. The Committee traveled to the site and soon negotiations were begun with the Ministry of Natural Resources to remove the abandoned Alligator and return it to its hometown of Simcoe.

The news was greeted with great excitement, and a crew of local men traveled north to oversee lifting the vessel onto a float trailer for the 1700 kilometre trip back to Simcoe!

Years of painstaking restoration by dozens of dedicated volunteers and various employment grant programmes followed, first under project manager Ed Chandler and then Ron Judd. The Norfolk Historical Society acted as the owner of the boat between 1991 and 1998. It was during their tenure of stewardship that donations and employment grants were accessed to rebuild the Tug.

Back in the Water!

By June 1997, the rebuilt boat was launched off the bank into the Lynn River. To everyone’s delight, the launch went off without a hitch and the hull held water. A large crowd of children and Simcoe residents cheered it on its way.

The Town of Simcoe took ownership of the W. D. Stalker in 1998. At long last, the tug was streaming up and running on the Lynn River once again!

The Simcoe Rotary Club and the Town of Simcoe are co-operating with the Friends of the Alligator to create an educational theme park funded by the Rotary Club to display the working W. D. Stalker Alligator on the east bank of the Lynn River. The beautiful dock and steps were made possible through the generosity of the Simcoe Foundation and the William and Christie Jackson Fund.