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In 1874 Chris Smith and his older brother, Henry, built their first boat, a rowboat. The Smiths began
guiding affluent Detroit businessmen in search of fish and game, and these businessmen noticed the fine
craftsmanship in the brothers' boats. In 1881 the two built their first commissioned duck boat, and by
1899 the brothers were known as the oldest boat builders in Algonac. By 1905 Chris Smith, who had
taken over the business from his brother, was building runabouts that could travel at 16 miles per
hour. Chris Smith's six children all became involved in the boat business. Smith's eldest son, thirty-one-year-old Jay, had his own son, eight-year-old Harsen, sorting sweepings in the boathouse at the end of the day.
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