Caddo Lake Sports Club

In the 1950s, Caddo Lake was used much more for recreation than today, with waterskiing and even powerboat racing events being held. In 1955, the Caddo Lake Sports Club hosted the Speedboat World's Series, the premier event of the year for that sport. It drew thousands of spectators as well as participants from across the nation and even Europe.


 Shreveport Times 25-Sep-1955, Page 5-D
Chronology of events:
1954

 The club is chartered with officers:
  • R. Allen Smith - President
  • N. A. Blizzard - Vice President
  • Mrs. C. R. LaFitte - Secretary-Treasurer


1955

Below is a Corsicana (TX) Daily Sun article from 28-Apr-1955 that describes the newly constructed one-mile race course on Caddo Lake and upcoming event..


Corsicana (TX) Daily Sun 28-Apr-1955, Page 15


Directions to the event if coming from Shreveport.




The race, held in conjunction with Shreveport's "Holiday in Dixie" festivities, reportedly attracted 3,000 spectators.




The Caddo Lake Sports Club is awarded the role of hosting the 1955 Speedboat World's Series.

Ruston (LA) Daily Leader 26-Aug-1955 Speedboat
World Series  on Caddo Lake
Ruston Daily Leader 26-Aug-1955, Page 3 


Noah "Buddy" Blizzard, described the building of the boat club's facilities and preparation for the event:

Dad (also Noah) was an official in the old Boat Club. I really don't know how the structure was chartered. I know there was a man that was called the president and I am having some problem in remembering it right now. (R. Allen Smith of Shreveport) I remember my dad was heavily involved in building the club. He built the boat house metal structure where all the boat stalls were. He designed and built the ski jump that was adjustable for different degrees of height. He also built the stump locater device. It was a long metal frame that was supported by barrels and towed very slowly by a boat until it hit a stump. We would then drive a metal sucker rod in the stump to mark it for removal later. I rode on that device for days on end marking stumps. I remember the beehive of activity when it was being built. Bulldozers making roads....walks being built....boathouse going up...clearing stumps for a clean oval race course and a one mile straight measured mile for timing world records. He also built the big barge that the judges stand was on. All these things were supported by 55 gallon drums. To sink a drum is a very difficult task. We had to sink those things and put them under the structures.

I was there for the World races in 55....Maxie (Furlong) and I camped on the hill overlooking all the activity. They started practicing before dawn  It lasted two or three days. Boats from all over the world were there...Germany...France... It was a beautiful sight. Dad entered his boat in the "C" class hydroplane and it came in third in a class of many. I forgot who drove for him, but Jelly Cox comes to mind.

Regarding other members, some names come to mind....T.J. Lundy....Boob Matthews...Bill Player.

Source: email dated 10-Mar-2014


An advertisement for an event held earlier that year....


Shreveport Times 18-Jun-1955, Page 2-B


...and one for the championships.


Shreveport Times 13-Sep-1955, Page 6-B






Pictures from the 1955 APBA Championships are below.

Championship Heat of the Class A Hydros held on Caddo Lake 24-Sep-1955

Driver Bob McGinty of Corpus Christi, TX talks to boat owner Harry Marioneaux
 of Shreveport in pit area. (north shore east of Hwy 1).

Event Winners by Class

To read the entire article, which recaps the event and shows pictures of the winners, go to: Speed & Spray Magazine Dec-1955, pages 20-21.


Boat and Sport Magazine Dec-1955, Page 10
Source:  Boat Sport Magazine Dec-1955

Hugh Entrop's innovative boat (158-R) and unusual racing style caught the attention of the crowd at the crowd at the 1955 championships.

Hugh Entrop (158-R) on Caddo Lake Sep-1955
Source: Boat Sport Magazine Aug-1956, pages 6-7 and 40-41

In a separate article (page 3), there is mention of German driver Dieter Konig's showing at the (Holiday in) Dixie Outboard Regatta, held earlier that spring on Caddo Lake. An outstanding performance by Blanchard (LA) resident Bubba Haley is also cited.

A picture of national champion Class C runabout category Jack Cohn with his boat. Note he was from Illinois, while  the runner-up was from California; showing the importance of the event on the national scene. 

Oak Park (IL) Oak Park Leaves 06-Oct-1955

Source: Oak Park (IL) Oak Leaves 06-Oct-1955, Page 6


1956

Club co-founder and president R. Allen Smith is shown below.


Shreveport Times 13-Jun-1956, Page 7-B


These articles from the following year mention winners of some one of the classes at Oil City.

Long Beach (CA) Press Telegram 19-Sep-1956, Page 53
Source: Long Beach (CA) Press Telegram 19-Sep-1956, Page 53


Long Beach (CA) Press Telegram
20-Sep-1956, Page 42
Source: Long Beach (CA) Press Telegram 20-Sep-1956, Page 42


This 1956 newspaper article Monroe News Star shows the Louisiana state legislature appropriating $4,000 to promote a Caddo Lake Boat Festival.

Monroe News Star 17-May-1956, Page 16

1957

An article about the upcoming Holiday-In-Dixie boat races included this prior year photo.


Shreveport Times 23-Apr-1957, Page 18-A


Pictured below are the Huston Skiers, scheduled to perform.



Among the troupe was Gwen Huston, who finished second place in women's ski jumping at the 1956 national water skiing championships held at LaPorte, IN. She's shown below receiving her trophy.


The Water Skier Sep-Oct 1956, Page 6


Recap of an April 1957 event:




1958

A notice in a 1958 water sports magazine announces boat races to be held on Caddo Lake later that year.

Aqua Sport Magazine Jun-Jul 1958 Cover

Caddo Lake Sports Club Boat Race Notice
Aqua Sport Magazine Jun-Jul 1958, Page 19

 Source: Aqua Sport Magazine Jun-Jul 1958


An article about another race held that year identified several local individuals involved, including N. A. Blizzard, I. M. Brumley, Shorty Poindexter, Carol Weaver, and R. D. Wilson.




N. A. Blizzard, Club Vice-President
Shreveport Times 14-Jun-1964, Page 9-D


1959

One of the last mentions of the club included this pic of the boathouse, shown below in 1959. It was constructed by club member and officer Noah Blizzard and is no longer standing.



The last publicized event found was a cavalcade of boats traveling from the club site to the Jefferson (TX) Boat Club, that was hosting a barbeque.




Only a couple of incidental references to the club appeared in the media later that year, as it faded from public notice. It's not clear when it disbanded.

The Google Street View linked here shows the approximate location today, in the distance behind the gap between the bridge arches.


About club president, Rodger Allen Smith (1900-1982):





Shreveport Times 05-Jan-1983, Page 10-A


Also of note, he had a prior connection to the North Caddo area, as his World War I draft registration, identifies him as a resident of Trees (City) with the occupation of "oil field worker."



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