Stephens Bros. Boat Builders

Stephens Brothers Boat Builders and Designers company (Stephens Bros.), an American boat designer, began in the back yard of brothers Theodore (Thod, 1882–1933) and Robert (Roy, 1884–1953) Stephens. Their boatbuilding firm in operated from 1902 to 1987. Over the years the company became famous for its elegantly designed pleasure craft, including sailboats, speedboats, cruisers and private yachts. Stephens Bros. also built many vessels for the U.S. military, especially during World War II. The company's first vessel was the sloop Dorothy, in 1902.

The Dorothy displayed the brother’s craftsmanship, and a local businessman took notice and gave the brothers $1,000 in credit along with construction plans for a 25-foot (7.6 m) motor launch. By 1903 they completed the Gee Whiz, making it their first commissioned boat. Later that same year, the brothers built an even larger motor launch, the 50-foot (15 m) Queen. By now, their popularity and demand had outgrown their backyard construction site.

The brothers relocated their business to a partially submerged barge in the Stockton channel, giving them room to expand. From this new location, they were able to work year round and tackle projects of greater magnitude. One of their biggest challenges was learning to install the innovative gasoline engine into their boats. Luckily, Stockton’s Samson Iron Works, which manufactured these gasoline engines, was nearby and engineers from the company were available to answer questions and assist with installations.

During this time, Stockton was still predominantly a farming community. A sleek, quick craft was needed to transport commission merchants out to secure contracts with the farmers of the Delta islands west of Stockton. Such high demand for a speedy vessel gave rise to a new Stephens Bros. design, sometimes referred to as “spud-boats”, since potatoes were a Stockton agricultural staple. The most famous of these speedboats was the Fred F. Lambourn. Completed in 1912, this boat earned Stephens Brothers a praiseworthy reputation with its record-breaking speed.

As the city of Stockton grew, the use for boats as a means of transportation throughout the Delta gave way to the increasingly popular automobile. Needing to adapt, Stephens Bros. moved into the new field of pleasure craft as Americans became increasingly interested in boats for leisure activities. To keep up with their east coast competitors, Stephens Bros. introduced the 26-foot (7.9 m) runabout. Each of these was a work of art, hand-crafted out of teak, mahogany and white oak. In total, 38 of these boats were made between the years of 1925 and 1929.

The company was economically successful even during the Great Depression. East coast buyers were taking an interest in Stephens Bros'. new gasoline powered semi-stock cruisers that were smaller and more affordable than the previously built steam yachts.

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