Naked egg fights, Koehler keggers: The late 1800s, early 1900s were party times on Presque Isle
Have you ever heard of The Hobo Channel on Presque Isle?
It was a narrow, shallow channel from today’s Big Pond into Presque Isle Bay. It was located about 150 yards west of where Perry Monument is now. Small boats filled with picnickers went through the channel where they had built rough picnic areas. Many times, the picnics could last from Friday night until Sunday evening. It was one of the best things to do with the family on the peninsula at that time.
The dredging done to create the lagoons eliminated it.
More: Presque Isle State Park is a natural wonder. Its paddler-friendly lagoons are engineered
The Bean Birds' naked egg fights
Another story is about a group of young men who had a clubhouse in a 48-foot sailboat that had washed ashore near where Beach 8 is now. It was stuck in the sand and mud for many years and could not move. The group was nicknamed the Bean Birds. They cut a hole in the part of the boat’s sand side as an entrance, mounted a flagpole and added a waterside diving board.
They used the wreck for five years before a winter storm broke it into pieces.
The group also had a strange ritual each year. According to legend, they would load the biggest canoes they could find with crates of eggs and paddle over to Misery Bay. They would strip off their clothes, wade into the water and have an egg-throwing contest. These battles usually lasted at least an hour; when over, they would open a keg or two and maybe put their clothes on.
The Yellow Legs and Jackson Koehler's double-keggers
At the same time, another group enjoying the park was nicknamed The Yellow Legs. Stories have it that they had two old houseboats anchored on Misery Bay. Two members had small steam-powered boats to get around. They were the party-loving group of the era. Some old tales indicate that they were often dressed in Sunday-go-meeting outfits whenever they came to the park. They would always wear felt hats and fancy shirts. This group had about 40 members, and Jackson Koehler — of Koehler beer fame — was one of the leaders of The Yellow Legs. He owned a large steamboat christened Palance, a 44-foot schooner-bottom he had hand-crafted in Erie. His brother had a band that played summer concerts from the boat deck for more than 20 years. They called themselves The One String Band. The Yellow Legs also held a weekly cookout on the Misery Bay shores. These beach parties were always two-keg affairs. Because they had a large houseboat, they could keep all the equipment there between parties.
Joe Root's wild cabbage bouquets
Crystal Point, where the Perry Monument is located, was a popular place for weddings and post-wedding parties. Joe Root, Presque Isle's hermit, also became part of many weddings at that time. He would bring fresh wildflowers he gathered for the wedding party to hold. When he could not find enough, he would pick colored wild cabbage instead. Before one of the weddings, one bride bought Joe a grey suit for the service. Joe wore it for at least five years.
As you can imagine, there was little in the way of regulations on Presque Isle back then. As soon as the peninsula became a potential state park, many new rules began to be initiated and enforced. Things sure have changed.
See you at the park!
Gene Ware is the author of 10 books. He serves on the board of the Presque Isle Light Station and is past chairman of the boards of the Tom Ridge Center Foundation and the Presque Isle Partnership. Email him at ware906@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Presque Isle in Erie was party central before it was a state park
