Historical Note

Pictured: George Q. McGown Jr., circa 1976

The Fort Worth Boat Club (FWBC) was formed in 1931. The new organization purchased land from John I. and Lennie J. Burgess on Eagle Mountain Lake. The Burgess’s daughter, Louise Logan, later became a member of FWBC. One of the founders George Q. McGown Jr., an attorney who died in 1977, remained an active member in the boat club through most of his life, serving in leadership positions not only in the club but other boating associations as well. The documents in this collection come mostly from him, his son Grey McGown, and grandson George Quentin McGown IV, who were both also active in FWBC. In addition to donors from the McGown Family – G. Quentin McGown IV, Grey McGown, and Laura McGown -- other past and present members of the FWBC have added to the collection, including Karen Duay Smith, the first woman Commodore, and Edwin Johnston Youngblood, who served as Racing Fleet Captain for a number of years. Some materials joined this collection during the Fort Worth Boat Club History Roundup held on March 2, 2019 in the Commodore's Room of the Fort Worth Boat Club.