Tragedy buried the life story of Royal C. Moore, an early Minnesota business giant, until the relatively recent raising and restoration of the Minnehaha, a 1906 Moore-designed and constructed streetcar boat. For lovers of vintage wooden boats, Royal C. Moore: The Man Who Built the Streetcar Boats rings to the forefront one of the Midwest’s most prolific wooden-boat builders. For lovers of lakes and boats of all stripes, the volume reveals a deeper layer of understanding of the US heartland’s nautical history. The book provides never before seen photographs, and narratives of people, life, and business on the shores of Lake Minnetonka in the half century between 1879 and 1930. The chronicle of Moore Boat Works’ ambitious owner, the hundreds of boats he imagined, designed, and manufactured, and his drive to push ahead in spite of adversity will cause you to probe your long-held beliefs about the hopes, dreams, and motivations of generations past.

About the Author

Lori Cherland-McCune teaches English language learners in the public schools. Her free time is spent writing, researching family history, and acting as a liaison between local communities and their Spanish-speaking populations. Lori has a degree from San Diego Christian College in liberal studies, and a K-8 elementary certification, with education endorsements in K-12 TESL, Bilingual, and Spanish. She and her family lived in Peru and Bolivia for many years, where her husband was a missionary bush pilot. Her articles have been published in various anthologies and nonprofit publications.

What's Being Said

“Royal C. Moore: The Man Who Built the Streetcar Boats is a fun and educational read for anyone who loves Lake Minnetonka and its history, focusing on a man who was instrumental in making the lake communities what they are today. Moore’s Minnehaha, raised from the depths of the lake in 1980 and restored to service in 1996, shuttles passengers around Lake Minnetonka’s Lower Lake on a regular schedule throughout Minnesota’s summers, piquing interest about its designer and builder in lake residents and tourists alike.”
—Leo Meloche Chairman of the Steamboat Minnehaha’s restoration, and author of Lake Minnetonka 1850-2000: A Pictorial History of Things and Places on Lake Minnetonka

“Cherland-McCune has delved into a multitude of sources to research the days and times of the famed streetcar boat designer and builder, R.C. Moore. She connects the events of Moore’s life to lake area community events in the early 1900s, and her extensive index is a worthwhile addition to western Hennepin County’s family history sources.”
—Pamela J. Myers, PhD Former Westonka Superintendent of Schools and President of Westonka Historical Society