Built for Logan T. Wood, brother of Gar Wood, the 1930 Gar Wood 28-foot Triple Cockpit Runabout, nicknamed “Katie’s Choice” was his favorite boat.
Powered by the original Scripps Model 202 engine, the boat recently sold for $275,000.
Logan T. Wood (1887-1935) was VP of Gar Wood Industries and is buried at Detroit’s Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Garfield Arthur Wood (aka: Gar Wood), the son of an Iowa ferryboat operator, was famous for his hydraulic dump truck patent and for being an avid speedboat racing champion who won the Gold Cup championship 1917-1921.
Internationally famous for designing and racing powerboats, Gar was the first person ever to break the 100-mph barrier on water. He used to race on the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair.
Many of his boats, including his favorite boat, were built at Gar Wood Industries Boat Division (913 River Road, Marysville, MI) which opened in 1930.
Gar Wood is also famous for his mansion. In 1915, Gar Wood moved to Detroit.
In 1924, a huge palatial 46-room mansion nicknamed Stonefront (450 Keelson Drive, Detroit) was built for Gar Wood on Grayhaven Island, located on Detroit’s Lower Eastside on the Detroit River.
The mansion was made of Italian stone and featured: an Olympic-size swimming pool in the basement, ballroom that could hold 1000+ people, the world’s largest privately owned pipe organ.
The mansion was occupied by Gar Wood from 1924-1955 until he moved to Miami.
The mansion sat vacant until 1969 when hippie Mark Hoover bought it for parties in the ballroom and as a practice space for his rock band Stonefront.
The mansion was a hippie commune and party spot from 1969-1972.
The band “Stonefront” included Larry Merryman, Gary Markley, Robin Welch, Eddie Saenz, Mark Swanberg, Darryl Bradley, Harry Bourlier, Natalie Morgan, Bill Landless.
They hosted a ton of famous rockers at the mansion:
Alice Cooper, Iron Butterfly, Van Morrison, Sly and the Family Stone, Allman Brothers, Ted Nugent, Tim Buckley, Mountain, Leon Russell, Johnny Winter, Jeep Capone, etc.
In 1972, the mansion was raided. 25 kilos of marijuana were found and the house was shutdown.
An obscure low-budget cult movie called “Death Bed: the Bed That Eats” filmed at the mansion later that year, then The Outlaws motorcycle gang held a few parties here in the 70’s. But ultimately, the mansion never re-opened and later burned to the ground.
Gar Wood left a helluva legacy and more can be found at the Gar Wood Society.
Gar Wood Society
http://www.garwood.com/index.php/gar-wood-certificates/
Gar Wood Boats book
https://www.amazon.com/Gar-Wood-Boats-Classics-Golden/dp/0760306079
Gar Wood mansion was an awesome party place late 60 s owned by a band called Stonfront
Gar Wood mansion was an awesome party place late 60 s owned by a band called Stonfront
http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/10/04/garwood-detroit-rock/16656413/
http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/10/04/garwood-detroit-rock/16656413/
That’s not Gar Wood’s mother, that’s MY mother with Phil Wood’s boat when my grandfather worked for Gar Wood!
That’s not Gar Wood’s mother, that’s MY mother with Phil Wood’s boat when my grandfather worked for Gar Wood!
Oh, in the background is the Fisher Mansion!
Oh, in the background is the Fisher Mansion!
[…] 22.) Death Bed: the Bed That Eats (1977) bizarre horror shot on Detroit’s Lower Eastside at the Gar Wood Mansion (450 Keelson Drive, Detroit, MI)! […]