Ole Lee Part 2
From the Kalispell News April 13, 1989 by James C. Ryan
The company was known for close to 43 years as Lee Craft, but for those boating enthusiastss who were fortunate enough to own one of Ole Lee Jr.'s wood or fiberglass creations, it could well have been named ''Lee-Craftsmanship.'' You see, ''good enough'' was never good enough for Ole Lee when it came to building boats for his thousands of loyal customers.
Even today, that same craftsmanship and dedication comes through as he shows visitors around his home and lush grounds on the north shore of Flathead Lake. From his manicured lawn and perfectly constructed stone walkway to his picturesque pond stocked with plump and contented rainbows and eastern brooks, Ole insists on doing things right.
While any story about the Flathead's most famous boat builder should center on his nautical accomplishments, a writer would be amiss to ignore the man behind the company . For all his world-wide fame...having sold his Lee Craft boats in almost every state and a number of foreign countries..he is a man in his mid-seventies who has tasted great financial success from his endeavors, but is just as proud when explaining the newest project around his home. At a time in his life when most men and women are content to sit back in their recliners and watch the rat-race rush by, Ole fills his days planning his schedule for tomorrow. While his yard rivals any professionally landscaped home in the valley, he describes his next project. A new walkway here...an added tree there...it is a picture postcard that would put the Garden of Eden at shame. With a quick step and a ready smile, Ole skips from one topic to another...but always pointing out that everything he designs fits together...perfectly...just like the 3000-plus boats he and his loyal crew built over the years. ''There were several -insisted on,'' Ole recalls as he flips through the volumes of scrapbooks he keeps in his family room. ''We had to build good dependable boats at a reasonable price.''
And they did!
Ole was in his mid 20's when he built his first boat, a 13-foot wood fishing craft of cedar and plywood that sold for about $125...as near as he can recall.
From 1938 thru the mid 1950's, Ole and his team turned out a variety of wooden boats...ranging in size from 13-20 feet...but halfway through that decade, Ole realized that the boating public wanted better and faster transportation over the water. Working two shifts per day, he started turning out the popular Lee Craft fiberglass pleasure boat. A testimony to his drive for quality can be seen every day of the summer on Flathead as parades of Lee-Craft vessels still head out for open water in search of ''the big one that keeps getting away.''
Ole retired from the boat-building business in 1971 when he sold the company, but he didn't retire from life. That fact is driven home by the magnificent trophy animals he has mounted on his walls. He explains that virtually every year he makes a journey up to Alaska for a round of fishing and big game hunting. Majestic bighorn sheep, elk and caribou attest to his hunting prowess.
Whether it be building boats, putting a in a new patio, taking down a trophy elk...or coming up with a new ''project'' to keep him active, it is evident that Ole Lee has found the secret to success: whatever you do, do it well...and enjoy yourself along the way.
4.30.96