The Finney Family, Enriching the Lore of the Lake They Love

CdA Magazine
Summer, 1998

“For years, the lake was the only avenue to and from the Finney family home in Kidd Island Bay where 12 children learned to love the water. The lake was their playground. It was a catalyst that congealed the family of water-oriented athletes and gave them a place in history. Their nationally renowned exploits, including the invention of water-skiing, helped put Couer d’Alene on the map. For some, the water has been a permanent way of life. Possibly no one has known Lake Coeur d’Alene as well as Captain John, who ushered its bustling tour boat industry from the age of wood and steam to that of steel and diesel. His nephew, Captain Fred, has built the Finney legacy from a small flotilla into the largest inland fleet in the entire West. To a large degree, the Finneys have defined that the lake means to North Idaho.”

“In 1918, they (Jack and Harriette Finney) moved their rapidly growing family to Glen Eyrie, arguably the most picturesque residence on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Convenience apparently wasn’t a consideration in the choice of their new home. The sprawling, wooded retreat with its quaint two-story log house was accessible only by water during a time when family-owned boats were still a rarity. But the Finney’s inventive father made it a workable arrangement. Jack, who ultimately developed the Fordson marine engine for the Ford Motor Co., ferried his family to and from the Lake City aboard the Lurline, a 40-foot launch he equipped with a tractor motor. In addition to serving as their lifeline, the Lurline also helped propel the Finneys into the national spotlight, as well as set the stage for a commercial venture that still thrives more than half a century later. Not long after getting the Lurline up and running, Jack nailed two 12-inch- wide boards together to create a makeshift surfboard. He then learned to ride the board, eventually with his two oldest daughters striking gymnastic-like poses while perched on his thighs. The Finney ‘aqua-acrobats’ were an immediate hit on Lake Coeur d’Alene where they repeatedly performed for the community’s traditional Fourth of July regatta. Meanwhile, Jack’s oldest son, John, was making watersports history on his own. After unsuccessfully scouring Coeur d’Alene for a pair of snow skis to carry him across the water, the 12-year-old screwed a pair of lace-up boots onto 4-inch-wide floorboards, soaked the tips of the boards in boiling water to give them an upward curl and headed out on the lake behind the Lurline. John has been credited by the New York Times for water-skiing on Lake Coeur d’Alene at least a year before the sport reputedly was invented in 1922 on Lake Pepin in Minnesota.”

“While the Finney aquabatics were in full swing, John also began using the Lurline to take tourists on rides around Lake Coeur d’Alene. He soon realized the profit potential, though the tourist industry had been controlled for years by competing steamboat lines. In 1932, the Finney Transportation Line was born when John bought a 65-foot cruiser from a Spokane-based transportation business. Finney named it the Seeweewana, which he said translates as ‘traveling across the water’ in the language of the Coeur d’Alene Indians.”

“The business thrived during World War II as sailors from the Farragut Naval Training Center at nearby Lake Pend Oreille flocked to Coeur d’Alene looking for diversion. “

“In 1946, John built the 28-foot Dancewana, a double-decked barge that he lashed to the Seeweewana. The Dancewana could accommodate many more passengers for catered outings, including an increasingly popular all-day chicken dinner cruise up the St. Joe.”

“John’s brother, Bill, worked for Finney Transportation until he left in 1957 to create Finneycraft, a fiberglass boat-building business on Blackwell Island, and later to launch Finney Logging in Blue Creek Bay. All but one of Bill’s six sons have remained in the logging business in North Idaho. Fred, Bill’s fourth son, would follow his uncle onto the lake. ‘I just absolutley loved the water. All I wanted was to be out there on the boats,’ Fred said. Fred began working for his Uncle John at age 11 doing odd jobs aboard the Seeweewana and Dancewana during summer vacation. Eventually, he was operating the boats.”

“Eventually, he became an interest-holding partner in Finney Transportation and began improving the fleet.”

“In 1983, the Hagadone Corporation bought Finney Transportation. Captain John then retired and died three years later. Fred became manager of the new operation, called Lake Coeur d’Alene cruises, which operates from the Coeur d’Alene Resort. He still conducts as many of the tours as time allows.”