Hi Dewey,
I don't know how far back you're interested in but I picked up this pair of oars last summer that were made by an Alameda race boat builder named Al Rogers...They are 82 1/4" long. I believe they are 19th century competitive sweep oars based on the design. Normally I'd only be interested in decorated trophy oars but these are significant because they are a rare example of early oars made in San Francisco bay area...I wasn't really looking for a pair of oars like them, but the makers marking had me and I went back and got them....the old, get'um or you'll probably never see another pair like'um! Of course it helped they were only a Benjamin Franklin
If you review the link below you'll see Rogers indicated as from Alameda. Also below copy of an email from a rowing historian. Interestingly they are remarkably light weight in relation to their 82" length. I've got some early 12 fot long sweep oars for 8 man boats that are probably 3 times heavier.
http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache...&ct=clnk&gl=us
....Al Rogers was a boatbuilder in the Bay Area in the late 1800s - about 1880 or so - to around 1915. As I recall, he was located in San Francisco originally, then his operation to Alameda. You can certainly email a photo of the oars: send to ___________. I would be very interested in seeing the picture. I'll look up more detail, if you like.
The South End Rowing Club had some small boats built by Rogers - mainly Whitehall boats, maybe some racing shells. The club still has a recreational barge built by Al Rogers in 1915. Currently under restoration, some consider it the "flagship" of the South End fleet. Don't count me among those, however. These was also a skiff built by Rogers at the south end of Lake Tahoe about 15 years ago at an old large home on the water...
