Could This Be One Of The Only Remaining King Folding Boats That Were Made In Kalamazoo

The remains of a King Folding Boat were identified during the 2017 Hidden Kalamazoo tour and may be one of the only boats of its kind left. 

The KIng Folding Boat Company went by another name as well. The Kalamazoo Folding Boat Co. The building was located on Harrison St. just off E. Michigan. A catalog from 1923 can be seen at the Adirondack Experience museum.

This information comes from a Google search and seems to be the only real information I can find on the men involved in the company.

The company was started by Charles W. Kingin 1885, in his garage on Rose street in Kalamazoo after obtaining his first patent in 1882. The first boat was a sectional boat with removable panels inside the bottom of the boat to protect it from punctures and to provide a solid platform for standing or sitting.

Eventually, King sold the business to George Winans in 1898. Winans was a carriage builder at the time. After his death in 1927, George's wife took over, renaming it The Kalamazoo Canvas Boat Company which finally closed in the 1970's. The boat pictured here was found inside the Muleskinner Building and will never see the water again but is truly a great piece of Kalamazoo history.

This is an exceptional example that is on display at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. The boat is based on an Eskimo design and can be disassembled and folds into a duffle bag.