Between 1938 and 1971, Lee Craft Boat Company built and sold over 2,870 wood and fiberglass boats. Ole Lee Jr.’s love for the craft developed early on when as a boy he helped his dad, Ole Lee Sr., an immigrant from Norway, build small fishing boats in his spare time on Flathead Lake.
A few years out of high school, with some experience under his belt, and a small amount of money, Ole Lee, Jr. put his business plan into motion. Ole purchased a waterfront lot on Somers Bay and erected sales and storage buildings. His first sale was a custom 13′ fishing boat that sold for $125.00. Getting the business off the ground was not easy for Ole but he never gave up, working hard to develop his craft. After a few years, word began to spread throughout the West and Midwest about the high quality of boats being built on the west shore of Flathead Lake.
By 1940, Lee Craft boat sales were doing very well; the staff was working double shifts to keep up with demand. Ole expanded his showroom and began offering outboard and inboard fishing boats and runabouts in various lengths and models. By 1954, Ole started to phase fiberglass boats into his inventory, and wind down the production of his wooden boats. Finally, after 33 years in the business Ole decided it was time retire and spend more time with his family, and on his other interests. Ole passed away in 2003, but his boats live on.
