I grew up on Black River in Southeast Mo. We had a Johnson and Mercury dealer in a nearby town and also a Montgomery Ward store. I remember in the early 60’s there were a couple of Johnsons in the neighborhood and 2 Mercurys. There was 1 Evinrude. Most of the people on the river ran Sea Kings and there were a lot of them. My friend bought a new Sea King 5hp in 1960 and got it on sale for $189 before tax and I have it now along with the original sales receipt. I still run it to fish with. Most of the people here worked in the cotton fields for 60 cents an hour. The Johnsons and Evinrudes cost about 30 dollars more than a Sea King and that was a weeks wages. Not many were willing to give a weeks wages more to own a top of the line motor when the Gale made motors got the job done just as well. My first 2 motors were a 3 and a 5 Sea King. I bought the 3 first in 1962. I was going down the river with it and a lady’s brassiere got tangled in the prop and it threw a rod. I repaired it and traded it in on a new 1963 5 horse. The picture is my good friends motor he bought new and gave to me last year. Runs like a top.
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