Life at Lake X in the '60s

[digital_jeff]

Jeff - do you have anymore seacraft pics!!! these are awesome shots.

Hi bigshrimpin,
I have lots of Seacraft pics. You might get a kick out of this one though. I came across this shot some time ago, now this was before Photoshop and high quality electronic retouching, so you be the judge...

jeff

[digital_jeff]

Digital Jeff,
Since you have all these photos of Lake X etc, do you have photos of the yellow test boats that ran all over Florida. How about the 1960-80s motors and the Mercury collection. Did you or anyone photograph the collection. I'd love to see it.
Gary Larson

Hi Gary,
I guess I need some more info on the 'collection'. Did you mean the entire line up from the 60s through the 80s?

jeff

[digital_jeff]

Hi Everyone,
FYI
I am working on starting a new thread to help cover some of the questions asked above - things not exactly related to the Lake. I would like to keep Steve's thread aimed at the Lake and the 60's, but there are so many other avenues to venture down. Please stay tuned, and please feel free to send me PMs with ideas, it may take some time to take off and get going.

jeff

[nianticgary]

Jeff,
I guess what I'm talking about is some of the motors they kept in a museum or collection at the Lake that I seem to hear reference about. These are probably some of the experimental or being developed motors they were working on or the public never saw. Did something like this exist or does it still exist?
Gary Larson

[digital_jeff]

Jeff,
I guess what I'm talking about is some of the motors they kept in a museum or collection at the Lake that I seem to hear reference about. These are probably some of the experimental or being developed motors they were working on or the public never saw. Did something like this exist or does it still exist?
Gary Larson

Hi Gary,
I'm guessing you refer to the vault. The vault did exist, but it's contents have scattered. A few people have made reference to it previously. In the later years, most of the second floor served as a museum of sorts. It was always my understanding that these engines belonged to Mr.Kirchman
I do have a few pictures of the second floor back in the 60s, but it looked like it was all production engines - nothing exotic. The second floor was set up like an auditorium, probably for use with visitors or dealer meetings. The vault, on the other hand did have some products that were off limits.
I hope someone else can help out with these details.

jeff

[nianticgary]

Hi John,
Gary Larson from the PowerCat group. Any idea where all these motors went and if they still exist. Are they able to be seen?

[digital_jeff]

Hi Gary,
I was told the collection was split up but could be gathered back up if need be. It was one of each model engine that was built and they had never been run. I don't know the year spread but they shipped the entire collection north.

This sounds like the photos I have. Each engine stand had a plaque with the engine name/info. What year would this have been?

jeff

[digital_jeff]

I can only say I say it in 76 when I was doing some testing.

I'll try to post a picture in a few minutes
stand by...

[digital_jeff]

I guess you could say that this was quite a collection! This is a wide view showing most of the contents of the room. Like I said, the room was set up like an auditorium. This shot is dated 1969. If you look closely, there are drone engines and chainsaws hanging from the ceiling in the back.

jeff

[Mark75H]

OK, who was Mr. Kirchman? What was his job? You insiders all seem to know, but us mere humans are in the dark.

[nianticgary]

So John, when was Mercury officially and finally out of Lake X.
Gary

[seeroy]

OK, who was Mr. Kirchman? What was his job? You insiders all seem to know, but us mere humans are in the dark.

Sam - Here is Kirchman Obit from New York Times last year. I have removed all survivor references. Note Bold Print areas. - Steve
Published: March 25, 2007
KIRCHMAN--Kenneth P. Kenneth Kirchman, a prominent <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com</st1:City>Orlando businessman and founder of Kirchman Corporation, died at his home in <st1:City w:st="on">Winter Park</st1:City> on Tuesday, March 13. He was 72. Mr. Kirchman founded Kirchman Corporation, a privately held banking software innovator, in 1968 and built the company into a multi-national corporation that served over 6,000 banking institutions around the world. Kirchman Corporation was a pioneer in the banking software industry and a leading provider of automation software and compliance services to commercial banks. It was acquired in 2004 by Metavante Banking Solutions. Mr. Kirchman contributed <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Stetson</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType>'s first $1 million gift to endow the Kirchman Chair of Humanities. His active and committed interest in the community led him to serve on Stetson University Board of Trustees and serve as President of the Alumni Association. He was also former Director of Public Radio and Television of Central Florida. He served on former Florida Governor Bob Graham's Economic Development Task Force and was a Trustee of Florida House in <st1:City w:st="on">Washington</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">DC</st1:State>. He earned a B.S. from <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Stetson</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType>, attended a business management course at <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Harvard</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Business</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</st1:PlaceType> and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law (LLD) from Stetson. He served as a First Lieutenant in the Guided Missile Branch of the U.S. Army and, prior to founding Kirchman Corporation, held positions with Sperry Rand Corporation, The National Cash Register Company and General Computer Services. The family will hold a memorial service for family and friends on Tuesday, March 27th at 11:00 am. The event will be held at <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Lake</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">X</st1:PlaceName>, the Kirchman's 10,000 acre ranch south of <st1:City w:st="on">Orlando</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">FL.</st1:State>

[nianticgary]

The mystery surrounding Lake X, real or perceived, is just so interesting. The stories everyone who was involved with the lake and Kiekhaefer Mercury are just great and it had to have been a pretty good time.Times like this don't happen very often and really do make some extraordinary memories. I am enjoying all of this throughly. Much of this was when Florida was somewhat wild and woolly and not artificial and glitzy as it has gotten now. Keep the stories coming as good memories are hard to come by and those were lot more fun times.
Gary Larson

[seeroy]

I guess you could say that this was quite a collection! This is a wide view showing most of the contents of the room. Like I said, the room was set up like an auditorium. This shot is dated 1969. If you look closely, there are drone engines and chainsaws hanging from the ceiling in the back.

jeff

Jeff - Great pic of the "Museum" on the second floor of the "New" building. Somewhere on S&F, I talked about when we moved the "Collection" from the 'Vault" to the "Museum". It is a very subtle difference but, as my fading memory remembers it, the "Vault" was actually a warehouse in the back of the Old Parts Room, which was located across the driveway from the "Old" Shop Building. I was only in the "Vault" for 2 events. The area was used as a planning and movie viewing room prior to the 1967 Bahama 500. We would go there to do the chart planning/studying. We also could view the 16mm movie that Mabry Edwards had made of the 500 course. The second event was when several of us went there to remove the crated "Collection" from that area, uncrate each piece, transport it to the "New" building, forklift it to the second floor, which then became the "Museum" that your previous post pictures. It was an amazing experience opening each crate to reveal a piece of history. We hung the drone engines & chain saw from the ceiling. That was the first time I realized that the company had produced them. I think that is one of the ways they survived the War years. If you zoom in on the picture you posted, you can barely make out some of the very first outboards in the left and center rear of the room. I think there was even a "Waterman" in the room. In addition to what is visible in that picture, there were several Mercruiser rigs, some 4 cycle race engines, and a couple of stacker outboards. I have attached an exterior picture of the West side & partial South side if the "New" building. The "Museum" comprised the entire second floor where you can see the round bubble windows. On the first floor you can see the entrance to the office. Further back on that wall is the entrance to the dining room. Thank You for the picture of the interior of the "Museum". I think the original setup included a large conference table. I am guessing that your picture is the setup for the Dealer/Press Conference that took place at Lake X during one of the years that I was there. That event is a story that I will try to post in the future. I am looking forward to your new thread and hope that you will also continue posting on this thread. Best Regards - Steve Sirois

[digital_jeff]

Hi Steve,
I have a few other shots of the room, but they do not show any MerCruiser packages. However, I do remember other shots from a different time where there were some MerCruisers. Later this AM i'll post a shot from the opposite corner of the room. Also, there is a close up of each section, i'll post a shot of the very early engines, no Waterman though - sorry.

jeff