Corsair (Texas)



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Corsair Marine Corp.

2828 Bryan Ave.

Fort Worth, Texas

History by Andreas Jordahl Rhude:

Corsair Marine Corp. of Fort Worth, Texas was a boat manufacturing concern operated by Harold C. Yates. It was established about 1956. Harold was son of Dewey M. Yates who had been manager of Jim's Marine - a marine dealership located at 1805 West Third in the Big Spring, TX.

In 1959 Dewey Yates along with his son Harold and Bert Brewer formed Dewey's Marine Supply at Big Spring. It was a marine dealership located on west highway 80. In March 1959 they had a grand opening of their new 3,200 square foot facility. Mister Brewer was sales manager of Corsair Marine Corp. and with the formation of Dewey's Marine, he was sales manager there as well. He had been head track coach and assistant football coach at Big Spring schools.

Dewey's Marine Supply sold boats manufactured by Corsair and Lone Star and also sold Johnson outboard motors, Cushman motor scooters, and Lawnboy mowers. Mrs. Carolyn Dressler was bookkeeper for the marine supply business. She was the daughter of Dewey Yates.

Harold Yates continued to run the boat manufacturing operation of Corsair Marine in Fort Worth. However, in November 1959 he left Corsair and moved to Odessa, Texas where he once again starting making fiberglass runabout boats. By April of 1960 he had made 45 new boats at Odessa and he predicted he would make 250 to 300 boats in his first full year of operation.

Fort Worth's Corsair Marine made about 10 boats per day at her peak and had 40 to 50 employees.

Dewey Yates died on 25 January 1962 at the age of 63.

1959 Information

Corsair Boats in Use

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