55' Elco Electric Launch (1912) - CHIEF UNCAS

The Chief Uncas is a classic, electric-powered boat built by the Electric Launch Company (ELCO) in 1912 for Adolphus Busch, co-founder of the Anheuser-Busch beer dynasty. Busch had the boat special ordered for use at his family’s summer estate on Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, NY.

The Chief Uncas is 55 feet long with a 9.5 foot beam and 2.5 foot draft, displaces 12 tons, and is constructed of mahogany planking with white oak ribs and frames. After repowering with gas engines in the 1950s, electric propulsion was restored to the boat for its 100th anniversary in 2012. The Chief Uncas is now powered by two EP-6 electric motors from the ELCO company and sixteen 12-volt batteries that propel the boat at 7 knots with an endurance of 8-10 hours. The Honduran mahogany wood, Tiffany Glass cabinets, elegant brass details, and icebox appear similar to how they did over 100 years ago.

Adolphus Busch named the boat for a character in James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Last of the Mohicans. Cooperstown was founded by the author’s father and many local landmarks honor his literature. The Uncas name was likely derived from the Mohegan Sachem Uncas, a 17th century Indian leader in what is now Connecticut. The real Uncas guided his native people through the many changes and conflicts that ensued after English and Dutch colonizers invaded their homeland in the 1600s. Adolphus Busch’s naming of the boat for Cooper’s fictional Uncas reflects the common appropriation and romanticizing of Indian culture and leaders in early 20th century America.

The Chief Uncas cruised on Otsego Lake, the headwaters of the Susquehanna River, for over a century, carrying 4 generations of the Busch family and New York tourists. In 2021, SNHA purchased the Chief Uncas from Lou Hager Jr., the second great grandson of Adolphus Busch, to be the flagship for the River Discovery Tour program. With its well-documented family heritage, eco-friendly power, and historic association with the Susquehanna River, this 112-year-old vessel continues to inspire generations and offer an unique boat ride experience they will remember for years to come. Memorial Day through October, the Chief Uncas welcomes aboard passengers on 1-hour guided history tours and 1.5 hour premium Sunset Cruises. To learn more and book your next adventure aboard the Chief Uncas visit susqnha.org/programs/boat-tours/