Andrew Jackson Higgins was a high school drop-out from Nebraska, who came to New Orleans, Louisiana to get into the timber business. Higgins had a remarkable journey from his early struggles to becoming a pivotal figure in the American war effort during World War II.
After experiencing setbacks in his lumber business, Higgins found his calling in boat design and manufacturing. His innovative designs, particularly the “Wonder Boat” and later the Higgins Eureka, showcased his engineering prowess and set the stage for his company’s success.
During World War II, Higgins Industries played a crucial role in producing landing craft vital for amphibious operations. The most famous of these was the LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel), commonly known as the Higgins boat. These boats were instrumental in the D-Day invasion and numerous other amphibious assaults in the Pacific and European theaters.
Oral Family History
Dad designed that boat to bootleg whiskey from the northshore.
Uncle Ferdinand 1993
Higgins stole my fathers design… that was well known in the family.
Aunt Corrine 1993
There isn’t conclusive evidence linking Andrew Jackson Higgins directly to Arthur C. Dale’s patented boat design, it’s plausible that Higgins might have been aware of Dale’s work or drawn inspiration from similar concepts circulating in the marine engineering community.
The potential connection between Andrew Jackson Higgins and Arthur C. Dale’s boat design gains intrigue when considering the familial and social ties within New Orleans’ maritime circles.
Jenny Maestri, Arthur C. Dale’s wife, was indeed part of the prominent Maestri family, with her cousin being Robert Maestri, who served as Mayor of New Orleans. This familial connection places Dale within influential circles in the city, potentially providing him with access to resources and networks that could have influenced his work and interactions within the maritime community.
Dale vs Higgins designs
Arthur C Dale 1921
Moreover, the lineage of Arthur C. Dale intertwines with maritime heritage through his mother’s side. Nicholas Galatas, Dale’s maternal grandfather, was a schooner builder (60 footer) in Bonfouca during the 1800s. This familial connection to boat building further underscores Dale’s immersion in maritime traditions and knowledge, he was awarded patents in both the USA and Canada shaping his own innovations and designs in the field.
Considering these familial and social connections, it becomes even more conceivable that Arthur C. Dale’s patented boat design could have been known or discussed within the maritime circles of New Orleans, potentially influencing Andrew Jackson Higgins’ work or inspiring similar innovations within the marine engineering community of the time. However, without direct evidence linking Dale’s design to Higgins’ work, the precise nature of their relationship remains speculative.
Years ago I had the pleasure of sitting next to Andrew Higgins granddaughter at a fundraiser. I tired so hard no to bring this crazy oral history up. But the drinks were free and the conversation led to our grandfathers and bootlegging. She made some assertions about her grandfather and ended with “that sounds very possible” – she wasn’t just being polite.
Another time a lady claimed her grandfather invented a “fog machine” he used to cloak the boat’s position from authorities when he smuggled whiskey across the lake – that fog machine design was purchased and used on Higgins boats, I was told.
Final thought, Arthur Dale’s grandfather Nicholas Galatas family built schooners (they blocked the Union navy from entering Lake Pontchartrain (briefly) during the Civil War.
Nicholas Galatas was the Sheriff of Saint Tammany Parish which might have given his grandson, Arthur “access” if boat were ever built. Arthur’s cousin, Richard Galatas was a well known mobster and mastermind of the Kansas City Massacre.
