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Leigh was born in 1870. [1] He married Theoda Andrews in 1899. Leigh died in 1959. [2]
"Many believed and some hoped that the opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal would make Lake Union an intensely commercialized harbor, with cargo-handling facilities and heavy industries lining its shores. However, that vision never came close to full fruition, and the lake's most legendary companies are the relatively small shipyards that built wooden pleasure boats for the public, including the city's growing middle class.
Several factors contributed to their success. A handful of local naval architects (self taught or formally educated) provided skillful designs that determined a boat's overall appearance, performance, and comfort, whether powered by engine or sail. Notable in the early days were Leigh Coolidge (1870-1959), Bill Garden (1918-2011), Ted Geary (1885-1960), and Ed Monk Sr. (1894-1973)." [3]
"Seattle's Coolidge Propeller Company was begun by Leigh Hill Coolidge (1870-1959), a prolific naval architect and pioneer in the design and machining of high-speed propellers for racing hydroplanes. One of the most well-known vessels he designed is the City Light excursion vessel Alice Ross, which gave its first tour of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project on Diablo Lake in 1935. As of 2018, City Light still offers tours of Diablo Dam on the Alice Ross IV. In this image 20 men stand together at the Coolidge Propeller Company, posing with what at the time was the largest bronze propeller ever cast. The propeller weighed almost a ton and was fitted with blades which were made to change their positions by pneumatic pressure, using the angle of the blades to drive the vessel either forwards or backwards. The propeller was designed by Mr. Coolidge for the refitting of the barkentine "Archer" into a power boat. The "Archer" was built in Sunderland, England in 1876, and held the sailing record between Puget Sound and San Francisco." [4]
Connections to Super Bowl halftime show performers: Leigh is 22 degrees from Prince Nelson, 20 degrees from Dan Aykroyd, 21 degrees from Garth Brooks, 27 degrees from Chubby Checker, 24 degrees from Ella Fitzgerald, 21 degrees from Dusty Hill, 28 degrees from Whitney Houston, 22 degrees from Mick Jagger, 19 degrees from Paul McCartney, 20 degrees from Tom Petty, 21 degrees from Chris Stapleton and 20 degrees from Shania Twain on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.
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