Havasu Pioneer Reunion Features Miller’s Folly Presentation

By Becky Maxedon

When Havasu Pioneers get together, there are usually stories about the early years of the development of Lake Havasu City. To be a Havasu Pioneer, a member must have moved to the city by 1973.

And anyone who was around Lake Havasu City in the 1960s and ‘70s doubtless remembers Miller’s Folly.

Miller’s Folly was a 60-foot-long double-decker paddlewheel boat built by a Havasu Pioneer Sy Miller and his sidekick Jim Schulte – along with many other friends and helpers.

The story of Miller’s Folly was featured at the Havasu Pioneer Reunion Saturday. A presentation provided by the Lake Havasu Museum of History highlighted the history of the boat, which became a legendary party place from many early Lake Havasu City residents.

Schulte was at the reunion Saturday and talked to RiverScene Magazine about the building of Miller’s Folly.

Jim Schulte and David Quiggle pose for a photo at the Havasu Pioneer Reunion. Photo courtesy Jay Coombs.

“I was the second owner of Miller’s Folly. I owned it for seven years,” Schulte said.

Schulte and his family followed the Millers to Lake Havasu City from Salton Sea, Calif., in 1964.

“I was one of two people who started building it. We had four guys who said they wanted to build a boat and they discussed what kind of boat they wanted and then we started collecting stuff.

“We took whatever we find, and we had people who would donate anything they had that they thought could be used to build the boat,” Schulte said.

“They would bring it down and pile it up and pile it up and pile it up,” he said.

A display by the Havasu Museum of History at the Havasu Pioneers Reunion Saturday. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Schulte said there were a lot of people who would come by the build site and ask if they could help.

“We’d say, ‘Yeah, we’ll see you Saturday.’ Or they would say, ‘I can’t do it now, but how about Thursday night after work?’ So that’s the way it went all the way through.

“Then, we took it down to the lake to see if we could get it to float and it did,” Schulte said.

Schulte said he has loved his life in Lake Havasu City. “I guess the best part is I got to be here with my family, and we just enjoyed it, enjoyed it, enjoyed it,” he said.

Miller’s Folly now sleeps at the bottom of Lake Havasu after a memorable run of fun for early settlers.

For more information about Miller’s Folly, visit the Lake Havasu Museum of History and 320 London Bridge Road. For more information about the Havasu Pioneers, visit Official Havasu Pioneers on Facebook.

Here are more photos from the event.