Last week we looked at the Conley building on Main Street, and today we’ll look a little bit deeper at the Conley’s business in the Village of Westport.

James Conley and his son built their new shop on Main Street in 1909 to showcase the boats and launches that they manufactured. In earlier years, a factory was situated on Bedford Street where Conley and Truelove operated their boat building and carriage works. This building is now home to The Rideau District Museum.

In April of 1912, G.S. Conley of Westport patented a new and improved boat fender, making it quite clear that boat building was definitely in the Conley blood.

This photo, from the early 1900s, shows one of the boats that would have been on display at the Conley showcase on Main Street.

Now home of the Rideau District Museum, the Conley & Truelove factory on Bedford Street was illustrated in Thad. Leavitt’s History of Leeds and Grenville which was published in 1879.

The caption on this old photo from the 1909 Souvenir Edition of the Westport Mirror read “Jas. Conley & Son – Manufacturers of Skiffs and Gasolene Launches”.