When John Hafer moved to the Iowa Great Lakes region and began building boats in the late 1800s, he probably had no idea that over 100 years later, many of his boats would survive and that Hafer owners, historians and enthusiasts would be reading of his life and his work. This site is dedicated to John Hafer's legacy.

You may be a Hafer Craft owner, an Iowa Great Lakes resident or visitor, or just a fan of antique and classic boats. In any case, this site is designed to consolidate the known history of the Hafers and their boats, and to add new information and stories as they become available. Have a Hafer story? Let us know!

The links at left will guide you through a number of historic documents, reproduced as they were written. Some were written as early as the 1930s, others more recently. While several of the early Hafer historians have passed, their documents live on, here, for your enjoyment and enlightenment. Source information is provided wherever it is available.