Stephens Brothers
Stephens Brothers—one of the most respected names in pleasure craft design—began in 1902 when brothers Thod and Roy Stephens launched their first boat into the Stockton Channel. Initially, they built work boats and launches that were instrumental in the development of agriculture throughout the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region. By the mid-1920s, their focus shifted to pleasure crafts including both cruisers and sailboats. One of their iconic early boats—a fully restored 1927 26-foot runabout— is on display in the Museum’s California Room.
During WWII they were one of nine local shipbuilding firms that built a variety of vessels for both the Army and Navy. Following the war, Stephens Bros. resumed building stock and custom pleasure crafts for boating enthusiasts both here and abroad. The company closed in 1987 and donated their records and marine architectural drawings to the Haggin creating invaluable research resources for the hundreds of Stephens Bros. boat owners around the globe.