The Rhinelander community has enjoyed the waters of Boom Lake since the city's beginnings. In the late 1930s, Matt Vancos entertained neighborhood children with fishing trips and rides in his launch, the Minnie-Ha-Ha. Purchased from the Oneida Boat Livery which once sat on the banks of the river near the Phillip Street dam, the launch was sold when Vancos entered the military during WWII. The scene was photographed by amateur photographer and family friend, Carl Anderson.