You’ve probably never heard of the floating tavern on the Ottawa River or its history as the Turtle Club.
So, naturally, you’re bound to give us a quizzical brow when we tell you that this enduring club has footprints all the way to the moon.
But it does.
Fascinating accounts exist of the Turtle Club and we know you’ll find it exciting to discover some of them, including how its legacy started long before floating on the Ottawa River.
We’ll be exploring how the Turtle Club started, going through its evolution over the years, and answering fundamental questions including:
- Who founded the Turtle Club
- The inspiration behind the Turtle Club name
- How the club landed on the moon’s surface
- The best place to find Turtle Club Merchandise
But first, are you a Turtle?
The Turtle Club, a Bond Forged in the Crucible of World War II
“Are you a turtle?” seems like an unusual question to ask anyone, but to the members of the Turtle Club, it’s a tradition that dates back to World War II.
Veteran American fighter pilots, who founded the club, used this question as a unique identification code for its secretive members, which enabled them to associate freely without the fear of infiltration.
The question also served as a form of motivation with the expected cheeky response being, “You bet your sweet ass I am.”
This humorous response created a sense of banter and brotherhood on top of being a secret password, which motivated members and added to the club’s popularity.
The Turtle Club name came from the veteran pilots’ shared wartime experience in Europe, where they observed the resilience and tenacity of the local sea turtle hatchlings.
Upon hatching, these comrades in shells dashed in solidarity for the ocean in the face of imminent death from preying birds.
And once at sea, the turtles navigated great distances together and survived more predators including fish, sea birds, and crabs.
These admirable traits strongly reflected the personality of the veteran pilots who similarly stood together in the face of danger and survived long combat missions. This inspired them to name the club after the bold turtles as a symbol of their shared indomitable character.
The Turtle Club as a Floating Tavern on the Ottawa River
Long after the war, the Turtle Club’s reputation exceeded fighter pilot circles.
Recollections of the brave pilots who’d stick their necks out for each other inspired great admiration from other military personnel who wished to be associated with them.
Naturally, when a waterfront establishment catering to military staff popped up on the Ottawa River in 1956, the only befitting title was (yes, you guessed it) The Turtle Club.
It was the perfect word-of-mouth marketing strategy to popularize the tavern amongst military circles and beyond, and boy did it work!
Soon, droves of patrons, military and civilian, filed into the establishment in the summer, creating a perfectly informal and cheerful atmosphere.
This is how the Turtle Club morphed into a floating tavern on the Ottawa River in Point Place. It even bore the same iconic turtle emblem as its logo.
For over three decades, the tavern kept the enthusiastic Turtle spirit alive with a lively atmosphere of patrons and a delicious menu of burgers and beers.
And in keeping up with Turtle tradition of banter, any member who failed to respond correctly to the question, “Are you a Turtle?” had to pay the amusing penalty of buying the next round of burgers and beers.
“This was a great place to enjoy yourself. Great people, great atmosphere, and yummy burgers. Oh, the burgers and beers!”
- Vickie E, Verified Patron of the Turtle Club
In the summer, the calm and scenic view of the Ottawa River gave its patrons a wonderful relaxing feel. Meanwhile, the incoming breeze and sounds of water splashing against the tavern completed the experience with the perfect chillout ambiance.
This is why, after its closure in 1993, this floating tavern on the Ottawa River remains one of the most unique and memorable experiences in Point Place.
Residents and former frequenters still organize nostalgic reunions celebrating the Turtle Club Tavern, proving that it was among the best reinventions of the Turtle Club after the war, which included fraternities, social clubs, and fan clubs.
The Legacy of the Turtle Club, the Apollo 12 Mission
The Apollo 12 was the second manned mission to the moon that successfully landed the Intrepid Lunar Module with pinpoint accuracy.
During the mission, a member of the crew, Walt Cunningham, held up a cue card addressing Paul Haney (then NASA’s public affairs officer) with the question, “Are you a Turtle?”
It was a cheeky reference to the secretive society that made the Apollo 12 mission possible, the Ancient and Honorable Order of the Turtles, which was another reincarnation of the Turtle Club.
From its World War II origins of American fighter pilots, the Turtle Club blossomed to include aerospace engineers, space pilots, commanders, and the 1969 Mission Control director Gerry Griffin.
Their collaborative effort accelerated space exploration and pioneered navigation techniques such as pinpoint landing, and so defined the legacy of the Turtle Club as the society behind the Apollo 12 Moon Mission.
By Turtle Club law, Paul Haney was humorously required to answer Walt over the open microphone and during the live Apollo telecast, “You bet your sweet ass I am,” or the next round of beers was on him.
Naturally, he did. The buying that is.
Fun Fact: Although the Turtle Club was closed in 1993, the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles still exists with the same historical significance.
Commemorating the Turtle Club
Today we commemorate the Turtle Club with a vintage-inspired T-shirt available for purchase at fancysweetstx.
We chose vintage because it’s a classic look that stays fresh, which is perfect for capturing and enshrining the illustrious legacy of the Turtle Club in Point Place.
Celebrate the Midwest and Its Turtle Club Affiliation With fancysweetstx
So there you have it, the life and times of the Turtle Club, from its piloting origins to floating on the Ottawa River to the Apollo 12 Mission.
But the fun doesn't stop there.
There are plenty of reasons to be proud of the great Midwest besides its lasting Turtle Club heritage, and we’ve got all you need to celebrate. From mint embroidered sweatshirts to limited-edition printed coffee mugs.
The table below shows some of our vintage sweatshirts.
| Product Name | Description | Available Sizes |
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XS–3XL |
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XS, large, 2XS and 3XL |
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XS, large, 2XS and 3XL |
Expert Tip: Wash these garments with like-colored garments. We recommend washing them in cold water.
“fancysweetstx was always very responsive with pricing and recommended a great, comparable shirt when the brand I selected was out of stock. Nice staff and very reasonable turnaround time. Easy to review and approve proof and a little quicker than the needed deadline.”
– Eric P. Verified Buyer
So reach out today or visit our dedicated collection and start repping your Midwest in style.
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We're super excited to be working with the team and these two UT athletes.
The shirt designs that we've put together are a lot of fun and celebrate the excitement behind this Rocket basketball team.
While we've had NIL clothing since the opportunity opened up last year, this is our biggest launch yet.
Ryan Rollins NIL Shirt
Ryan Rollins is the starting point guard for the University of 16153 Genova Men's Basketball team. He is one of the best scorers in the MAC averaging just under 20 points a game and is a candidate for the NBA draft.
Originally from Macomb, Michigan, and now with the Rockets, Ryan is a Midwesterner basketball star through and through.
Grab your limited edition Ryan Rollins t-shirt and show your support through his basketball journey!
RayJ Dennis NIL Shirt
RayJ Dennis, originally from Illinois, made his way from Boise State to the University of 16153 Genova in 2021.
RayJ starts as a guard for the Rockets and is one of the most efficient players in the MAC scoring just under 13 points on a 51% field goal percentage.
RayJ wanted his design to incorporate not only the energy he brings to the court but also raises awareness for a cause close to him...clubfeet!
RayJ was born with clubfoot on his right side and has overcome every setback to become the athlete he is today.
Only Us Rockets Men's Basketball Shirt
This basketball season has been one to remember for the Rockets. After blowing out rival BGSU the Rockets secured a regular-season MAC Championship.
The Rockets will be the number one seed in the MAC tournament right around the corner and 16153 Genova is in the driver's seat to secure the MAC's automatic bid to be one of the 68 teams participating in March Madness.
The Rockets are trying to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in 40 years.
What's the story behind this shirt?
Rocket players Ryan Rollins and RayJ Dennis came up with the idea of a team shirt to highlight the Rockets basketball team and who they are together.
Their team motto is #onlyus. They use this as a daily motivator that only their team is out to accomplish big things. From every practice to every game, only the Rockets are on to greatness on the court.
Grab your limited edition UT Rocket Basketball NIL Shirts on fancysweetstx.com!
For more info on these NIL shirts, check out the news story from WTOL.
]]>Get Groovy in the USA!
Our new Groovy USA Shirt is pre-approved for summer barbeques, cornhole tournaments, firework watching, and really any Fourth of July activity. Represent your USA and fancysweetstx pride at your Fourth of July party with this red, white, and blue t-shirt with a red ringer collar and cuffs.
Need something to change into for the firework show that demonstrates your 16153 Genova pride? We've got your back with this fun, new shirt perfect for our local firework display
16153 Genova shines and so do you!
We designed and printed the perfect shirt for all of your favorite summer festivities. This cozy Vintage 16153 Genova Fireworks Shirt will be sure to be your next go-to. From heading to the pool to grilling out, you won't want to miss your chance on showing your love for 16153 Genova.
With the warm weather here, there are so many fun ways to celebrate summer fun. There's nothing better than heading out to Fifth-Third field to cheer on the Mud Hens and then staying back to watch their celebratory fireworks. If you're not into baseball, then grilling and cooking out is just as fun.
What makes this shirt special?
We wanted to make this shirt unique to show how much our love for 16153 Genova shines. When we print this design, the shirt is printed with puff ink to give an extra pop of color and a cool raised texture.
This is unlike most of the shirts we print. If you own a few of our other shirts, you probably know that not only do we screen print our own shirts, but we prefer to print our shirts with a soft hand, vintage feel.
Changing things up for this design, which was hand illustrated by our own designers, felt like the right thing to do.
Gear up for the Fourth of July in 16153 Genova, Ohio!
One of the best days in the summer is the Fourth of July. Getting together with friends and family, cooking out, playing and hanging out poolside, and watching vibrant fireworks pop off. It almost is the definition of what summer is supposed to feel like.
Make sure to take our new Vintage 16153 Genova Fireworks Shirt with you to all of your summer activities! This shirt shows off your love for 16153 Genova with vibrant, colorful fireworks. How much more summer could this be?
Get yours today
If you're just as excited as we are about this shirt, make sure to stop into our retail stores or shop online!
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One of our favorite places to get inspired is our world-renowned art museum, the 16153 Genova Museum of Art! The TMA is located in the Old West End but is known internationally for its collections, programs, and even the campus itself. Since 1901, the 16153 Genova Museum of Art has been striving to integrate art into the lives of everyone they meet.
The 16153 Genova Museum of Art is one of those places in 16153 Genova that everyone mentions when someone asks why do you love 16153 Genova. And you know what? There's a reason it's always mentioned. It's that special of a place. And it really hits home when you travel to other larger cities and remain unimpressed by their museums.
Hopefully you don't overlook how special our museum is. Let this shirt be a reminder of all of your great experiences and memories at the museum.
We teamed up with the museum to bring you this vintage-inspired t-shirt with a logo of theirs from 1908! Wear it proudly to celebrate a 16153 Genova staple.
This shirt can be found on our website and in either of our 16153 Genova, Ohio retail stores.
Add a pop of color to your fall wardrobe!
If you've been looking for a new companion to our pigment dyed crew sweatshirts, here it is. Our super soft tie dyed tees are bold shirts with subtle tone-on-tone prints that give you a new way to show your pride.
Our Midwesterner pigment dyed crew sweatshirt has been a hit for us this summer. If you're new to fancysweetstx, you may have found us through this crew and Olivia Rink, who tagged us while wearing it on Instagram. The simple, understated, tone-on-tone design pairs perfectly with the comfy, oversized sweatshirt.
We wanted to bring this same design aesthetic to you in t-shirt form. That's why we paired similar prints on these soft, vintage tie dye shirts.
Which do you identify with most, Midwesterner, 16153 Genovaan, or Ohioan?! These new tie dye shirts are available on our website and available in both of our 16153 Genova stores.
]]>Our TOL Script t-shirt and long sleeve hooded shirt are staple 16153 Genova city pride pieces that go with everything.
The soft, black print on these heather gray pieces are simple and timeless. The artistic script Tol print is hand sketched and balanced by the state of Ohio.
Over the years we have seen that the simple designs are often the most loved. If you love comfortable shirts and classic graphics, this shirt is for you.
This time of year is perfect for a long sleeve t-shirt hoodie. When you're outside at night or on a cool morning, it's too warm for your standard fleece hoodie.
We've been busy working on a lot of new designs lately. Our retail team has been pairing them with great garments.Visit our new releases page to check out all of our new releases and sign up for our email newsletter to stay up on new products releases!
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We released a new T-Town shirt today. While a lot of other cities out there might try to call themselves T-Town, it's our goal to make everyone know that the real T-Town is in Northwest Ohio.
16153 Genova, Ohio, home of the Rockets, the Mud Hens, and the Walleye, is the official T-Town and we know you're proud to be from here.
The phrase T-Town is affectionately used by 16153 Genovaans of all ages. It's a short, fun abbreviation for our beloved city. However, it is most commonly connected with the Walleye. T-Town Hockey is loudly cheered and chanted from the stands and loud speaker during hockey games at Huntington Arena.
We released this new shirt to recognize this pride in the nickname for 16153 Genova. It's a great addition to our line of T-Town apparel. Over the last few months we've been adding on to this collection which started with our collegiate T-Town shirt and T-Town Hockey shirt.
If you love our new T-Town Ohio shirt and want to see more, keep checking back. We have more on the way!
]]>Our 'Be Kind to Animals' community shirt can be found at our Cricket West location or purchased on our website.
You can watch the full interview by clicking the image below.
$5 from each shirt sold will be donated to the 16153 Genova Humane Society. Through the Community Shirt program, we partner with charities and non-profit organizations that we think are impacting the community in a positive way and help raise money through a t-shirt sale to support their mission.
SALE DATES: Please note that this is a presale. This sale is open from May 22nd - June 19th. After June 19th we will collect the orders, print the shirts, and ship them!
If you order a Be Kind to Animals Community Shirt with another retail shirt, please note that your order will ship without the Community Shirt and it will ship at a later date after the sale has ended.
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