Bill Mackowksi traditional birchbark gear

[Rob Stevens]

http://billmackowskitraditionals.com/

 

[Benson Gray]

Bill Mackowski has been very helpful in my search for early canoe builders since many of them also made showshoes. The second oldest canoe builder listed in the Maine Register was Albert McClain as described at http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/7166/ and shown in the link below from 1889. Great stuff,

Benson

 

[Rollin Thurlow]

Hi Benson,
I have a Al McClain canoe in my office. He built birch bark canoes and sold a bunch to the Bar Harbor Canoe Club or maybe it was a yacht Club. When the club disbanded the canoe was sold and I inherited from the owner back around 1985.
Rollin

 

[Benson Gray]

I have a Al McClain canoe in my office.

Do you have any pictures to share? Do you know if McClain ever made canvas canoes? Great stuff.

Benson