Old Town canoe 1337 17

lcbusch

Curious about Wooden Canoes
I've recently acquired this canoe. I believe it is 17' long, but don't know much more. It is green in color and has 1337 17 on both ends of the canoe. I would appreciate any information I can get.
Thanks:)
 
Please post pictures of your canoe, as it may be something other than an Old Town. There are very few existing records for Old Town canoes with a four-digit serial number. Even if it isn't Old Town, we may be able to figure out what you have and how old it may be... love a mystery!

Kathy
 
Pictures sometime tomorrow

I will try to get various pictures of this canoe... my husbands side of the family swears it is an Old Town, but I have no clue... The numbers I said are on the bottom rails on both ends of the canoe. I have a previous engagement that I need to be at from mid-morning until late afternoon and I will address this ASAP.
Thank you for your help:D
 
canoe pictures

I tried my best to get some pictures, but out in the garage, with as cool as it is, some of the light fixtures weren't working right. I hope this helps you, and I would like to thank you so much for trying to help me
canoe1.jpg

canoe2.jpg

canoe3.jpg

canoe4.jpg

canoe7.jpg

canoe9.jpg
 
It doesn't appear to be an Old Town to me... but there are many eyes and minds on this board, and having any kind of serial number can help weed things out.

Your canoe appears to have open gunwales, which a very early Old Town is unlikely to have, and the shape of the deck isn't early-Old Town either.

It can help to know where you are located... you don't have to be specific, but "Western U.S." or New England or Midwest... this can help us narrow down the possibilities if nobody immediately recognizes your canoe.

There were many small builders, and we sometimes can't determine for certain who made a specific canoe. We sometimes refer to these canoes as U.F.O.s, or Unidentified Floating Objects.

I'll work more on this when I'm home later on.

Kathy
 

That looks like 7887 when I blow up the image.
I usually do a crayon rub over the stamping to see what pops up. Just lay a piece of paper over the stamping and rub with a crayon.

The nails are not very nicely set and it's an odd shape. The decks, rails and seats also do not look right.
It's a nice canoe, but I don't think it's an OT.
Perhaps one of our experts can weigh in on what it is.
 
We are located in Missouri. I appreciate all this information from everyone. Thanks for your help!
 
Can you provide a good picture of the deck outline? The Saint Louis Meramec Canoe Company of Valley Park, Missouri had a very distinctive deck as described at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/meramec/deck.jpg and indicated on their catalog cover at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/meramec/catalog.jpg from 1925. The 1927 catalog page at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/meramec/models.jpg shows some of their more popular models. More information like this is available at http://woodencanoe.org/catalog/prod...d=406&osCsid=761aa37b305b6d5e0a85517acb6e7131 and http://dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm#historic on the Historic Wood Canoe and Boat Company Catalog Collection. A. E. Wickett founded this company after he left the Old Town Canoe Company so many of the other constuction characteristics are similar.

Benson
 
The Hauck's and Strasser's from the Valley of the Merrimac WCHA Chapter in the St. Louis area have done a lot of research on this company and may have more specific info related to the number on the stem, etc.

Wally Hauck's e-mail is: zymostudios@sbcglobal.net
 
the deck , from what i can see of it and the stem profile looks an awful lot like my pecaco penobscot canoe co.
 
Alfred Wickett founded both the Penobscot and the St. Louis and Meramec Canoe Companies. Decks appear similar except for the treatment of the inwale, which is a "spearhead" on the Penobscot and an "arrowhead" on the Meramec. Check out Dan's dragonfly site... www.dragonflycanoe.com/id/ scrolling on the left to Penobscot and then to St. Louis.

Knowing Icbusch is in St. Louis gives greater weight to the canoe being a St. Louis Meramec. It'll be nice to check out the serial number and see if the build information matches the canoe in question.

Issue 146 (April 2008) has a very informative article on Alfred Wickett and the Meramec canoe.

Kathy
 
Is it possible to get some additional photo's of the decks? That should help us to put Gil into the winners seat.

A photo of the entire deck would do the trick.
 
I think Gil is correct. Some more pictures would help. The profile, thwart and square seat spacer fits the description of the St. Louis Boat and Canoe Company. However, I can't tell from the picture of the deck what it is and I have not seen a closed gunwale canoe that was built by the St. Louis Boat and Canoe.

The stem number certainly fits. The numbers that we have from the canoe company start with 1878 and start in 1943. Based on the number and the other canoes that we have seen we would estimate that this canoe was built around 1937. The canoe is definitly a Wickett built canoe if it is a SLBCC. He died in 1943.

More pictures would help or a close examination. We live in St. Louis and have a lot of information on both the St.Louis Boat and canoe company and the earlier Wickett Company the St. Louis Meramec Canoe Company. If you are close by Wally Hauck and I could come by and take a look at the canoe. This would also assist us in the ongoing research that we are doing on the companies.

My contact information is in the Wooden Canoe under the local Chapter section. Our chapter is the Valley of the Meramec Chapter. You might give a thought about joining us.
John Strasser
 
Where I am located

I am located in the St. Louis Mo area, if that is any help to you:confused: I hop e it may be able to help you, but I sure do appreciate all you help and interest:)
It doesn't appear to be an Old Town to me... but there are many eyes and minds on this board, and having any kind of serial number can help weed things out.

Your canoe appears to have open gunwales, which a very early Old Town is unlikely to have, and the shape of the deck isn't early-Old Town either.

It can help to know where you are located... you don't have to be specific, but "Western U.S." or New England or Midwest... this can help us narrow down the possibilities if nobody immediately recognizes your canoe.

There were many small builders, and we sometimes can't determine for certain who made a specific canoe. We sometimes refer to these canoes as U.F.O.s, or Unidentified Floating Objects.

I'll work more on this when I'm home later on.

Kathy
 
Location

We are actually located in Cedar Hill MO, I don't know if you are familar with the area, but if you are interested I can give you my cell number. Any help would be greatly appreciated:)
I think Gil is correct. Some more pictures would help. The profile, thwart and square seat spacer fits the description of the St. Louis Boat and Canoe Company. However, I can't tell from the picture of the deck what it is and I have not seen a closed gunwale canoe that was built by the St. Louis Boat and Canoe.

The stem number certainly fits. The numbers that we have from the canoe company start with 1878 and start in 1943. Based on the number and the other canoes that we have seen we would estimate that this canoe was built around 1937. The canoe is definitly a Wickett built canoe if it is a SLBCC. He died in 1943.

More pictures would help or a close examination. We live in St. Louis and have a lot of information on both the St.Louis Boat and canoe company and the earlier Wickett Company the St. Louis Meramec Canoe Company. If you are close by Wally Hauck and I could come by and take a look at the canoe. This would also assist us in the ongoing research that we are doing on the companies.

My contact information is in the Wooden Canoe under the local Chapter section. Our chapter is the Valley of the Meramec Chapter. You might give a thought about joining us.
John Strasser
 
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