Allen R. Bjornson

I have an Old Town wooden canoe, serial number 123912, that was fiberglassed sometime in the 50's what can you tell me about this boat?
Thank you
Allen R. Bjornson
Evanston IL
 
Welcome, Allen--

Old Town 123912 was constructed between December of 1937 and February 1939. It's a 17 foot CS ("common sense") grade HW (heavy water, or lake boat) with open spruce gunwales and ash decks, thwarts, and seat frames. The rails are oval, and it was fitted with a keel and painted bright red. It also has a bob stay, which you may read an interesting discussion about here:

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=3831&highlight=bob+stay

The canoe was shipped in Von Lenzerke and Antoine in Chicago on March 9, 1939.

If this doesn't seem to match the canoe you have, we can try again. The scan of this record is attached below-- click on it, and it will become larger. Scans of approximately 210,000 records were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. Additional information about the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/ot_records/ if you want more details.

Please join WCHA or make a tax deductible contribution so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA, http://www.wcha.org/wcha_video.php to watch a 10 minute video about WCHA and our programs and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to join. If you are already a WCHA member, THANK YOU!

Kathy
 

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Hi Benson,

Thanks. Are those oval gunwales the sames as the gunwale extensions listed in the OT catalogs on the 'extras' list?
 

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Canerodz said:
What air tanks were installed in canoes?

These were shaped to fit in the bow and stern under the decks for additional flotation as shown below in the small photo and described in the build record. A page from a 1927 Peterborough catalog is also attached that shows them better.

Benson
 

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