Flaming Beard
New Member
I have an Olde Town canoe that my father gave me. He purchased it when he was young for $25. The serial number is 128560. My sons and I are considering restoring it and would appreciate any historical information available.
Olde Town #128560
- Thread starter Flaming Beard
- Start date
Kathryn Klos
squirrel whisperer
Hello--
Old Town 128560 is a 16 foot CS (common sense or middle) grade HW (heavy water) model canoe with open spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seat frames, sponsons, a keel, a floor rack, and a full length bang plate (bang plate begins on one end and goes all along the keel and up the other side). The canoe was originally the color of dead grass (which I assume is a version of light yellow-green) and was shipped to Battle Creek, MI, on April 17, 1940. A copy of the scan of this record is attached below; click on it to get a larger image.
There is an active WCHA Chapter in lower Michigan and you may possibly live near some of the folks and can involve your family in the fun. It's great to have a canoe that has been in the family.
This scan and several hundred thousand others were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/ot_records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to join.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Old Town 128560 is a 16 foot CS (common sense or middle) grade HW (heavy water) model canoe with open spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seat frames, sponsons, a keel, a floor rack, and a full length bang plate (bang plate begins on one end and goes all along the keel and up the other side). The canoe was originally the color of dead grass (which I assume is a version of light yellow-green) and was shipped to Battle Creek, MI, on April 17, 1940. A copy of the scan of this record is attached below; click on it to get a larger image.
There is an active WCHA Chapter in lower Michigan and you may possibly live near some of the folks and can involve your family in the fun. It's great to have a canoe that has been in the family.
This scan and several hundred thousand others were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/ot_records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to join.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
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Flaming Beard
New Member
Thanks for the quick response Kathryn. This is a wealth of information. My father was amazed that we could find out this much about the canoe. Is there any information that you know of concerning the colors? I would like to know what "Dead Grass" looks like before we decide whether to restore it to its original color.
Kathryn Klos
squirrel whisperer
There isn't a source for all of Old Town's colors-- the following shows some, but over time the colors on examples such as this can change. What we tell folks is that it's best to choose a color you like-- but "dead grass" has been one I've been curious about myself.
Here's a discussion showing some of the paint colors, but not the one you're looking for:
http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?7345-Old-Town-color-chart-circa-1920
And here's what I found using the web-- the question was "what color is dead grass?", and it was not asked in the context of canoes... so I guess other things must be dead-grass-color too.
mix 70% gold or light beige, with 30% brown. that will get you the color of dead bluegrass.
Source(s):
5 years of painting experience.
Here's another reply:
http://www.colourlovers.com/color/A3B56D/Dead_Grass
Let us know what you choose!
Kathy
Here's a discussion showing some of the paint colors, but not the one you're looking for:
http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?7345-Old-Town-color-chart-circa-1920
And here's what I found using the web-- the question was "what color is dead grass?", and it was not asked in the context of canoes... so I guess other things must be dead-grass-color too.
mix 70% gold or light beige, with 30% brown. that will get you the color of dead bluegrass.
Source(s):
5 years of painting experience.
Here's another reply:
http://www.colourlovers.com/color/A3B56D/Dead_Grass
Let us know what you choose!
Kathy
