Digital Media Info

Paul Nelson

Curious about Wooden Canoes
Can anyone give me details on the different catalogue collections? Specifically, does the History collection contain all the catalogues from the Canadian collection, and/or Thompson Co. and more? I am trying to identify one of my canoes, and would like to get as complete a collection of catalogues as possible without duplicating. Would also like a complete collection out of historical interest. Thanks, Paul
 
Hi Paul,
There is no duplication across catalog collections, so if you buy them all, you’ll get as complete a collection as we had at the time we finished that project.
Dan
 
Let us know if you are looking for something in particular. Dan and I have collected a fair number of other catalogs and additional information after those collections were completed. However much of the newer information has distribution restrictions so can't be reproduced as easily.

Benson
 
Thanks everyone. I will post some pictures in the next day or so. It has some distinctive features and a serial #, so hopefully you guys will recognize it.
 
A friend of mine gave me this canoe a number of years ago, and its been in my barn ever since. Someone had given it to him, and he didnt want to move it when he relocated to Maine. He lived in Newton, Mass. for years. Auburndale is a village of Newton and the Charles River flows through the town. It has beveled ribs, heart shaped decks and tapered inwhales that have thin covering boards nailed over them. It is 18 feet long, thirty five inches wide, about 12" deep, and the center thwart is removable with wing nuts, so a carrying thwart can be installed, i guess. Bow looks a bit Ojibwe, or Ted Moores Redbird. There is also a short carrying bar near the bow. Seat caning is Peterborough, albeit sideways. I doubt it is original. Chestnut Maybe? The serial # on the stem is 1572, followed by the # 18. I looked on dragonfly and the WCHA site at bows, and the nearest I could find was a Robertson, or a Dan Kidney. Anyhelphelp in identifying it would be much appreciated.
IMG_0491.jpg
IMG_0492.jpg
IMG_0493.jpg
IMG_0494.jpg
IMG_0495.jpg
IMG_0496.jpg
IMG_0497.jpg
IMG_0498.jpg
IMG_0499.jpg
IMG_0500.jpg
 
My guess is that you have the Carleton canoe with serial number 15720. This is an 18 foot long, regular (or middle) grade, Carleton model with red western cedar planking, closed spruce gunwales, birch decks, birch thwarts, and birch seats. It was built between September, 1920 and April, 1921. The original exterior paint color was slate. It shipped on April 27th, 1921 to Readfield Depot, Maine with two number one grade paddles, a spruce slat chair, and a slate repair outfit kit. A scan showing this build record can be found below.

This scan and several hundred thousand more 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/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will donate, join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/about-wcha to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/store/membership to join.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer this description doesn't match the canoe. Feel free to reply if you have any other questions.

Benson



c-15720.jpg
 
Amazing. Thanks for the reply Benson. I hadn’t seen the zero at the end of the serial number. Hard to believe the records still exist. Will be making a donation. Glad someone is making this stuff available. Paul.
 
Back
Top