Old Town Canoe Company Ledger

[Benson Gray]

I went to the Old Town Canoe Company yesterday to review an old ledger that was mentioned in the database that Sue Audette created when writing her book. It is huge and appears to contain all of the bills that the company paid for several years starting from October, 1904. Research like Roger Young's at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?5165 have often indicated that the canoe manufacturers were usually somewhat cooperative and this information also confirms that as shown below. It is also interesting to note that the Carleton Canoe Company was allowing Old Town to use their canoes and boats five years before they sold the company to Old Town.

Benson

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Cool stuff! Why do you think they "used" Carlton canoes for one day? What does "use" mean? The oar tips- that sounds like a purchase for use on OT products. But the others - one yoke, two paddles, one Dan Kidney boat... Perhaps these were to fill orders when OT stock ran out, but could these have been attempts to monitor what the competitors were doing?

 

[Benson Gray]

Why do you think they "used" Carlton canoes for one day? What does "use" mean? The oar tips- that sounds like a purchase for use on OT products. But the others - one yoke, two paddles, one Dan Kidney boat... Perhaps these were to fill orders when OT stock ran out, but could these have been attempts to monitor what the competitors were doing?

My guess is that they were occasionally moving some wood in the river and may have needed to quickly borrow some extra boats (batteaux and a canoe) from Carleton if things weren't going as expected. There is an irony to having a manufacturer who was producing about a thousand canoes a year rent a canoe from a smaller competitor but they may not have had time for another solution. The images at http://forums.wcha.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=13522&d=1290817424 and http://forums.wcha.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=3706&d=1195677515 shows a batteau, logs, and canoes in front of the Carleton saw mill on the river.

The oar tips may have been the ones shown at http://forums.wcha.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=9045&d=1257364811 which were regularly used on Old Town products. The paddles and yoke were probably purchased for resale to solve some temporary inventory problems. The Dan Kidney boat could have been for market research, resale, or both.

There are a few more bills attached below which raise some other interesting questions. There is another from Carleton for some cedar shingles. One more from Morris for ten very expensive "Fonts" which may have been sets of gold leaf letters. The Taylor bill was probably an early one from a company that is still in operation as Shaw and Tenny today. The Bent chair one is also unusual, especially since it was shipped directly to Macy's in New York City. The ones from George Gray's hardware store are the least surprising. Wilbur Gray's meat market was selling a lot of hardwood for a grocery business. Research in original documents always seems to produce more questions than answers.

Benson

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Very interesting. I love the art-work on some of these-- and some people had very pretty handwriting (is cursive even taught anymore?). And I doubt it's possible to buy tripe, although Campbell's used it in pepperpot soup (which is no longer made).

 

[Cliff Ober]

Very interesting. I love the art-work on some of these-- and some people had very pretty handwriting (is cursive even taught anymore?). And I doubt it's possible to buy tripe, although Campbell's used it in pepperpot soup (which is no longer made).

Kathryn,

By coincidence, this morning's Houston Chronicle has a front page article about the teaching of cursive in the schools. At least here in Texas it's still taught, but is secondary to printing and keyboard skills. I wouldn't be surprised if it has been eliminated in some places.

As to tripe, I know you can get it from markets that cater to various ethnic groups, but I know you can't get it from the main line grocery stores. My guess would be that you can probably get it from a specialty butcher shop too...

You're right about the attractive appearance of those old invoices in the ledger; people cared a lot more about the details in life back then.

Cliff

 

[Dan Miller]

Kathryn,

You're right about the attractive appearance of those old invoices in the ledger; people cared a lot more about the details in life back then.

Cliff

There was definitely a different sensibility "back in the day"... The old letterheads are fantastic. Industrial design has (mostly * ) taken a turn for the worse too - my foot-powered morticing machine has lion paw feet, old woodworking machinery with pin stripe decoration, or just consider a Davis level, for example...

(* every once in a while there is a glimmer of hope)

 

[Benson Gray]

A major exception to the cooperation between canoe manufacturers is also documented here in a multi-page bill from a Canadian law firm related to Old Town's lawsuit with Chestnut over their efforts to lure employees away. Some of the letterheads are impressive, especially the ones from printers for their stationary, nameplates, etc. It was also interesting to see a bill from Bickmore for some of Pearl Cunningham's time and wholesale trip expenses.

Benson

 

[Cliff Ober]

There was definitely a different sensibility "back in the day"... The old letterheads are fantastic. Industrial design has (mostly * ) taken a turn for the worse too - my foot-powered morticing machine has lion paw feet, old woodworking machinery with pin stripe decoration, or just consider a Davis level, for example...

(* every once in a while there is a glimmer of hope)

Oh, yes there is that... It is a work of beauty. Lee Valley's aesthetic is not traditional, but they do make an effort to produce products that are a pleasure to look at and use. As a wood worker I'm well familiar with them (so is my wallet). They should be commended on other levels too; I don't know of any company with a better focus on customer service and commitment to quality products.

Cliff

 

[Cliff Ober]

Some of the letterheads are impressive, especially the ones from printers for their stationary, nameplates, etc. It was also interesting to see a bill from Bickmore for some of Pearl Cunningham's time and wholesale trip expenses.

Benson

Gall Cure though???


Cliff

 

[Benson Gray]

Gall Cure though???

Yes, a gall was the name for a sore that developed under the harness of a working horse. This salve was developed in Old Town and is still available today as shown at http://www.qcsupply.com/bickmores-gall-salve.html and other sources. Most of the advertising and distribution techniques that were successfully used by the Old Town Canoe Company had been first developed at Bickmore. Pearl Cunningham got his start as a salesman at Bickmore and eventually became the second in command at the canoe shop. Let me know if this doesn't answer your question.

Benson

 

[JClearwater]

Just thinking....

A major exception to the cooperation between canoe manufacturers is also documented here in a multi-page bill from a Canadian law firm related to Old Town's lawsuit with Chestnut over their efforts to lure employees away. Some of the letterheads are impressive, especially the ones from printers for their stationary, nameplates, etc. It was also interesting to see a bill from Bickmore for some of Pearl Cunningham's time and wholesale trip expenses.

Benson

Wouldn't it be nice to work for a company that thought so highly of you that they were willing to sue the competition that was trying to steal you away. Maybe OT was just looking out for their bottom line but I'd like to think they valued their employees unlike big corporations today that give millions to the CEO and screw the workers.

Jim C.

 

[thompsonboatboy]

I love this type of stuff! The historian in me can look at these type of items for days and days and days. I love dusty archives! Spent a day in the sub basement of the county courthouse in Fort Dodge, Iowa not to long ago. Researching boat manufacturer's legal filings. Fun time!

I wonder if Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. Co. had decals made by Meyercord in Green Bay?

Andreas

 

[mccloud]

Meyercord is not a common name, in my experience. There was a George R. Meyercord associated with the Haskell Boat company in Ludington, MI in the 1920's. Wonder if there is any connection? Tom McCloud