16' Old Town Canoe Serial Number 20134 With Sponsons

HEBlumer

Enthusiastic about Wooden Canoes
What can anyone tell me about the history of my newest acquisition... 16' Old Town With Serial Number 20134... I will be restoring it.... One of the sponsons is missing but the other is there and available as a pattern to build a replacement. Drove 500 miles one way to pick it up and it appears to be a great find. The only significant damage to the canoe itself are rotted front and rear stems which will be easy to replace. This thing has traveled the country... manufactured in Maine, used and stored in Colorado for many years, moved and stored in Peoria Illinois for a few years, and now in the great state of Wisconsin for what I hope will be an equally great restoration. Thanks.... Harold
 
Well, I can tell you that the Old Town canoe with serial number 20134 is 17 feet long and didn't have sponsons when it left the factory. Can you provide some pictures of your canoe, especially ones showing the serial numbers from each end, the decks, the sponson, and confirm the actual overall length? The Carleton canoe with this serial number is a 12 foot long square stern and the Kennebec is an 11 foot long kyak. The Old Towns with numbers 120134 and 20184 are 18 feet long without sponsons. The closest one that I found is 120184 which is 17 feet long with sponsons. What does yours look like?

Benson
 
Oops...I read the number wrong and at only one end......

I read the serial number only at one end and one of the numbers is obscured.... the other end they are plain... The correct number is 20434 16 There is no doubt it is an old town... pictures of others I have are identical... Am so sorry to cause you additional time over my simple goof... Thanks... I will be taking pictures over the next few days if you need them... Harold


Well, I can tell you that the Old Town canoe with serial number 20134 is 17 feet long and didn't have sponsons when it left the factory. Can you provide some pictures of your canoe, especially ones showing the serial numbers from each end, the decks, the sponson, and confirm the actual overall length? The Carleton canoe with this serial number is a 12 foot long square stern and the Kennebec is an 11 foot long kyak. The Old Towns with numbers 120134 and 20184 are 18 feet long without sponsons. The closest one that I found is 120184 which is 17 feet long with sponsons. What does yours look like?

Benson
 
Oops...I read the number wrong and at only one end......

I read the serial number only at one end and one of the numbers is obscured.... the other end they are plain... The correct number is 20434 16 There is no doubt it is an old town... pictures of others I have are identical... Am so sorry to cause you additional time over my simple goof... Thanks... I will be taking pictures over the next few days if you need them... Harold
 
The Old Town record for number 20434 shows an 17 foot long canoe without sponsons. My guess is that you have the 16 foot long Carleton canoe with this serial number which was shipped as an Old Town HW (heavy water) model in CS (Common Sense or middle) grade with open spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, a keel, and sponsons. It was built between February, 1938 and April, 1942. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on June 19th, 1942 to Peoria, Illinois. A scan showing this build record can be found by following the link at the attached thumbnail image below.

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/about-the-wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-New-Membership.html to renew.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. Most people here like to see pictures of old canoes so please add yours when you can. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions,

Benson
 

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Benson... The build record fits this canoe perfectly.... I have confirmed the color from the previous owner... the canvas had been removed by him.... Have also confirmed the owner previous to him lived and worked in Peoria for many years then moved to Colorado with the canoe and it was given to the present owner who moved back to their home in Peoria.... I also have checked the Old Town Serial number records as did the previous owner who indicated that the canoe was a 1912 model.... what you have determined is that the real canoe produced in 1912 with that Old Town serial number was a 17' model and much of the detail description did not match.... The Carleton Model in 1942 with the Carleton serial numbers resolves the differences..... I still have acquired a beautiful canoe to restore... it is in great condition... and it is an Old Town by any definition. Your work and help has helped me avoid a major misrepresentation when I make this restored beauty available for sale. This will be my third effort.... did a 1944 Old Town 15' square stern unit two years ago and just finished a 1948 (est.) Penn Yan 18' Guide model a month ago.. With the help of personnel associated with the Canoe Heritage Museum at Spooner Wisconsin and the Wis Chapter I feel quite proud of the end results. Am sending a small donation today to the WCHA to support the work you are doing. Thank you.
 
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