52731 -18
- Thread starter Joan G
- Start date
Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 52731 is an 18 foot long, CS (Common Sense or middle) grade, Otca model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales,16 inch birch decks, birch thwarts, birch seats, a keel, and a reinforced floor rack. It was built between November, 1918 and February, 1919. The original exterior paint colors were similar to the one shown at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/maritime.gif which was known as the Maritime Pattern. Please attach some pictures if the original design is still showing. It shipped on April 18th, 1919 to New York City. A scan of 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 https://www.woodencanoe.org/about to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/shop to donate or 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. Good luck with the restoration,
Benson
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 https://www.woodencanoe.org/about to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/shop to donate or 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. Good luck with the restoration,
Benson
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Yes, my guess it that it was delivered on the Boston and Maine Railroad then the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Let me know if this doesn't answer your question.
Benson
Greg Nolan
enthusiast
It is also unusual that the shipping address is to the Macy's department store in Manhattan. Every other build record that I have seen showing Macy's as the purchaser shows delivery to Macy's in Long Island City, which is a neighborhood on the other side of the East River in the Borough of Queens.
A very large Macy's warehouse used to be located on the edge of a large railyard in LIC, near the entrance to the Queens Midtown highway tunnel. (The warehouse is still there, but it was converted to office space several years ago).
I have always assumed that canoes destined for Macy's were unloaded at the LIC warehouse, and then trucked under the East River through the Midtown Tunnel to the Herald Square Store. But I suppose it would be possible for goods to go through the rail tunnel that runs from the LIC yards to Pennsylvania Station, which is immediately adjacent to Herald Square.
A very large Macy's warehouse used to be located on the edge of a large railyard in LIC, near the entrance to the Queens Midtown highway tunnel. (The warehouse is still there, but it was converted to office space several years ago).
I have always assumed that canoes destined for Macy's were unloaded at the LIC warehouse, and then trucked under the East River through the Midtown Tunnel to the Herald Square Store. But I suppose it would be possible for goods to go through the rail tunnel that runs from the LIC yards to Pennsylvania Station, which is immediately adjacent to Herald Square.
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