Camp Hawthorne Old Town 18' Canoe

[Sandy]

I believe the Serial Number is: 121489 18
The 1s in the serial number are very hard to read (see photos).
The canoe is 18 foot long with a keel, diamond bolts, cane seats and three thwarts (see photo of shape).
This Old Town Canoe came from Camp Hawthorne, a boys summer camp in Raymond, Maine. The camp was started the summer of 1920 by a ‘Major’ Bigelow from New York City. The care taker was David Plummer from Raymond, Maine. There were a fleet of canoes possibly purchased at the same time with similar serial numbers?
The hull has been fiberglass over. Might this have been done by the Old Town Factory sometime during it’s life?
I would appreciate any information you have on my canoe. See attached photos.
Thanks for your help!

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 121489 is an 18 foot long, GS (Guide's Special or low) grade, Guide's model with open spruce gunwales, oak decks, oak trim, and a keel. It was built between April and July, 1937. The original exterior paint color was G. S. (Guide's Special) green. It shipped in June 19th, 1937 to Major Bigelow, Camp Hawthorne, Portland, Maine. A scan showing this build record is attached 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/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. There is no indication on this record that the fiberglassing was done at the factory. A quick scan of several hundred records surrounding this serial number showed many other canoes that shipped to other summer camps including Timanous across the lake but no others that went to Hawthorne. Good luck with the restoration and feel free to reply here if you have other questions,

Benson

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Fiberglass

Hi Sandy,

If your canoe has fiberglass on the outside instead of canvas, this was done by some well-intentioned owner, and not at the Old Town factory. A canoe that was originally canvassed shouldn't be glassed on the outside, as fiberglass can cause problems which vary in degree depending on the glassing-job and the care the canoe is given. Fiberglass on the outside of a canoe only works if the inside is coated in plastic as well... and this leaves you with a canoe that isn't easily repaired/restored, which is a huge advantage with wood/canvas.

You can use the "search" function above to find discussions about fiberglass and its problems and its removal.

It's nice to have a canoe with history, as yours certainly does. Imagine all the boys who enjoyed that canoe over the summer-- beginning during the depression and throughout WWII.

There are many here who can walk you through restoration, so ask questions if you have any.

Kathy