Caveat emptor...

[Benson Gray]

I appreciate that several people have notified me about the square end canoe listed at https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/544625154748503 with a description that says "This canoe was built by the original owner of Old Town Canoe Mr. Gray. He built this canoe at his summer house on Cold Stream Pond in Enfield Maine in 1928." The tag shown below is on the deck. I contacted the seller saying 'Can you provide any documentation that shows a connection between "Wm. W. Gray" and the Old Town Canoe Company? The Enfield cemetery has a stone for Wm. W. Gray at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/91095070/william-w-gray with 1866 to 1940 as his dates. My research indicates that George Richardson (1869-1915), George Gray (1845-1928), and Herbert Gray (1854-1947) founded the Old Town Canoe Company and spent their summers in Enfield, Maine. I've found no connection between "Wm. W. Gray" and the Old Town Canoe Company so you may want to update your listing. Good luck with the sale, Benson Gray.' He is sticking to his story. Caveat emptor...

Benson

 

[Dave Osborn]

From the shabby photos, it doesn’t even look like an Old Town Square Stern.

 

[Benson Gray]

it doesn’t even look like an Old Town Square Stern.

No, Old Town never offered a 14 foot long square stern and their 15 foot version looked very different. It was first introduced in the 1932 catalog and shown at https://www.woodencanoe.org/_files/ugd/537308_5ef94191ecc345d1b18f60e61fe5dcd3.pdf on page 14.

William W. Gray listed his occupation as a carpenter in the census records from 1910 to 1930 as well as the "Lincoln and Enfield Register" from 1905. He purchased a house in 1891 for $325 on "the highway leading from Enfield Ferry to Lincoln" according to the deed in book 613 on pages 352-354. This also includes an agreement to move the house away from the lot line. He sounds like an interesting guy. The "Maine Registers" from 1926 and 1929 list William W. Gray as the town clerk and W. W. Gray as a boat builder. Research like this always seems to generate more questions than answers. The 1924 "Maine Register" lists William Gray's neighbor, Amasa Darling, as a boat builder but Amasa's grave stone at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98450976/amasa-p-darling indicates that he died in 1914. William Gray may have taken over the business but not changed the name until after 1924. I have not found any connection between the Old Town Canoe Company and either of these men.

Benson

 

[MGC]

Are there any other WW Gray boats around?

 

[Benson Gray]

Are there any other WW Gray boats around?

I don't recall ever seeing another that was made by W. W. Gray or Amasa Darling. However, there are lots of canoes around with no tags as you know.

Benson