Dating an Arrowheadam

[woodenhead]

am restoring a St. Louis Boat &Canoe Co Arrowhead ser. #2527 17 cedar/canvas. I acquired 15 years ago sans canvas, multiple holes in planking, broken ribs, rotted stems, etc. Stripped, repaired, replaced, sanded, oiled, and put away 'til now. Unfortunately, I cut down the highly recurved stems ( would have liked to kept orig) and added new decks. Have just canvased and filled, waiting to cure. This boat was originally tacked w/ broadheaded copper tacks, and has outside stems and bevel keel of oak, and appears to be planked w/ red cedar. Alfred Wickett, son of Henry, built? What year could this have been ? Thnx all, 1st post. W head.

 

[Walter Hauck]

Arrowhead #2527

Hello-----Your canoe was built in October, 1946, according to the old build record boards I found in the St. Louis Boat and Canoe shop. The records also confirm that your canoe has outside stems. Alfred Wickett founded the company in 1922, calling it the St. Louis Meramec Canoe Company. By 1930 the company was renamed the St. Louis Boat and Canoe Company. Alfred died in 1943, but the company continued to make canoes until around 1977. In 1946 the company was owned by Charles Barbour and run by Tony Holtz. After that it became mostly a repair company--- St. Louis Boat and Repair Company--until around 2003.

Our article about the history of the company appeared in Wooden Canoe in the April 2008 issue. If you cannot find that issue, I would be glad to send you a copy of the article. Where are you located? We are in St. Louis. May we add your name and location to our data base as an Arrowhead canoe owner?
Thanks,
Wally Hauck
314-421-9966

 

[woodenhead]

My thanx to you, Wally, not only for the info here, and the reprint y'all sent, but for what you did w/ regard to saving info from the old factory. Putting not only a date but a name as well fleshes out this project. I love this website. Woodenhead