Guy E. Carleton

[normsims]

Would anyone have any information on Guy E. Carleton, the canoe builder from Old Town, Maine? Carleton started building boats in the 1870s, made the switch from birchbark to wood-and-canvas, and sold his canoe company to Old Town Canoe in about 1910.

I've found a bit of information in Jerry Stelmok and Rollin Thurlow's "The Wood & Canvas Canoe," and in Susan Audette's "The Old Town Canoe Company." Any other references for information would be appreciated.

So far, I can't find out when Carleton was born or died, whether he had a family, or any other basic personal information.

Norm

 

[Benson Gray]

The information at http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.maine.counties.penobscot/256/mb.ashx and http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.newhampshire.counties.coos/442/mb.ashx indicates that Otis Hiram Carleton was born about 1853 and his brother Guy E. Carleton was born about 1848. They grew up in Colebrook, Coos County, New Hampshire and were in Old Town, Penobscot County, Maine for the 1870 US census. They were batteau builders. Guy E. Carleton remained in Old Town, married Flora M. Babbidge and had at least one child: Majorie B. Carleton.

Guy Carleton sold his canoe company to the Old Town Canoe Company in March of 1910. Please let us know what else you find out about him. Thanks,

Benson

 

[normsims]

Benson,

Wow! Thanks. Do you know when Guy Carleton may have died? He would have been 62 when Old Town Canoe Company bought his operation.

I think the Carleton canoes had a separate life at Old Town Canoe Company until about 1934, when they were...I don't know...consolidated with the other models. I'm wondering if Guy Carleton continued working on canoes for a while or if perhaps just the forms were used.

Norm

 

[SWEETWATER]

Does anyone have a pic. Of carelton decks.

 

[normsims]

Carleton decks

I'll attach two images of Carleton decks. One is the original deck that was removed from my 1927 Carleton during restoration. The other is an exact duplicate that was built and installed by Tom Seavey.

Norm

 

[Benson Gray]

I think the Carleton canoes had a separate life at Old Town Canoe Company until about 1934, when they were...I don't know...consolidated with the other models.

I don't know when Guy Carleton died but expect that he probably didn't stay on working for very long after the sale. You have probably read on page 56 of Sue's book that the original Carleton factory burned on May 17th, 1911 so all of their canoe building was consolidated with Old Town after that date. However, they continued to print Carleton catalogs and sell Carleton canoes into the early 1940s as shown at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/carleton/carleton_chart.html here. The full factory inventory from January 1st, 1938 lists six Carleton forms and 51 Old Town forms.

More information about Carleton can be found in their catalogs contained on the Historic Wood Canoe and Boat Company Catalog Collection CDs available from http://www.wcha.org/catalog/ and http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm including several from before 1910.

Benson

 

[MGC]

I'll attach two images of Carleton decks. One is the original deck that was removed from my 1927 Carleton during restoration. The other is an exact duplicate that was built and installed by Tom Seavey.

Norm

Here is a deck from mine, about the same age (1924).
I keep threatening to work on this canoe next but the cedar from Denis has me inspired. Today I pulled the IG out to work on next.

 

[normsims]

Mine's starting to look pretty good... That's Tom Seavey in the picture.

Norm

 

[SWEETWATER]

Love the workshop. Living in boston is tough.i need a barn or carriage house.

 

[Benson Gray]

Anyone looking for more information about Guy E. Carleton can find it in in the "Vital Records of Old Town, Maine Prior to 1892" edited by Ruth Gray (ISBN 0-89725-289-6). Page 384 shows that he is buried in the Forest Hill Cemetary lot number 865 with 1850-1902 on his stone and his wife Flora M. Babbidge is there as well with 1850-1923 on her stone. His inlaws John and Angeline Babbidge are also there along with his daughter Marjorie (1886-1955) and son in law Robert L. Stewart (1885-1944). Page 168 shows that Guy was identified as a boatmaker who married a schoolteacher named Flora on November 30th, 1876. Page 24 shows that their daughter Marjorie Babbidge Carleton was born on November 20th, 1886. Guy is identified as a canoe manufacturer at this time and it indicates that his wife was born in Milford, Maine.

Page 452 of this book also shows that Edwin M. White is buried in the Lawndale cemetary lot JN-902 with 1869-1954 on his stone and his wife Delia L. Grant is there as well with 1874-1950 on her stone.

Benson

 

[Benson Gray]

This is an old thread but seemed like a good place to put a new call for Carleton information. I'm researching Guy Ezra Carleton (1850-1902) for the Assembly (https://forums.wcha.org/threads/18517/) which is featuring Carleton canoes. Can anyone provide pictures of Guy or any other details? The census records show that he and his brother Otis were building batteau builders in Old Town from 1870. He lived with his wife Flora Babbidge and daughter Marjorie at what is now 51 High Street from 1883 to 1902. The Old Town Canoe Company purchased the Carleton Canoe Company in 1910 and ran it until the 1940s. One of his obituaries is shown below. Thanks,

Benson

 

[1905Gerrish]

I have a written letter from him somewhere. I'll try to dig it out.

 

[JClearwater]

I poked around Ancestry.com and it appears that Marjorie Babbidge (Carleton) Steward and her Husband Robert Kent Steward never had any children. Robert Steward was a college professor and died suddenly in 1944. Marjorie lived until 1955. They lived in East Lansing, Mich. for many years and Flora Carleton (widow of Guy) is listed with them in the 1920 census. They moved to Northport, ME later on and are buried in the Forest Hill Cemetery, Old Town, ME. Because they never had any children there is no one for us to invite to the Assembly in July. As Benson noted above Guy Carleton had at least one sibling so there may be cousins out there but that is getting a bit far afield from the canoe business. All cool stuff.

Jim

 

[Benson Gray]

I poked around Ancestry.com

Yes, I found him identified in 17 trees there but none appear to have a picture of him. His brother Otis Hiram Carleton had a big family and his picture is shown below. Several of his descendants appear to be active in genealogical groups. The search goes on,

Benson