Hello,
Old Town 164337 is a 16 foot CS (common sense or middle) grade Yankee model canoe that was completed November of 1955 to January 1956. It has a keel and was originally dark green. A notation on the record states that the canoe was shipped as an Otca. At this time, the Yankee model was discontinued and the model formally called "Otca" was changed in appearance. The 16 foot Otca after '57 was built on the old Yankee mold, and the Otca no longer appeared with the longer deck with coaming. So, while this canoe was originally built as a Yankee, by the time it was sold, it filled an order for an Otca. It was shipped to Leonatti Bros. of Duquesne, PA, on March 22, 1957. Image of the scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image.
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. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
The Yankee model was popular as a general-purpose canoe and became a popular fleet canoe in liveries and at children's camps.
Glad the canoe is in good shape and will become a valued family member!
Kathy
