A recent Facebook message claimed that some Kennebec canoes have flared stems because a Waterville fire led them to sub-contract with Morris for some canoes. Similar ideas have been debated in these forums for many years. It may be worth consolidating all of these theories in one place to help separate the fact from the fiction.
The fire idea doesn't match the historical listings of the Waterville Fire-Rescue pages at the two links below. The only significant fire listed at the Kennebec Canoe Company was on May 31st, 1931. This is well after the Morris Canoe factory had burned in December of 1919.
My research indicates that 1916 is when Kennebec canoes transitioned from wide stems to narrow ones. Their serial numbers 10615 and 10625 are shown below as examples.
No documentation for any Kennebec and Morris collaboration is known to exist from before the Morris factory burned. The more likely theory is that Walter D. Grant simply started building canoes at Kennebec in the same way that he had been doing when he learned the business at Morris. The change to the narrow stems in 1916 may have been a way to save time and money.
More confusion is introduced by the presence of some Morris canoes in the Old Town records during 1921 and in the Kennebec records during 1924. The assumption is that Bert Morris probably contracted with Old Town to finish some partially completed canoes that survived the fire and later had Kennebec make some canoes for him on a contract basis. The link below has more information about this.
What other theories on this topic are still floating around and does anyone have a better idea about what might have really happened?
Benson
The fire idea doesn't match the historical listings of the Waterville Fire-Rescue pages at the two links below. The only significant fire listed at the Kennebec Canoe Company was on May 31st, 1931. This is well after the Morris Canoe factory had burned in December of 1919.
Waterville Fire-Rescue History 1900-1920
Welcome to the Waterville Fire-Rescue Department located in Waterville, Maine.
www.watervillefire.com
Waterville Fire-Rescue History 1921-1940
Welcome to the Waterville Fire-Rescue Department located in Waterville, Maine.
www.watervillefire.com
My research indicates that 1916 is when Kennebec canoes transitioned from wide stems to narrow ones. Their serial numbers 10615 and 10625 are shown below as examples.
No documentation for any Kennebec and Morris collaboration is known to exist from before the Morris factory burned. The more likely theory is that Walter D. Grant simply started building canoes at Kennebec in the same way that he had been doing when he learned the business at Morris. The change to the narrow stems in 1916 may have been a way to save time and money.
More confusion is introduced by the presence of some Morris canoes in the Old Town records during 1921 and in the Kennebec records during 1924. The assumption is that Bert Morris probably contracted with Old Town to finish some partially completed canoes that survived the fire and later had Kennebec make some canoes for him on a contract basis. The link below has more information about this.
What other theories on this topic are still floating around and does anyone have a better idea about what might have really happened?
Benson
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