There has been a fair amount of discussion here over the years about Kennebec canoes with flared stems along with much speculation about what sort of business agreements might have existed between Morris and Kennebec. The two documents below indicate that Kennebec purchased 900 ribs with "straight sides, not tapered" from Old Town in 1939 so it appears that they had a business relationship.
The Kennebec records at the Maine State Museum contain a series of letters from the 1940s between the two companies where Kennebec wanted to buy a keg of brass tacks during the metal shortages related to World War II. Old Town responded saying that they were down to their last half keg and wouldn't sell them until they were able to find some more. Kennebec also asked if they could establish an open account because of the expense and difficulties of dealing with payments on delivery. Old Town responded that they had been having a number of problems with collections and suggested that they could simply pay in advance and then settle up any minor differences later. There was no record of how Kennebec responded to that suggestion but it is interesting to note that the two orders below appear to shipped with payment on delivery.
Benson
The Kennebec records at the Maine State Museum contain a series of letters from the 1940s between the two companies where Kennebec wanted to buy a keg of brass tacks during the metal shortages related to World War II. Old Town responded saying that they were down to their last half keg and wouldn't sell them until they were able to find some more. Kennebec also asked if they could establish an open account because of the expense and difficulties of dealing with payments on delivery. Old Town responded that they had been having a number of problems with collections and suggested that they could simply pay in advance and then settle up any minor differences later. There was no record of how Kennebec responded to that suggestion but it is interesting to note that the two orders below appear to shipped with payment on delivery.
Benson
