Late 20's Old Town

[Paul Miller]

Hi,

I have a potential new member who has a late 20's Old Town, although based on the carrying thwarts, may be a Carlton.

Serial number is 81424 18. Could be a Charles River.

Pics attached.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[bredlo]

Love the trap door!

 

[Benson Gray]

You may want to take another look at the serial numbers since the Old Town with 81424 is a 17 foot long Otca with twenty inch decks. This canoe appears to have originally had sponsons which would be the reason for the short carry thwarts in each end. The Carleton serial numbers stop at 20545 as shown at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/carleton/carleton_chart.html so this one probably isn't a Carleton. Can you attach a picture of the serial numbers or let us know which digit is the least clear? Thanks,

Benson

 

[Paul Miller]

Thanks Benson,

My friend says the "8" is the suspect digit, and sugests we try a "6" in its place for 61424.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 61424 is another Otca model so my guess is that you have number 91424. This is an 18 foot long, CS (Common Sense or middle) grade, HW (Heavy Water) model with red Western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, birch decks, birch trim, a keel, a floor rack, and sponsons. It was built between June, 1926 and March, 1927. The original exterior paint color was dark blue. It shipped on March 30th, 1929 to Kalamazoo, Michigan. A scan of this build record can be found by following the link at the attached thumbnail image below.

This scan and several hundred thousand more were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others as you probably know well. Additional information about the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/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.

Benson

 

[Paul Miller]

That is the one!!

The owner grew up in Kalamazoo and thought it was a 1929 canoe. His family purchased the canoe.

I told him he must now become a member of the WCHA.

Thanks,

Paul