Looking for pedigree of my 16' canoe

[GTPiper]

Friends: I'm hopeful that someone can tell me the production history (and any other archive information that might be associated) for our 16' wood and canvas Old Town canoe, serial # 178343 16. Thanks very much for whatever you can tell me!
All the best,

Geoffrey Piper
Canton, MI

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 178343 is a 16 foot long Otca model with a keel. It was built between May and July 1967. The original exterior paint color was red. It shipped to Falls Village, Connecticut on July 11th, 1967. A scan showing this build record can be found below.

This scan and several hundred thousand more 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/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will donate or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See https://www.woodencanoe.org/about to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/shop to donate or renew.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. Pages four and five of the 1967 catalog at https://www.woodencanoe.org/_files/ugd/537308_078a8ff4114f4e1591d2c4d06629492f.pdf have more details. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions,

Benson

 

[GTPiper]

Benson: All of that good, official information fits our family recollection! My father bought this boat while he lived in W. Massachusetts, not far from Falls Village, CT. It’s been a cherished part of the family ever since, ca. 58 years. Thanks so much for your wonderful, helpful, prompt documentation! - Geoffrey Piper