New, old Indian Girl

[ticonderoga]

This past weekend my son and I picked up another Indian Girl to restore. Here are the details as I see them. 17 foot, #532, non Inc. logo, grade A style closed gunwales, shaped single thwart. The seat frames, inner and outer gunwales are cherry as well as the decks. The decks are 30" long. What is confusing to us is that the decks are a single piece of bent cherry and not the three pieces I have seen on other Rushtons and Morris canoes. Is this a special factory option? They look original to us. Also the bow seat is hung directly from the inner gunwale and not on cleats like our other IG. Was this another factory option? We want to get the details right before we take anything apart. Any idea on the age other than pre Inc 1906? Thanks for looking. Thanks Joe

 

[MGC]

At 30 inches the decks are unusual, but there are Rushton's, my Brown, and SLBc's that have substantial one piece cherry decks. Clearly there was local expertise to form some significant decks. Lucky you to have such a canoe. I don't what it is about these old girls that make them so appealing, but that canoe will almost certainly be a stunner!.

 

[Dan Miller]

Not an American Beauty. Cherry decks, up to 30" long, were a $6 option in 1904.