Old Town 20 foot 1927 #92109

[JohnAndrews]

Hi Benson -

You helped me several years ago with two different 1926 Old Towns. Could you send me or post the build record for this one? Thank you.

 

[Benson Gray]

There are many volunteers here who can answer requests like this so you don't need to address your questions to me exclusively. The Old Town canoe with serial number 92109 is a 20 foot long, GS (Guide's Special or low) grade, Guide model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, oak decks, oak thwarts, oak seats, and a keel. It was built between August, 1926 and March, 1927. The original exterior paint color was dead grass. It shipped on May 10th, 1927 to Evansville, Indiana. The back side of the record indicates that it may have moved to Minneapolis, Minn. by 1973 when there was a previous request for a copy of this build record.

Scans showing both sides of this build record can be found by following the links at the attached thumbnail images below. These scans and several hundred thousand others were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others as you probably know well. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/ot_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/about-the-wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-New-Membership.html 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

 

[JohnAndrews]

Thank you!

There are many volunteers here who can answer requests like this so you don't need to address your questions to me exclusively. The Old Town canoe with serial number 92109 is a 20 foot long, GS (Guide's Special or low) grade, Guide model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, oak decks, oak thwarts, oak seats, and a keel. It was built between August, 1926 and March, 1927. The original exterior paint color was dead grass. It shipped on May 10th, 1927 to Evansville, Indiana. The back side of the record indicates that it may have moved to Minneapolis, Minn. by 1973 when there was a previous request for a copy of this build record.

Scans showing both sides of this build record can be found by following the links at the attached thumbnail images below. These scans and several hundred thousand others were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others as you probably know well. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/ot_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/about-the-wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-New-Membership.html 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

This is definitely the right record - I have purchased the canoe from the individual who is noted as owning the canoe in 1973.

Can you tell me if Dead Grass (paint color) was in the 1926 or 1927 catalog? Was there any other design on the canoe, or was it likely a solid color? Thanks again.

 

[Dan Miller]

It was almost certainly a solid color. Stock colors for the Guides Special in 1926 and 1927 were dark green and slate. However, Old Town would paint the canoe any color wanted - and they are known to have used over some 180 different colors over the years.

Both Hamilton Marine and Jamestown Distributors carry dead grass paint, should you want to recreate the original appearance.