I have what appears to be a rare 15' Old Town bare hull in excellent condition, with keel, gunwales, seats and bang plates detached. I'm interested in the date of manufacture, and a rough idea of worth.
Old Town 70863 15
- Thread starter Rancocas
- Start date
Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 70863 is a 15 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, Fifty Pound model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, birch decks, birch thwarts, birch seats, and a keel. It was built between March and May, 1922. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on June 5th, 1922 to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A scan of 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, join 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 join.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. Similar canoes listed at https://www.woodencanoe.org/classifieds and the information at the first link below should help you value it. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
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, join 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 join.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. Similar canoes listed at https://www.woodencanoe.org/classifieds and the information at the first link below should help you value it. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
Many thanks, Benson, for your prompt reply! My father ran a canoe rental in southern New Jersey, and gave me this canoe on my birthday in 1947. The business started with ten Old Town 17' Otcas in 1927; that fleet grew to about 30 in later years. I have no idea how Dad came to own this particular canoe, but he would buy canoes from private owners around town on occasion. Thanks again! I'll be making a donation.
