Old Town info requested

[jbeeman]

Hello, I am new to this forum.
I purchased an old wooden canoe several years ago - the canvas had been removed and I'm now considering getting it put together.
I believe it's an Old Town Canoe.
the serial number is 37993, 16
Any information about this canoe would be appreciated.
thank you, John

 

[Greg Nolan]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 37993 is shown as 16 feet long, CS (common sense or standard) grade, HW (heavy water) model with open spruce gunwales, birch decks, thwarts, and seats, and equipped with a keel. The canoe was built between April 1915 and March 1916. The original exterior paint was dark red. Two #1 paddles, one with an 8" blade and one with a 6" blade, were shipped by rail (Main Central Rail Road in care of the Central New England Rail Road) with the canoe to the Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Connecticut on April 13, probably 1916. A scan of this build record can be found by following the link behind the thumbnail images attached below.



This scan and several hundred thousand others 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/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.

Greg