Old Town serial number search

nedfarq

New Member
Old Town 5947 17, Stark NH, bought wit out 1884 camp, also one that appears older but we can't read the serial number, maybe the same owner purchased
 
Thanks, Todd. Found the serial number on the second Olt Town Canoe - 17 10577 (reverse order for length of canoe on this one). It's in worse shape than the other one. Bones are good but gunwhales, seats, and canvas need replacement or refinishing. I will snap photos of both canoes now and send them. But the WCHA attach files button isn't working on my view of the WCHA website on my MacBook. I can send it to an email address if I get one, I guess.
 
Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 5947 is a 17 foot long, AA (or top) grade, Charles River model with red western cedar planking, a keel, mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, mahogany seats, open mahogany gunwales, half ribs, and a lowered seat. It was built between December, 1906 and February, 1907. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on February 27th, 1907 to Akron, Ohio.

The Old Town canoe with serial number 10577 is a 17 foot long, CS grade, XX model (an early version of the modern Otca model) with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, twenty inch maple decks, spruce thwarts, a keel, outside stems, a painter ring, a floor rack, and two spruce paddles (one was 5 feet long and the other was 5 feet 9 inches long). It was built between January, and March, 1909. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on March 29th, 1909 to Dayton, Ohio.

Scans showing both of these build records can be found below. These scans 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 these descriptions don't match your canoes. I'm guessing that a former owner of your camp may have been from Ohio. You can send images to webmaster@wcha.org if you are having trouble attaching them. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson



OTC-5947.jpg



OTC-10577.gif
 
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Thanks, Benson! I don't understand why both these canoes went to Ohio, then came back to New Hampshire, almost all the way to Maine, but it's interesting to see they weren't ordered by the then-owners of our camp in 1907 and 1909. I really appreciate knowing their geneology. What a kind and useful service by WHCA! Ned
 
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