Old Town Serial Number
- Thread starter Brly
- Start date
The Old Town canoe with serial number 6538 is a 16 foot long, CS (Common Sense or middle) grade, Charles River model with white Maine cedar planking, a keel, maple decks, maple thwarts, maple seats, closed spruce gunwales, and spruce (finish or outside) rails. It was built in April, 1907. The original exterior paint color was dark red. It shipped on April 30th, 1907 to Jackson, Michigan. A scan showing this build record can be found below.
This scan 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/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 your canoe. The sponson line appears to be blank. I checked the records for numbers 16538, 116538, and the 6538x range but didn't find a better match. Can you provide some pictures of the serial numbers from both ends and the interior of the canoe? Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions. Thanks,
Benson
This scan 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/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 your canoe. The sponson line appears to be blank. I checked the records for numbers 16538, 116538, and the 6538x range but didn't find a better match. Can you provide some pictures of the serial numbers from both ends and the interior of the canoe? Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions. Thanks,
Benson
OP
OP
Brly
Enthusiastic about Wooden Canoes
Benson,
Thank you. My Dad just bought it today and is picking it up tomorrow at which point he will get a better look and confirm the serial number. The photo he sent me is attached and seems pretty clear to me. Everything matches the description with the exception of the sponsons. I'll follow up in the next couple days when he gets me more info. He was tickled with what you have provided so far!
Ben
Thank you. My Dad just bought it today and is picking it up tomorrow at which point he will get a better look and confirm the serial number. The photo he sent me is attached and seems pretty clear to me. Everything matches the description with the exception of the sponsons. I'll follow up in the next couple days when he gets me more info. He was tickled with what you have provided so far!
Ben
OP
OP
Brly
Enthusiastic about Wooden Canoes
Definitely 6538. Sponsons and outside stems. I assume they were added at some point? Seats have round head bolts, thwarts have diamond head bolts. Again, assume the diamond heads were added at some point. All in all, really good shape for 115 years old.
Thanks again,
Ben
Thanks again,
Ben
This doesn't look like an Old Town canoe to me. See https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/12416/ for an example of what a confirmed Old Town with sponsons from 1906 looks like. My guess is that this is a Chestnut. See https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/9949/ for a similar example and paint pattern. There are no known Chestnut records available to help date it, unfortunately. The diamond headed thwart bolts are clearly a later addition. Good luck with the restoration,
Benson
Benson
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