Please Help ID the Manufacturer

[Thomas M.]

I'm looking for help finding some history of the manufacturer of the canoe in the pictures below. The name of the manufacturer is Park Co. and the ID plate on the front of the canoe either reads Cambridge MA or MN. Being from Maine I initially assumed Cambridge MA, however, after a little internet research I found a Park Manufacturing Co. in Cambridge MN. They make wire harnesses though so I may be going down the wrong path with that.

The inside is cedar strip the outside is canvas. Any information you guys could provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dan Miller]

It is almost certainly a Charles River canoe, so your guess of Cambridge, Massachusetts is right on. The decks are similar in style to Robertson, Waltham and Crandall (but somewhat different as well...)

I would be interested in seeing a photo of the tag.

Dan

 

[Thomas M.]

Thanks Dan- I will get a picture of the tag to post. Just to be clear- Robertson, Waltham, and Crandall were all makers of these style of canoes? Apologies if that's a dumb question, I'm a novice on the subject.

Any recommendations on resources where I could learn more or thoughts on what timeframe the canoe was made?

Thanks again.

 

[Dan Miller]

Yes, though Crandall was located bit to the west on Lake Quinsigamond. There were a number of other builders along the Charles, including Arnold, Nutting, Brodbeck, Kingsbury, Partelow, Emerson, Mather, Shea, Emmons, and I am probably forgetting some...

Dan

 

[Benson Gray]

Any recommendations on resources where I could learn more or thoughts on what timeframe the canoe was made?

There were many books published during the late 1800s and early 1900s that listed the businesses by town and year (in the days before the yellow pages). There was one named "Anthony's standard business directory" as described at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?8272 which was used to help identify a similar canoe and company from Auburndale, Mass. The G. M. Donham Company of Portland, Maine published a Maine Register as described at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?7166 which I have been using to collect information about early Maine canoe builders and update the list of them at http://wcha.org/legacypages/maine-list.htm here. It would be great to start building a list like this for Massachusetts as well. There are probably some books that listed businesses in Cambridge, Mass. from the early 1900s which may have a listing for the Park Company. Once you have an address and year then the Sanborn fire insurance maps may provide more details as described at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?6860 for Old Town, Maine. Please let us know what you find.

Benson

 

[Thomas M.]

Benson, thanks for the resources. Using Google docs I was able to locate a Park Manufacturing Co. that was located on Beach St. in Boston. They are mentioned in a report of proceedings by the Boston City Council in 1887 and also in the American Engineer during the same year. They have an ad for "Park injector, ejector, and jet apparatus" in the later publication. Interesting stuff but not sure I'm any closer to an answer. Any thoughts?

To Dan's point, I came across a discussion thread from 2005 on your site in which a reader named Fitz referenced two Robertson canoes he had restored. I find the pictures (http://sports.webshots.com/album/263120046ampOqv?start=0) strikingly similar, but that's from my novice perspective.

 

[Fitz]

Nice

Fitz here:

You have a nice canoe. I suspect it might not be a Robertson, but check the ends of your thwarts, near the gunwales, for a Robertson stamp. Does the canoe have a serial number stamped in the stems?

There were many Charles River builders, and the canoes they produced are all very similar, making discrimination very tough.

The thwarts and decks on your canoe, "just seem different" to me than what Robertson produced. The thwart in the picture strikes me as very different and very shapely. It looks very well done and is much more shapely than I have seen on Robertson canoes. The deck has the same "flavor".

Better pictures of the canoe may assist. Details like thwarts, seats, stems, bow profile, ribs and rib spacing, hardware always help.

PS: The two Robertson canoes remain unrestored only because I am too busy doing friend's canoes and other projects for other people. One of these days though!!

Also, if you are not local and need a good lead on Park Co. chased down, I am near Cambridge and may be able to assist.

Cheers,

Fitz

 

[Dan Miller]

It is also possible the tag identifies a boat as belonging to one of the many liveries or boathouses that was along the Charles.

 

[Thomas M.]

Thanks Fitz. Will definitely work on getting better pictures, I live in Boston but the canoe is in Maine so may be a little while before I can get up there. I'm doing some research on Park and the Charles river boathouses now- do you know of any local resources that may have some history of the boathouses/ canoe makers on the Charles river? I'm very interested in learning more.

 

[Dan Miller]

I'm doing some research on Park and the Charles river boathouses now- do you know of any local resources that may have some history of the boathouses/ canoe makers on the Charles river? I'm very interested in learning more.

Start with Wooden Canoe issue 141 (back issues available through the WCAH Online store at http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-Magazine-Back-Issues/).

From the WCHA Journal index (http://www.wcha.org/journal/Index to Wooden Canoe.pdf):

Charles River (Boston, Massachusetts)
20:10-13; 20:14-15; 59:6-8; 81:Back; 103:7; 106:Front; 141:8-15; 156:9,11

I gave a presentation at the 2007 WCHA Assembly on the Charles River builders. It has not (yet) been published elsewhere, but it was videotaped (along with other Charles River presenters), and the Local Area Chapters should have copies of it.

 

[Thomas M.]

Found an additional pic I had, tag is still not legible but will have to do for now. I'm finding some interesting info on Park Manufacturing Co. The best I can tell they were based in Boston around the 1890s. They had an office on Portland Street (a couple of blocks from the Charles river).

 

[Thomas M.]

Updated pic with tag below.