Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 136403 is a 16 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, Otca model with open spruce gunwales, number ten canvas, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, half ribs, and a keel. It was built between November and September, 1943. The original exterior paint color was similar to the one shown at
http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/design46.gif which was known as the design number 46. It shipped on October 12th, 1943 to St. Louis, Missouri. 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 possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. Canoes with a family connection are always extra special. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
