Serial Number 93751

[djs_snowgod]

Hey a newbie here. I got this canoe from my father and am interested in the history of it. I believe it is an old town since it has the diamonds on it. Serial number is 93751. I know it has been in my family for 60 years so really wanting to learn more.

 

[normsims]

It's great to have a family heirloom. Old Town canoe #93751 is a 17-foot AA (or top) quality HW model that was built in 1927 and shipped to Marshall Field's store in Chicago. It had open mahogany gunwales, as well as mahogany seats, thwarts, and decks. It also had half ribs, a floor rack, and sponsons. No keel was recorded on the build record. It's original color was dark green.

The scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image. 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 and anyone else reading this will join or renew membership in the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to renew.

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.

Norm

 

[normsims]

Whoops, forgot to attach the build record for your canoe.

 

[djs_snowgod]

Hmm

Well it is a 17 foot canoe and has half ribs but no sponsons which are the auxilliary floats correct. What is a floor rack because I don't believe that is here anymore either. But Chicago sounds correct since my uncle lived in Milwaukee not to far away. If I were restoring can sponsons be added back to it. But my Dad seems to think to just sell it since we couldn't do it justice to restore it. What would it be worth. I have attached a few pictures.

 

[pklonowski]

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?57-How-much-is-my-old-wooden-canoe-worth
This is a link to an earlier dissertation RE: what an old canoe is worth. It's very good reading, both well-written and insightful.