Serial number search

[hrdjr]

My neighbor and I salvaged an abandoned wood and canvass canoe from the shore of the river behind our house. It appears to be an 18' Old Town s/n 106865. Any available information you could supply or direct us to would be greately appreciated. The wood frame is basicly sound. There is some damage at the bow. The cane seating is decayed and the canvass needs to be replaced. Otherwise it's not too bad. Seems to be a high quality canoe.

Thank you

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town with serial number 106865 is an 18 foot long, GS (guide's special or low) grade, guide model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, and a keel. It was built between June and July, 1930. The original exterior paint color was guide's special gray. It shipped on July 28th, 1930 to Errol, New Hampshire.

A scan showing this build record can be found by following the link at the thumbnail image attached below. 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 will join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/about-the-wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-New-Membership.html to join.

Please reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[hrdjr]

Dear Mr Benson Grey, thank you so much for the information about our canoe. After learning that it has survived so long, maybe we will restore it and give it another 80 plus years!

 

[Kathryn Klos]

This is a nice find and a great price! I wanted to mention that this canoe IS as you thought-- a fine quality canoe. Guide's Special may be Old Town's lowest grade, but all their canoes were quality canoes, and this grade simply means it's a canoe built for use-- fishing, hunting, exploring and the like. But it certainly could be used for paddling around... or "courting".

Please do give it another couple of lifetimes!

Kathy

 

[hrdjr]

Thank you Kathryn. We'll give it serious consideration. If we don't do it, we will see that it gets passed on to someone who will.