I have a 16ft (16' 5")Old Town Sponson Squarestearn Serial #79962. The 2 in the serial number is larger than the other numbers and the 6 is slanted and very light. 799 was stamped deep. The original retailer was H & D Folson, NYC. I was told the canvas was original and if so the color must have been white except for the top of the sponsons which was green. If the original color was green than I know the canvas was replaced. By chance do you have any additional information on this canoe which looks like it was built in 1926. Thank You so much, John Bolster
Sponson Squaerstern
- Thread starter Opa
- Start date
The Old Town with serial number 79962 is a 16 foot long, CS (Common Sense or middle) grade, square stern model with red Western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, birch decks, maple thwarts, maple seats, a keel, outside stems, a floor rack, and sponsons. It was built between September, 1923 and February, 1924. The exterior paint color was dark green when it shipped although it may have been dark red before that. It was shipped on May 24th, 1924 to H. + D. Folsom Arms in New York City. A scan showing this build record can be found by following the link at the attached thumbnail image below.
These scans 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/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to join.
More information about this model can be found on the Old Town Canoe Company Catalog Collection CD-ROM which is available from http://woodencanoe.org/catalog/prod...d=404&osCsid=39f7e6f54228bc26faca437d11ded5cb and http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/orderform.html on the web.
It is also possible that they could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your boat. The canvas may have simply been repainted white and not replaced. You may want to try some paint archeology or light sanding on the canvas to see if there are any signs of other colors under the white. Each digit in the serial number was individually stamped so it is not unusual to find some that are out of alignment or lighter than others. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
These scans 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/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to join.
More information about this model can be found on the Old Town Canoe Company Catalog Collection CD-ROM which is available from http://woodencanoe.org/catalog/prod...d=404&osCsid=39f7e6f54228bc26faca437d11ded5cb and http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/orderform.html on the web.
It is also possible that they could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your boat. The canvas may have simply been repainted white and not replaced. You may want to try some paint archeology or light sanding on the canvas to see if there are any signs of other colors under the white. Each digit in the serial number was individually stamped so it is not unusual to find some that are out of alignment or lighter than others. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
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Thank you Benson, I had sanded the canvas part of the canoe and everything was white, down into the canvas, except for the top of the sponsons which had green in the canvas. Did Old Town prime their canoes? I failed to note earlier that she did come with brass oar locks and copper tipped oars. Again thank you, John
Opa said:
Old Town did not usually 'prime' their canoes in the traditional sense of that term. They did use a filler directly on the canvas that often looks silver or white when you sand into it. This also typically contained white lead so you want to be very careful when sanding it. The paint would have been applied directly on top of the filler. Oars and oar locks were commonly added to the square ended canoes. You are most welcome,
Benson
