The Digital Archives of the Old Town Public Library

[Benson Gray]

I recently stumbled into the Digital Archives of the Old Town Public Library at http://oldtown.advantage-preservation.com/ and found it to be a wonderful source of information about the area's canoe builders. Their collection of old newspapers starts in 1888 and is searchable. Some of my more interesting finds so far are summarized below.

The page from 1888 at http://oldtown.advantage-preservation.com/document/old-town-enterprise-1888-05-26-page-4 says "Stevens & Godfrey have just completed a galvanized iron canoe which is a novelty in the canoe line here. It made a trial trip Friday evening, after we went to press."

The page from 1889 about the town of Passadumkeag at http://oldtown.advantage-preservation.com/document/old-town-enterprise-1889-04-13-page-5 says "A McLain & Son commenced and finished three canoes in five days last week, which will bring them about one hundred dollars, a good weeks work."

The earliest mention of a canvas canoe that I have found in this archive is from 1889 on the page at http://oldtown.advantage-preservation.com/document/old-town-enterprise-1889-05-18-page-4 which says "People are so anxious to supply themselves with Joe Ranco's canvass canoes that they purchase them and take them away before they are finished."

The first mention of a Carleton canvas canoe that I've seen here is from 1891 at http://oldtown.advantage-preservation.com/document/old-town-enterprise-1891-05-16-page-4 says "Mr. G. E. Carleton recently shipped a very handsome canvas canoe to Mr. Walter Mooers of Lancaster, Mass. The sale of this canoe at that place will undoubtedly be followed by more orders as Mr. Carleton's work can hardly be surpassed."

The 1891 advertisements at http://oldtown.advantage-preservation.com/document/old-town-enterprise-1891-08-22-page-5 and http://oldtown.advantage-preservation.com/document/old-town-enterprise-1891-09-05-page-5 offer "CANVAS CANOES Made to order. The best canoe made in this section with bevel and lap seems. Price as low as the lowest. Give us your order. E. M. WHITE, Canoe Builder, Old Town, Maine."

The cover story from 1948 about the White Canoe Company at http://oldtown.advantage-preservation.com/document/penobscot-times-1948-06-18-page-1 says that Pat Farnsworth and Walter King "purchased the company in April, 1946. They're following the same procedures in building boats and canoes that were established over the previous 57 years by Mr. White who now serves only in an advisory capacity." The story continues with a quote from Mr. White about how the company was started on the page at http://oldtown.advantage-preservation.com/document/penobscot-times-1948-06-18-page-4 where he says "I liked the water - I had a bark canoe that leaked quite badly, and one afternoon I saw a canvas canoe ahead of me on the lake and I decided that I'd make one." He did and while testing it on the river "a man saw it and wanted it more than I did, so I sold it to him. And that's how I got into the canoe business."

Please reply here if you find any other gems. Thanks,

Benson

 

[kayamedic]

Can't open any of the links. I also went to the website directly and entered the search "canoe" and got lots of hits but none of the articles opened individually. Bummer

 

[Benson Gray]

The articles are all stored in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) so you will probably need to go to http://get.adobe.com/reader/ and install their reader for the links to open automatically (or try a different browser). Good luck,

Benson

 

[kayamedic]

I have the Adobe PDF amongst my programs. It works fine for research except for this time. I run Google Chrome. I am interested because I think I might have a very old Old Town pre company incorporation. Just a hunch. I would like to learn as much as I can about Old Town area builders in the late 19th century.

Talk about the frustrations of both discovering the old information and the new technology!!..you can't help but laugh.

 

[Benson Gray]

Yes, there is a certain irony about using new technology to learn about old craftsmanship. I have a few early Old Town canoes if you (or anyone else) wants to bring a canoe to my house sometime to compare features. The first newspaper reference to the Old Town Canoe Company is from October 13th, 1900 at http://oldtown.advantage-preservation.com/document/old-town-enterprise-1900-10-13-page-1 titled "CANOES BY THE HUNDRED" with the subtitle "Another Factory to Be Added to Old Town's Busy Industries" with the conclusion that "Since the organization of the company is not fully completed it is not possible at this time to name correctly the interested parties, but there is no question of doubt as to the ultimate success of the venture." This is consistent with the other references listed at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?10647 so there may not be much to work with. Let me know if you want to set up a show and tell. Thanks,

Benson

 

[Benson Gray]

I've been digging here again recently and found some other interesting references to canoes as shown below. The next is about Joseph Ranco starting a business "to make to order all kinds of birch bark and canvas canoes" from April 28th, 1888. G. E. Carleton was also celebrated for shipping a canoe "handsomely decorated in oils" on June 8th, 1889. The "List of Maine firms that will take part in the World's Fair" from November 26th, 1892 includes canoes from Gerrish in Bangor, Hunt, Stowe, and Hincks in Old Town, and Morris from Veazie. The last is about "A very handsome miniature canoe" that shipped to Boston on November 3rd, 1894. Fun stuff,

Benson