Two old canoes in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

glbbs

New Member
We have two canoes for restoration this summer. The Serial Numbers are 117900 and 127597. If you can provide
any information, it would be much appreciated. Thank you. Bud
 
The Old Town canoe with serial number 117900 is an 18 foot long, CS (common sense or standard) grade Otca model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, 20” birch decks and was equipped with a keel. It was built in 1936, receiving its 2d coat of varnish on July 16, 1936. The original exterior paint color was dark green . It was shipped to Cedarville, via St. Ignace, Michigan on July 20, 1936.

The Old Town canoe with serial number 127597 is a 17 foot long, CS (common sense or standard) grade Otca model with open spruce gunwales and was equipped with a keel – woods are not otherwise specified. It was built in 1939, receiving its 2d coat of varnish on December 6, 1939. The original exterior paint color was dark green . It was shipped to Columbia, Mo. with instructions to notify Stephens College, on April 30, 1940.

A scan of these build records can be found by following the links behind the thumbnail image attached below.

117900 - 42434.jpg 127597 - 38345.jpg

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.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoes. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Greg Nolan
 
We have two canoes for restoration this summer. The Serial Numbers are 117900 and 127597. If you can provide
any information, it would be much appreciated. Thank you. Bud

Greg,

Thanks for the information and build sheets. We now have four pre-war Old Town canoes for restoration at the Great Lakes Boat Building
School in Cedarville, MI in a summer class to be led by Dave Osborn. The oldest boat is a 1917 Old Town 'OTCA', 17' originally shipped to
R.H. Macy & Co., in NYC! Our school is a member of WHCA and advertises regularly in your magazine. Come up/over for a visit if and
when you have a chance. Bud
 
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