It is not clear what the various Old town model letter codes were supposed to mean since there is virtually no documentation for most of the common theories. The HW was their most popular model. The oral tradition was that Henry Wickett was one of the first Old Town employees and the HW model was named for him as reported in The Wood & Canvas Canoe by Jerry Stelmok and Rollin Thurlow from 1987. Sue Audette's research for The Old Town Canoe Company which came out in 1998 indicated that Henry Wickett never worked in the factory and that his son Alfred Wickett was the first employee of the Old Town Canoe Company. Roger MacGregor's book When the Chestnut Was in Flower came out in 1999 and suggested that HW might have been for a Canadian designer named Henry Wicksteed who was a friend of J. R. Robertson. This last theory seems the least likely since the HW model was listed in the Indian Old Town Canoe Company catalog from 1901 before Robertson became involved in 1902. It is very popular with many Canadians though. Alfred's brother Humphrey Wickett also worked at Old Town for many years so this may be another possibility.
The 1901 Indian Old Town catalog described the H. W. model as being good for "heavy" seas as shown below.
The next page shown below describes the I. F. model as "a special Indian model", the F. B. as being "flatter on the bottom," and the G. G. model as a "good" shape for "all around work."
The basis for the OTCA model name has not definitively established either. It is thought to be derived from the telegraph or cable address as shown below.
The tradition of lettered model names continued into the 1960s. The F. G. model was their first fiberglass canoe as introduced in the 1965 catalog shown below.
The 1901 Indian Old Town catalog described the H. W. model as being good for "heavy" seas as shown below.
The next page shown below describes the I. F. model as "a special Indian model", the F. B. as being "flatter on the bottom," and the G. G. model as a "good" shape for "all around work."
The basis for the OTCA model name has not definitively established either. It is thought to be derived from the telegraph or cable address as shown below.
The tradition of lettered model names continued into the 1960s. The F. G. model was their first fiberglass canoe as introduced in the 1965 catalog shown below.
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