The problem I've had with the 1882 statement is that Bert Morris was only 16 years old then, and was probably still in school (he was " at school" in the 1880 census and Charles was described as doing day labor).
Also, the only Veazie Canoe Company that we know about (other than this statement, which I've seen quoted in several places) is the Morris Company's factory-direct business that didn't come into existence until at least 1905. Denis and I have two Veazie canoes, and they aren't pre-1900... one could be 1905 one about 1915.
I tend to rely on the information Benson found in actual old Maine Registers that make no mention of Charles Morris building canoes until the 1890s (Charles was six years older than Bert and the first to get into the canoe business, according to his family). I believe the statement from 2000 is relying on the same sort of information Benson described in regard to the Old Town HW... somebody said something on the internet or somewhere... and it got picked up and eventually it's what everyone "knows".
I really appreciate it whenever anyone finds this sort of information, because it gives us a chance to look at what's being said and discount the information that doesn't fit... or figure out if it does fit. When we bought one of our Veazie canoes, the seller honestly thought it was circa 1882 because he'd read that information somewhere on the internet (the canoe has a Veazie decal so he knew what it was). Not knowing what an 1880s canoe might look like, he thought he had a very early wood canvas canoe... but it's actually c.1915 or later.
Kathy
