Looking for help dating an E.M.White

[Jim Dexter]

Hello

I have just aquired our family W/C canoe from my uncle and it is an 1.5' EM White that was build before 1960 as that was when my Gramp aquired it used. Is there any way to estimate the actual vintage of an EM White?

 

[Jim Dexter]

opps, the boat is 18' 6" long

 

[Benson Gray]

There isn't much information available to date White canoes. The "Water Street" on the tag indicates that it was built between the late 1890s and the late 1940s. The shape of the stern seat can be another clue. The "D" shaped stern seats were last shown in their circa 1920 catalogs and were replaced by square ones. Very few other indicators are available, unfortunately,

Benson

 

[Jim Dexter]

Benson, thanks alot. It does have a square stern seat so it must be 1920s to 1940s vintage.

 

[Fitz]

Does the canoe have a serial number? Can't tell much from it. There are no records, but I think serial numbers were added post-1940 if I recall correctly.

 

[Jim Dexter]

Fitz, thanks. It does not have s# so that is another point to say it is 1940s or before.

 

[Benson Gray]

Whites with a serial number usually have a tag that says "INC." instead of "WATER ST." The numbers commonly contain a two digit length and date codes along with a serial number. The example below shows one that is 17 feet long from 1948 with serial number 884. This information has been confirmed by Joe Lavoie who worked at White for many years before going to Old Town in the 1960s.

Benson

 

[Rollin Thurlow]

The White canoes did not have serial numbers until the early 1950, after E.M. White died, and King bought the company.