Oldtown #30429?

[ReedLeb]

Hi Benson, looking for build info on an old 17' Oldtown, number appears to be 17 - 30429 or 30489, long decks, mahogany thwarts and gunwales. You may have seen this in Tom W's barn a couple of years ago. Thanks, Reed L.

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 30489 is 16 feet long so my guess is that yours is the one with serial number 30429. This is a 17 foot long, AA (or top) grade, HW (heavy water) model with red Western cedar planking, closed mahogany double gunwales, mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, mahogany seats, a keel, outside stems, and a floor rack. It was built between January and June, 1914. The original exterior paint color was Navy blue. It shipped on June 9th, 1914 to Boston, Massachusetts. A scan of this build record can be found below.

This scan and several hundred thousand more were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others as you probably know well. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will donate, join, or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See https://www.woodencanoe.org/about to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/shop to donate or join.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. The build record does not mention the long decks or wide thwart so these may have been added after it left the factory. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions,

Benson

 

[ReedLeb]

Thanks Benson, the build sheet for #30429 is right on the money. Much appreciated that you are able to provide info on so many boats of different era and makers to so many people.