Serial # 80635 -- Looking for info

HuntLakeCanoe

New Member
An Old Town Canoe has been in my family since my great grandfather - Jerry B Badgley, purchased it for my Great Aunt Helen in 1924 - the same year he purchased our family camp in the Adirondacks. We've been working this summer to restore/repair it (it has been much used, loved and cherished over the years) and my mother discovered the serial #. I would love any information that I could get my hands on about this wonderful family heirloom. The serial # is 80635 16. Currently looking forward to paddling around the lake with my daughter -- the fifth generation of my family to enjoy our Old Town treasure.

Would appreciate any help you can offer!
 
The Old Town canoe with serial number 80635 is a 16 foot long CS grade OTCA model with 20" birch decks and a keel. The build dates are in 1923. The original exterior canvas covering was orange with a 3" black stripe. The shipping date was March 3, 1924 to Albany, New York. This canoe was returned for repairs on Dec. 11, 1963, it appears from a camp in Lisbon, N. H. Extensive repairs were done. A scan of this build record can be found by following the link behind the attached thumbnail image below.

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/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to join.

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

Al
 

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Canoe Info - 1924 Canoe

Dear Al,
Most of the info you sent makes sense as my great grandfather worked in Albany at that time. We have a photo of it from the 20s and it looks just like your description. I'm a little confused about the repair work in 1963. I know my grandfather had it fiberglassed at some point, but I'm not aware of it being returned anywhere and neither does my mother.

Thanks so much for this information! It's wonderful!

Best wishes,
Heather
 
Heather: It's possible that the "back of the card" was misfiled and was scanned to your canoe when in fact it may belong to another one. Check the inwales, decks and planking if they all look original then that may be the case.

Al
 
Misfile!

Thanks again Al -- I think that must be the case. As far as I know the wooden interior is all original. The canvas was in really bad shape by the 50s and that's when they fiberglassed it. We have decided to keep the fiberglassing - the restorer agreed that it was in really good shape and that it would do more harm than good to replace it.

We're thrilled to get this info! Many thanks!
 
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