Serial number request

Bill Garrison

New Member
Hello, I'm trying to research the Antique Canoe that I have. This was my fathers and has since been passed down to me. Through several websites and comparing the decks I believe it is an Old Town (but there are no markings to indicate this). The serial number on the Stem is 6 7459 17. I believe the last two digits is the length and the middle four are the actual serial number. But again this is number placement and meaning is direction from various web sites so I don't know how accurate this info is. This canoe is 17 feet long and has the rigging to switch to a sail boat (hole in the from seat to hold a mast). I still have the mast, sails and rudder. Would love to know more about this amazing canoe. Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
Here are a few pictures if it will help decipher my mystery canoe. Again, many thanks to experts that grace this forum. I've read a bunch of threads and this appears to be a great source of information.
 

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The Old Town canoe with serial number 67459 is a 17 foot long, CS (Common Sense or middle) grade, Otca model with red Western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, birch decks, birch thwarts, birch seats, a keel, and a floor rack. It was built between October, 1921 and March, 1922. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It was shipped on April 20th, 1922 to Chicago, Illinois. A scans of this build record can be found by following the link at the thumbnail image attached below.

67459.jpg

This scan and several hundred thousand more 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/about-wcha to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/store/membership to join.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description don't match the canoe. The sail rig was not mentioned on the build record so this was probably added after it originally left the factory. The oar lock socket by the stern seat indicates that a paddle or oar was probably used to steer instead of a rudder. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions. Canoes with a family history are always extra special,

Benson
 
Benson,
Thank you so much for your input... for the first time I feel like I'm making headway in this mystery! There are several things about your response that make a lot of sense, one of which is the area of the country (most of my family is from the Chicago area), canoe length, etc... The item of the sail not being on the build sheet still has me pondering if this is the right description. I have attached the picture of the serial number stamp if you have time to take a look at it. I've also submitted an inquiry with Old Town and they are questioning the placement of the 6 and 7 not sure if there was a number missing?? In any case do think there might be a possibility that its only the 4 numbers 7459? Thinking it might be possible those numbers would match the sailing rig question? Any info you can provide will help. All the best to you and thanks again.
 

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Serial numbers were stamped one digit at a time by hand so the spacing and alignment was often irregular as shown in the other examples below. The Old Town canoe with serial number 7459 is 18 feet long with closed gunwales so that isn't a good match. It was very common for a sailing rig to be added after a canoe had left the factory. The 1942 Armstrong and Galbraith catalog listed all of the parts individually as shown at http://dragonflycanoe.com/otacc/ for example. I think that you have the correct build record for your canoe.

Benson


7459.jpg 66629.JPG 68442.jpg 71445.jpg
 
Benson, Again... thanks for your expertise and insight. I'm amazed at the records you are able to come up with. This truly is wonderful. I'm so glad to get to the bottom of this. The canoe has been in my family for as long as I can remember. I'm 54 and heard stories of my dad and I in the canoe at a time before my memory was recording things. It is a piece of history that gives me ties back to my childhood and my parents. I appreciate all you have done to shed some light on this.
 
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