Not originally yellow...
If this is the correct record for your canoe, it wasn't originally yellow... but was a little more exciting. Would be nice if you had an old picture.
Old Town 134721 is an 18 foot AA (top) grade Otca model canoe that was finished during February to June of 1942. It has open mahogany gunwales, mahogany decks, thwarts, and seat frames, half ribs, and a keel with full length bang plate. Originally, it was pained design #4 (see attached, from "The Complete Old Town Canoe Company Catalog Collection, 1901- 1993", available on CD from
http://www.wcha.org/catalog/ and
http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm on the web.) with the following notation made regarding that design, "Toady to sketch just above Indian design in semi-circle 2" block letters on right and left bow". It's unclear to me if the name "Toady" is what was printed in block letters, or if I'm even reading that word right.... but this is something that was done on special-order for your canoe.
The canoe was shipped to Rider, Hayes Co. of Bridgeport, Connecticut on June 10, 1942. The scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image.
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 and anyone else reading this will join or renew membership in 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 renew.
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.
Kathy