Old Town #136360. 16

Tom Moye

New Member
Greetings all,

I rescued this canoe from an acquaintance who is a borderline hoarder. She acquired it in some sort of horse trade. I suspect that it was a barn find. It has been mouldering in her yard since last summer. The canvas is torn and peeling, but the wood underneath is sound with only two small holes.

I now have it under cover. I removed the canvas and blew out the leaves and dirt. It has dried out nicely. I'd just like to find out what I can about its provenance.

Thanks in advance,
Tom
 
Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 136360 is a 16 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, Otca model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, a keel, and outside stems. It was built between October and December, 1943. The original exterior paint color was bright red. It shipped on April 13th, 1943 to Claremont, New Hampshire. 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/ot_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 your canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson



136360.jpg
 
Wow. Thanks for the quick response. That's my boat. Interesting that it went to Montgomery Ward in Claremont, NH. I'm on the Vermont side of the border only about 15 miles away. The canoe has outlasted Montgomery Ward.
Thanks again,
Tom
 
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