It would not be difficult to offer a service which would allow you to type in a canoe's serial number and see the original model, ship date, color, and other details. It is then possible to search for specifics like how many green sixteen foot canoes were built in a given year or how many canoes were produced with design number four? The information could also be made available through the WCHA web site on the world wide web. This information is even more useful in a database. It would be a tragic loss if these records suffered the same fate.Ĭomputer scanning can preserve the records as an electronic photocopy.

A few years ago the hardware store building where the Old Town Canoe Company originated was destroyed in a fire. They contain: specific details about each canoe the dates when each stage of production was completed the name and address of the original purchaser and other related information. The build records consist of several hundred thousand paper cards with hand written notes about how and when a canoe was built. The WCHA and Johnson Worldwide Associates (JWA), the corporate parent of the Old Town Canoe Company, have both made substantial financial contributions to get this project started. An electronic archive project is now underway to preserve this chronicle of canoe history at Old Town and make it more available for future research. This is a unique treasure which should be saved before natural decay or some unfortunate accident deprives historians and the thousands of Old Town canoe owners of a chance to trace the roots of their cherished canoes. Fortunately, most of the original records from building these canoes are still available from the factory. Most members of the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) who find an antique Old Town canoe want to know how old it is and learn more about its history. The Old Town Canoe Company Build Record Archive Project

Old town canoe serial number chart