Heres a few notes of canoeing history
The English were the first to popularize canoeing as a sport. The first logged cruse was in 1847 when Sir Henry DeBathe crused the Thames River in a tin canoe
MacGregor, a Scottsman, introduced his Rob Roy around the same time. It became the first widely known canoe of modern times.
J Henry Rushton building boats in 1873 in Canton N.Y. In 1876, he started making canoes with oak ribs and cedar planks. His boats took first place at the County Fair in Canton that same year.
Rushton built 3 Lightweight canoes for G W Sears, better known as Nessmok, that weighted 16, 18 and 10&1/2 lbs.. The later was the Sairy Gamp, possably the lightest wooden canoe ever built. ( would not guarentee it)
Most of his boats were of lap streak desine untill 1887 when he started making smooth skin canoes
In 1888, his cataloge clamed to have the largest number and vatiety of boats in the world
In 1902, Rushton hired Melvin F Roundy from Bangor Maine to build Canvas covered canoes
Rushton canoes popularity spread across this country and his boats were even sent to countries like England, Scotland, South America, France, and Egypt
J Henry died in 1906 when Herry took over the busness untill 1916 when the Boat shop closed due in part to WW1
The HERITAGE of Old Town Canoe
Taken from the 2001 catalog
There is a section of the Penobscot River in northeast Maine, Just north of Bangor,that is known as "the rockey place." It is from this place that the Penobscot, a tribe of hunters and gatherers, take there name.
The deep current takes you to the shores of Old Town, a small town nestled in the woods at "the rocky place." The town is quaint with red brick buildings and white clapboard houses that date back to the early part of the 19th century
In a sence, this place is sacred. For hundreds of years, The Penobscot built there canoes at this very spot. It feels like the fingertip of god, the great spiret, has touched this place in a very special way, bringing together everything the Penobscot needed to build there birch bark canoes. It makes scence why Old Town is here. This place is canoeing.
1898- George Gray hires A.E.Wickett to make canoes. Canoes are constructed in the back of the Gray Hardware store on north main st.
Oct.13,1900- The Indian Old Town Canoe Co. opens on the second and third floor of the Herbert Gray Building
1901-Moves to the former Keith shoe factory
1902- Robertson and Old Town Co. is incorporated
1903- Refileing of papers changes name to Old Town Canoe co.
1910- Old Town Canoe acquires Carleton Canoe
boasts itself as being the canoe center of the world. 3,500 canoes were built that year
1914- Planes are compleated for second major expansion. A 4 story building 300ft. long will make OTCC the largest canoe factory in the world
1919- 15% price hike for war tax
1925- OTCC running at full copacity
1940- First Old Town Kayak produced . wood and canvas
1944- Production increases, 80-90 canoes a week
B.N. Morris, one of the pioneer developers and builders of wood and canvas canoes, started building canoes in the mid 1880's in Veazie, Maine. His shop quickly grew into a large manufacturing plant with over 75 employees. After a fire in 1920 destroyed the company, Morris continues to build and develop canoe designs for the Old Town Canoe Company. Morris canoes are very rare today and considered to be superior examples of the best in the development of wood and canvas canoes.
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