Old Town Canoe

White's brother-in-law, E.L. Hinckley, became his working partner and provided the capital to open a large shop in Old Town, employing several men.

[10] In 1917, Old Town entered the sportfishing market with the introduction of a square-sterned model for the "detachable motor" that was gaining popularity.

[12] In the early 1970s the company began using Royalex in canoe manufacture (called "Oltonar" by Old Town for many years), an ABS composite plastic.

This successfully competed with aluminum and fibre glass canoe makers who nearly put many of the handcrafted wood and canvas builders out of business.

Paddle manufacturing was added to the production facility as part of the parent company's consolidation and streamlining efforts.

[14] Old Town was to gain 48 jobs as the parent company cut an estimated 90 in its hometown of Racine, Wisconsin.

[17] In the end, city officials decided the cost of rehabilitating the complex was too prohibitive and the decision was made to demolish the buildings.

The city was awarded a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help move the project forward.

[21] Most of the individual records for Old Town's canoes and boats built prior to 1976 still exist.

A serial number is located on the upper face of the stem on the floor of the canoe at each end.

[22] The Old Town Canoe Company "is one of the few Maine businesses to have achieved legendary status nationally".