Gathering at the White Rose: "The Canoe Center of the World: Old Town Maine?"

[clemency]

This just popped up on my facebook feed, and is tomorrow (1/19) from 7-9 PM.

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Benson Gray, a historian with the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association and member of the Gray family, some of the founders of the Old Town Canoe Company, will talk about how a small town in Maine became, for a long while, the center of canoe building for the planet. It’s an amazing story of how a small shop grew to a worldwide phenomenon!
We at White Rose Canoe find this story particularly fascinating because the shop was for many years the location of Fernald’s Marine on the Parker River. Fernald’s was for a time the largest Old Town Canoe dealer in the country. We still have lots of folks coming into the shop commenting that they (or their parents/grandparents) bought their canoe from Fernald’s. And as I’m writing this we have a gorgeous 1972 Old Town Guide 16’ wood and canvas two tone and a 1998 Old Town Katahdin 16’ fiberglass family canoe, both originally sold from Fernald’s. Clearly, what goes around comes around!

This session will meet in person at White Rose Canoe, 291 High Road, Newbury, MA 01951. There will also be a Zoom meeting for those who aren’t able to join us in person.

Please send a note to whiterosecanoe@gmail.com to let us know if you’re coming and to get the Zoom link.

 

[billconner]

Wish you weren't 7+ hours away.

 

[Benson Gray]

Wish you weren't 7+ hours away.

The page linked below has an option to send an email and get a Zoom link. The weather prediction is grim so I'm planning to present with Zoom.

Benson

Gather: The Canoe Center of the World: Old Town Maine?? — White Rose Canoe

The Old Town Canoe factory in Old Town, Maine - the largest canoe factory in the world, in a small town in Maine. Come join us as Benson Grey, a historian with the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association how the phenomena happened - great story!! (Click the title for more details)

whiterosecanoe.com

 

[yellowcanoe]

Wish you weren't 7+ hours away.

Bill, sign up.. You can attend via zoom with your libation of choice in hand.. I will be sitting here via Zoom and Benson I bet will be sitting 10 miles from me and 120 miles from White Rose in the comfort of our homes while the weather does its thing.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I just had my first Zoom experience last night, and it worked well for 10 WCHA officials spread around North America. I'm sure Benson's presentation will be expert and informative to anyone with an interest in canoe history. I just hope White Rose's seminars can get in-person attendees, too. They have been an informative member here, and canoe shops need foot traffic and real people kicking tires.

 

[Benson Gray]

The recording is available below if anyone wasn't able to attend in person.

Benson

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

That was a very informative presentation by @Benson Gray, hosted by @KeithA at White Rose Canoe. A number of our other members were logged into the live Zoom session.

 

[stevet]

Enjoyed it thoroughly