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The E.M. White Canoe Company was founded by Edwin White, who produced wood and canvas
The company's construction methods evolved from the manufacture of 
The earliest commercial builder of wood-and-canvas canoe may have been Evan H. Gerrish of Bangor, Maine, a hunting and fishing guide from Brownville, Maine. Upriver at Gilman Falls, E.M. White started producing canoes in 1889. White gave an interview in 1901 in the ''Old Town Enterprise'', saying: "I saw a man by the name of Evan Gerrish of Bangor riding in the Penobscot River in a canvas-covered canoe. I quickly saw the advantages of that kind over my birchbark, which moreover leaked. I examined the canvas canoe closely, and in a short time was able to produce one which was so good someone wanted to buy it."
White started building canoes at his Gilman Falls family home by boiling wooden ribs in his mother's washtub and using a horse on a
White employed a variety of deck styles, from a simple triangular shape to an inverted heart.
Planking is often bevel-edged.
The stern seat on earlier Whites is steam-bent in a "D" shape.
The tips of the inwales, deck, and outwales extend an inch or so beyond the top of the stem.
Canoe manufacturers Old Town, Maine Manufacturing companies based in Maine Defunct companies based in Maine Design companies established in 1889 Manufacturing companies established in 1889 1889 establishments in Maine Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1984 Design companies disestablished in 1984 1984 disestablishments in Maine
canoes
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the ter ...
from 1889 into the 1940s. White is considered one of the pioneers of wood and canvas canoe building and one of several prominent canoe builders in Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
.
Background
The company's construction methods evolved from the manufacture of birchbark
Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several Eurasian and North American birch trees of the genus ''Betula''.
The strong and water-resistant cardboard-like bark can be easily cut, bent, and sewn, which has made it a valuable building, craftin ...
canoes. The transition occurred in the 19th century when canoe builders in the Eastern United States and Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, Canada, laid canvas instead of bark into a traditional building bed. Later, builders in Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
adapted English boat-building inverted-forms technology, whereby an external waterproofed canvas shell was fastened to a wooden hull formed with white cedar plank
Plank may refer to:
* Plank (wood), flat, elongated, and rectangular timber with parallel faces
* Plank (exercise), an isometric exercise for the abdominal muscles
*Martins Creek (Kentucky), the location of Plank post office
* ''The Plank'' (1967 f ...
s and ribs.
The earliest commercial builder of wood-and-canvas canoe may have been Evan H. Gerrish of Bangor, Maine, a hunting and fishing guide from Brownville, Maine. Upriver at Gilman Falls, E.M. White started producing canoes in 1889. White gave an interview in 1901 in the ''Old Town Enterprise'', saying: "I saw a man by the name of Evan Gerrish of Bangor riding in the Penobscot River in a canvas-covered canoe. I quickly saw the advantages of that kind over my birchbark, which moreover leaked. I examined the canvas canoe closely, and in a short time was able to produce one which was so good someone wanted to buy it."
White started building canoes at his Gilman Falls family home by boiling wooden ribs in his mother's washtub and using a horse on a treadmill
A treadmill is a device generally used for walking, running, or climbing while staying in the same place. Treadmills were introduced before the development of powered machines to harness the power of animals or humans to do work, often a type o ...
for power. In 1895, White's brother George and Alfred E. Wickett were working for him. Wickett would go on to help start the Indian Old Town Canoe Company (later the Old Town Canoe Company), and founded the Penobscot Canoe Company and St. Louis Meramec Canoe Company. White's brother-in-law, E.L. Hinckley, became a working partner and provided the capital to open a large shop in Old Town, Maine
Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,431 at the 2020 census. The city's developed area is chiefly located on the relatively large Marsh Island, though its boundaries extend beyond that. The island i ...
in 1896, the town where Old Town Canoe would be established in the early twentieth century.
After World War Two, Walter King, one of White’s employees, and his brother-in-law Pat Farnsworth purchased the company and changed the name to White Canoe Company and began to build fiberglass canoes. The company was purchased by The Old Town Canoe Company in 1984.Miller, Daniel, ''E.M. White'', WCHA Forums, KnowledgeBase, Wood Canoe Manufacturers.
Identifying features
White employed a variety of deck styles, from a simple triangular shape to an inverted heart.
Planking is often bevel-edged.
The stern seat on earlier Whites is steam-bent in a "D" shape.
The tips of the inwales, deck, and outwales extend an inch or so beyond the top of the stem.
References
{{ReflistSee also
*Miller, Daniel and Benson Gray, editors, ''The Historic Wood Canoe and Boat Manufacturer Catalog Collection'', on CD-ROMCanoe manufacturers Old Town, Maine Manufacturing companies based in Maine Defunct companies based in Maine Design companies established in 1889 Manufacturing companies established in 1889 1889 establishments in Maine Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1984 Design companies disestablished in 1984 1984 disestablishments in Maine