Shell Lake Boat Company Canoe #117 141
- Thread starter Norski
- Start date
thompsonboatboy
LOVES Wooden Canoes
There is very little information of Shell Lake Boat Co. and her successors. There is some basic history and some brochures posted online at www.fiberglassics.com in the Glassic Library area.
A ledger book of shipments with serial number does exist. It covers a short time period in the company history. It is sitting out in the open on a desk at the historical society muesum in Shell Lake, WI. Anyone can just go up to it and slip it into their bag and walk away with it. It has never been copied or transcribed. It may be possible that your canoe is listed in the ledger. It will give you when it was shipped and to whom it was shipped, that's all.
You will have to write a letter to the historical society at Shell Lake. I think it is the Washburn County Historical Society. They are not operting in the winter, so it might takes months to get a response.
Andreas
A ledger book of shipments with serial number does exist. It covers a short time period in the company history. It is sitting out in the open on a desk at the historical society muesum in Shell Lake, WI. Anyone can just go up to it and slip it into their bag and walk away with it. It has never been copied or transcribed. It may be possible that your canoe is listed in the ledger. It will give you when it was shipped and to whom it was shipped, that's all.
You will have to write a letter to the historical society at Shell Lake. I think it is the Washburn County Historical Society. They are not operting in the winter, so it might takes months to get a response.
Andreas
Is there anyone in the area who is willing to help get this information scanned like the Old Town records?
Benson
thompsonboatboy
LOVES Wooden Canoes
I'm really not sure if anyone at Shell Lake may be willing to scan or transcribe the information for the ledgers into a database. Everyone I have dealt with there is quite mature and do not seam like ones to be very up on technology. I can make some inquiries next summer when I am in the area.
Andreas
Andreas
That would be great. I was not expecting that the scanning would be done by a contractor for a fee. My hope is that someone would be willing to ask if the organization is willing to allow this to be done and them maybe help transport the documents to (and back from) the scanning contractor if everything can be worked out. Thanks,
Benson
pklonowski
Unrepentant Canoeist
I've got a pretty good-quality scanner. How many pages are we talking about?
Would this be the first step toward entering the information into a database?
Would this be the first step toward entering the information into a database?
I don't know how many pages or if they are bound in a way that would make scanning difficult with a traditional flat bed scanner. Scanning is usually the first step torward creating a database since scans are much easier to distribute to a diverse group of volunteers for the transcription. The first step is to see if the organization that owns the information will allow anything like this to be done. Let me know if there is anything that I can do to help. Thanks,
Benson
thompsonboatboy
LOVES Wooden Canoes
I am pretty certain that this is a bound volume. Maybe two inches thick. Can't recall if it is 8 1/2" x 11" or smaller. I do not think it could be scanned with a flat bed scanner without cutting it apart.
oooo, just thought of somethng, I MIGHT have taken a photo of the book. I'll have to DIG and see if I can find pics from the museum.
Andreas
oooo, just thought of somethng, I MIGHT have taken a photo of the book. I'll have to DIG and see if I can find pics from the museum.
Andreas
And actually, photographing the ledger pages would be perfectly acceptable in place of scanning, and in fact would be faster, as legible or more, and kinder to the ledger, than scanning would be.
It would require a good, high megapixel camera... most camera phones won't cut it...
It really depends on the type of binding and the condition. I have scanned some really old bound documents in reasonably good condition and I have refused to touch a Rushton catalog with a sewn binding in poor condition. There are also a variety of book scanner options available including the one shown at http://kmbs.konicaminolta.us/wps/portal/web/home/products/office-systems/scanners/ps7000 if we need to use a professional service. The biggest problem is often getting permission from the organization that owns the books. Some pictures would be great. Thanks,
Benson
Benson
pklonowski
Unrepentant Canoeist
Please define "high megapixel camera"? I may have one that fits the bill... and have been set up for similar documentation in the not-very-distant past. This would be MUCH easier than scanning. Others may have "good enough" cameras as well.
But getting permission may be the tough part, as you mention.
But getting permission may be the tough part, as you mention.
Dave Wermuth
Who hid my paddle?
I contacted Wahburn Historical Society Museum and ended up corresponding with Mr. Ripley, one of the curators, or perhaps a volunteer. He photo copied the entire page containing my canoe. I wish I could remember if it was bound or spiral or looseleaf. But it was legible and gave some info on my canoe. I passed the record on with the canoe when I let it go.
Dave Wermuth
Who hid my paddle?
http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?4528-Believe-it-or-not&highlight=Shell+Lake Just found this old post. the records are in a binder.
thompsonboatboy
LOVES Wooden Canoes
Attached is a picture of the Shell Lake museum. I think the book on the table "A1169 - ..." is the boat company ledger book.
