93 inch Maine Paddle

An Ebay seller recently found a huge paddle at an Maine Estate barn. The paddle is a whopping 93 1/2" with a 3 foot blade. 

93" Maine Paddle

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The blade is stamped on both sides with a faded incised mark that could either read as "O. B. CO" but the B could be a P or other rounded letter.

The paddle is consistent with long paddles used for ocean going canoes used by various groups of Wabanaki peoples, most notably the Penobscot or Passamaquoddy peoples. Other examples previously featured on the site are the 77" decorative Penobscot, an 84" mustard yellow painted paddle,  a 90" painted paddle and a similar 96" ochre painted design

Such long paddles were useful for stand up paddling in ocean canoes and were relatively common place by these coastal peoples. 

Margarette Francis

Kingsclear, University of New Brunswick Archives.

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Later these huge paddles were adopted by lumbermen using wooden batteaux on spring log drives. Perhaps the O.B. CO. marking refer to an obscure logging company.

Historic Paddle Photo: Big Chief Thunder Loring

A photo from RubyLane.com illustrating Penobscot Chief, Peter Nicola (left) showcasing craftwork over an overturned bark canoe. Two paddles are prominently displayed.

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The description from the source link cites Peter Nicola as Chief of  the Oldtown Indian Tribe as identified by period handwriting on the back of the mat. No date is listed but some preliminary research revealed that the same photo identifies the other man on the right as "Big Chief Thunder" Frank Loring, this according to noted Wabanaki scholar Harald Prins in an article "Chief Big Thunder (1827-1906)" published in  Maine History Vol. 37 (3): 140-158.

Peter Nicola and Frank Loring according to Harald Prins

Given that Loring died in 1906, this photo must predate that time. 

Maine Estate Paddles - New Haven Auctions

New Haven Auctions is hosting the Autumn Americana Sale on October 3, 2020 featuring items from the private collection of Jim and Nancy Glazer, of  Bailey’s Island, Maine. The collection includes a set of canoe paddles...

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No other information provided other than length: 62-3/4"for the paddle on the left and 52-1/2" for the shorter one on the right.

Historic Paddle Photo: Joe's Wigwam

Another Historic stereograph image courtesy of the J. Paul Getty Museum. This one features a camp in Maine with a canvas lean-to shelter (erroneously called a 'wigwam') in the background. In the foreground, a birchbark canoe with two accompanying paddles  rests on the foliage of the forest floor.

William P. Dean (American, born Canada, 1835 - 1911)

Joe's Wigwam. [Maine], 1865–1875, Albumen silver print

84.XC.979.3230

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Gift of Weston J. and Mary M. Naef

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Though the blade shapes are obscured by vegetation, the flattened grips of the paddles are clearly visible in the following closeup shot. Curious as well that the bark canoe looks to have some sort of bracing nailed to the ribs just below the inwales. Some sort of flat floorboard is also seen running along the center point of the hull's interior.

Closeup