January 19, 2023 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
©
Shelton Mason County Journal. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 7 (7 of 40 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
January 19, 2023 |
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader ![]() |
Emma M. takes to the sea
he idea for this story
. I came from Jerry Shel-
don, who as a boy,
watched a boat being built in
a shed near his home on Hill-
crest. The details are from
issues of the Shelton-Mason
Over a period of three days
in May 1942, a homemade
fishing boat called Emma M.
made the 2-mile trip down the
highway from a backyard shed
on Arcadia Street, Hillcrest,
through downtown Shelton to
a successful launch at Bedell’s
Moorage on Oakland Bay.
Emma M. was the cre-
ation of brothers Art and Bill
McLaughlin, who despite both
working full-time jobs at the
Rayonier mill digester plant,
“completed their tremendous
undertaking without outside
assistance in the astonish-
ingly short. time of two years
and one month, just ahead of
priorities, price raises, and
material shortages caused by
the war.” .
The boat was 52 feet long
with a 14-foot beam, weighed
40 tons, and was valued
‘ ass sssass
HISTORY
AT A GLANCE
between $12,000 and $25,000.
It was powered by a 40—horse-
power Frisco Standard gaso-
line motor, and the brothers
expected it to have a greater
cruising range than most
boats of its type because they
had installed gas tanks with a
storage capacity of 1,000 gal—
lons. The holds could‘handle
22 tons of fish. The boat car—
ried its own electric light
plant and had bunks for a
crew of six (four below decks
and two off the wheelhouse).
Bill’s wife, after whom the
boat was named, was to be
the cook on the boat’s first trip
to the halibut banks at Neah
Bay.
Art and Bill hired Aberdeen
, house mover Herman Ander-
son to get their boat to the
bay. Soft shoulders on Arcadia
Street proved to be a chal— v
lenge, and the entire first day
was spent moving the boat the
two blocks from its shed to the
highway. The rest of the trip,
down the hill and through the
heart of Shelton, was com-
pleted without incident on the
second day. To ensure that
the Hillcrest grade was taken
very slowly, a logging truck
acted as a brake while the
Anderson Transfer truck sup—
plied the pulling power. Once
on level grade, the powerful
logging truck pulled the load
“v'vith comparative ease and ,
swiftness” to the launching
spot, arriving shortly before
noon. The actual launch was
accomplished the next day by
dragging Emma M. andher
supporting cradle onto the
tideflats at the morning low
tide and waiting for the eve-
ning high tide to float the boat
free.
Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023 — Shelton-Mason County Journal — Page 7
Emma M. waiting to be launched at low tide. Photo courtesy
of Mason County Historical Museum
The next few weeks were
spent mounting the mast
and some superstructure and
placing ballast. Finally, on
.the morning of July 17, the
McLaughlins cast off from
Bedell’s Moorage and headed
for the fishing banks off Cape
Flattery on the Emma M.’s
maiden voyage. They were to
join a sister ship from Bremer-
ton and proceed to Neah Bay,
which would be their base
during the fishing season.
The last news item on
the Emma M. was, in the
May 27, 1943, Journal. The
McLaughlin brothers were
installing a new diesel power
plant in the boat, and hoped
to have it ready in time for the
upcoming tuna run.
I Jan Parker is a re-
searcher for the Mason County
Historical Museum. She can
be reached at parkerj@hctc..
com. Membership in the Ma-
son County Historical Society
is.$25 per year. For a limited
time, new members will re-
ceive a free copy of the book
“Shelton, the First Century
Plus Ten.”
Maupnonranlsrs
Learn more about
Medicare at senior
center programs
Seniors new to Medicare are wel--
come to learn more about the pro- '
gram in person from 11 a.m. to 12:15
p.m. today at the Mason County Se-
nior Activities Center, 190 W. Sentry
MWVSheltonm—a- t:‘\ *f -;
The center also offers Zoom “Wel-
come to Medicare” presentations by
appointment, today 10 am. to noon
To register to reserve a Zoom
spot,“ thurstonMasonShiba.Vol-
* mWékWfighsoundseniorsnrg.
Free trauma course
Love INC of Mason County is of-
fering a free community workshop
designed to help anyone heal from
trauma they have experienced in life.
It’s called Reboot Recovery and
it is a 12—week faith-based, peer-led
course that is also designed to help
military veterans, first responders
and their families heal from critical
incident stress and'trauma.
The course also aims to help any-
one who has been traumatized by
Weldeliver
or U-huul
child abuse, sexual abuse, domestic
violence or natural disasters. ‘
The course will be led by Roy Har-
rington, a retired Army Reserve colo-
nel, and his wife, Diane, along with
Andrea Sehmel.
The course is from 6-8 p.m.
Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 1 at the
Mountain View Alliance Church, 314
J St. in Shelton.
For more information, call Roy
Harrington at 206-817-8815 or email
him at rcfli55@yahoo.com.
Soup Song benefit
Love INC of Mason County Soup
& Song Benefit Concert and Dessert
Auction is set for 4:30 p.m. Feb. 4 at
the Shelton Presbyterian Church,
1430 E. Shelton Springs Rd.
The event is put together by volun—
teers and features hOme-made soups,
a live auction for to 25 high-end
desserts and a silent auction for sim- .
pler desserts like brownies. Musical
entertainment will be provided by
local musician Rocky Holbrook of the
band Rumor 6 and harpists Emily
and Ellen Hageman.
Soup & Song is a fundraiser sup-
porting the mission of Love INC
(Love in the Name of Christ) of
NORTHWEST
INC.
lllYlllll lflWNE llllllflilY NllW MIN!
95] W. KAMIlflHE LA E IN SHELTIIN
minimalism-Hilda. 7AM-4PM
NWHOGK£0M
5mm Cont: Reg. No. NORlHRl033N0
Mason County and its 25 partner
churches who work together while
providing them with goods and ser-
vices such as clothing, blankets, fur-
, niture, backpacks for kids, diapers,
medical equipment and some finan-
cial help.
Tickets for the Soup'& Song Ben-
efit Concert and Dessert Auction
are $20 and will be available at the
Presbyterian church the day of the
event or before by calling Love INC at
360-462-5683. V
Activities center
offers classes,
games for seniors
The Mason County Senior Activi-
ties Center offers classes, games and
other offerings at its Activities Center
at 190 W. Sentry Drive, Shelton.
Monday events are cribbage and
tai chi at 8:15 a.m., line dance at 9
a.m., Mexican trains at 10 a.m., lunch
at noon, and intermediate pinochle
and artists’ workshop at 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday events are cribbage at
8:15 a.m., Zoom and in-person yoga
at 8:30 a.m.,vThird Tuesday yoga at .
8:15am” advanced line dance at 10
a.m., tai chi at 11 a.m., lunch at noon,
bridge at 12:30 p.m., a movie at 1
p.m. and Zumba with Sarah at 5:30
p.m. .
Wednesday’s events are cribbage,
tai chi and Zoom tai chi at 8:15 a.m.,
line dance at 9 a.m., Mexican trains
at 10 a.m., lunch at noon, intermedi-
ate pinochle at 12:80 p.m., hand and
foot care at 1 p.m., and crafting with
Teresa at 1 p.m. the first Wednesday
of each month.
Thursday’s events are cribbage at
8:15 a.m., Zoom and in-person yoga
at 8:30 a.m., E-Z Crafters, Joker’s
Rule and quilting and sewing at 9
a.m., advanced line dance, Zoom tai.
chi and knit and chat at 10 a.m.,
lunch at noon, bridge at 12:30 p.m.,
machine knitting, mahjong and bingo
at 1 p.m., and Zumba with Sarah at
5:30 p.m.
Friday’s events are cribbage and
tai chivat 8:15 a.m., line dance at 9
a.m., Mexican trains and Scrabble 'at
10 a.m., tai chi at 10:45 a.m., lunch
at 11:30 a.m., beginning pinochle at
noon, chorus at 12:30 p.m., tai chi
slew set at 1:30 p.m., and the Friday
senior movie at 1:30 p.m.
I Compiled by reporter Gordon
. Weeks
ROOF DOCTOR...
NOW HIRING ve
ROOFERS & LABORERS
Competitive Wages D.O.E.
401W ROTH (after 1 year)
* Health Insurance (after 2 months)
a Vacation Pay (afterlvear)
it Quarterly Safety Bonus
* Paid Training *
1131 W. KAMILCHE LN
SHELTON, WA 98584
360—427-8611 ‘
Shelton@theroofdoctor.com
- (roofing experience recommended but not necessary)