A wooden dugout canoe, acquired by the Toledo History Museum five years ago, may likely be one of the earliest pioneer or Native American artifacts in the Maumee Valley region. A new radio carbon dating test, funded by the museum, has concluded that wood samples taken from the canoe are at least 240 years old and may be upwards of more than 300 years of age or more. This new information reinforces anecdotal narratives that the canoe was given or sold to early Toledo pioneer, Luther Whitmore Sr., shortly after the family moved into the Maumee Valley in the 1820’s.
London Mitchell, president of the Toledo History Museum, believes this new information is significant in the always evolving research of the area’s history. “Artifacts such as this canoe provide a direct link not only to our history but to our heritage. Understanding both helps us understand how we got to where we are and to where we might be going.”
Canoe’s Link to Toledo’s Past
The Luther Whitmore family lived for many years on the east side of the Maumee River, as one of the first pioneer families of what is now East Toledo. They and others, such as the Cranes, Prentices and Andrus families, farmed an area along the river not far from the current I-75 bridge and grain elevators along what is now Miami Street. The Whitmore family was friendly with the native tribes in the area, and it was through that amicable relationship that the Whitmore’s were able to acquire the dugout canoe, a much needed transportation vehicle on the riverfront. The story of the canoe was passed down for generations in the Whitmore family, along with the canoe itself, but in 1965, a family member and direct descendant, Ron Goodyear, donated the canoe to the Toledo Zoo, which put it on display in the zoo’s natural history museum. It remained there for many years, but as the zoo’s exhibits changed, it was taken off display and the Toledo History Museum was able to acquire the 15-foot long wooden canoe.
The Mystery of “Wagush” Curiously, emblazoned on the bow of the canoe, in crudely written red paint, is the word “Wagush.” It was first reported that “Wagush” was a Wyandot word for “friend.” However, subsequent research by the Toledo History Museum shows that the word “Wagush” is of the Ojibwa or Chippewa language and means “fox.” It is still uncertain what tribe may have built or sold the canoe to the Whitmore family.
Other research by the museum also discovered several news articles from the 1930’s about the Whitmore family having possession of the canoe, along with other Indian and pioneer artifacts. That article says the dugout canoe was hollowed out with fire and stones by local tribesmen and was used by the Whitmore family until about 1900.
More Research and Preservation Required The canoe is currently offdisplay at the Toledo History Museum, and efforts are ongoing to find a new venue and display setting. The canoe has a remarkable story to tell about the early families who arrived after the War of 1812 to find thousands of local Native Americans living in villages along the Maumee. The Whitmore dugout canoe remains a symbol of those early years of settlement of northwest Ohio. The Toledo History Museum is determined to preserve the legacy of this centuries-old dugout canoe and to tell its remarkable story.
“We want to make sure the canoe is preserved for us and future generations to provide that direct connection to our past,” said Mitchell.
The canoe’s project director for the museum, Lou Hebert, says, “The dugout is in remarkably good condition given its age and years of use. It is a rare and valuable link to the early story of Toledo’s settlement.”
More research is planned for the historic canoe, such as determining the species of tree used for its construction. Also, further inspection and analysis is needed to help pinpoint its construction style and identification of the tribe who created it.
