Note
Notes: According to its first owner, Lou Hamlin, this dugout was made from a single log in 1844 by "Indian Joe" Shashaguay, who lived near the river east of Saugatuck. It was purchased for $3 in 1898 by Morgan J. Edgcomb, Sr., son of early settler W.G. Edgcomb. He used it for hunting and trapping until the 1920s when he became a Great Lakes sailor eventually rising to the rank of captain on the Georgian Bay Line.
The old dugout languished under the porch until his son, Morgan J. Edgecomb Jr. returned from the Korean War, refurbished the century-old vessel and put it back in the water. Morgan J. Jr. ran the Snug Harbor Gas Station on the corner of Butler and Culver in the 1950s and later (according to Cynthis Sorrenson) became a boat captain for daredevil Evil Knevil.
In 2004 When Morgan Jr. was at Hospice, ill with cancer, Saugatuck firemen honored his long tenure with the fire epartment by trucking the old dugout he so treasured to a pond near the facility. Morg died later that year and a new fire department rescue boat was named the Morgan J., in his honor.
Status: OK
Status By: Mary Voss
Status Date: 2011-06-06
![Morgan J. Edgcomb Jr. paddling the canoe from article from Commercial Record: INDIAN Joe Shashaguay was the best doggone dugout maker in southwest Michigan.
Any red man of the middle 1800's would have told you that. And since this 110-year-old example is still afloat, no one around will argue the point.
Joe made it for Lou Hamlin, a Saugatuck pioneer of the 1840's, and Lou sold it to Morgan Edgecomb for $3, better than 50 years ago. Edgecomb used it awhile for duck hunting and then shoved it under the porch where it lay for 30 years.
Recently his son, Jay (left), dug it out and put it back in use.
[Morgan Edgcomb Sr. purchased the canoe, and his son Morgan J. Edgcomb Jr. is shown paddling the craft]](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/4124/896a46a0-aa28-11ec-96bf-09f6b013c901-vUU15iq.lg@2x.jpg)
![EDG-0016-MorganEdgcombJr-Dugout.JPG 768KB: STILL GOING STRONG-The old dugout canoe, fashioned from a log by the Indians, has not yet passed away. Morgan (Jay) Edgcomb still uses one on the Kalamazoo river at Saugatuck. Made 110 years ago by "Indian Joe" Shashaguay, known as the best dugout maker in Allegan county, the canoe was made for Lou Hamlin, who sold it to Morgan Edgcomb, Sr., 56 years ago for $3. Edgcomb [Sr.] used it for years in hunting and running a trap line before it was stored under a porch at his home for 30 years. It was put into the water by his son in 1952.
Grand Rapids newspaper August 7, 1956](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/4124/356e4290-1889-11f0-bfa1-218d662be5cf-vUU15iq.lg@2x.jpg)
