Emma M. takes to the sea

The idea for this story came from Jerry Sheldon, who as a boy, watched a boat being built in a shed near his home on Hillcrest. The details are from issues of the Shelton-Mason County Journal.

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 creation of brothers Art and Bill McLaughlin, who despite both working full-time jobs at the Rayonier mill digester plant, "completed thei...