TOLEDO, Ohio — Carbon dating has revealed the age of an object that is among the oldest artifacts in northwest Ohio.
The Toledo History Museum said it funded a radiocarbon dating test to determine the approximate age of the Whitmore Canoe, an object with a storied past in Lucas County.
What is known about the canoe
The museum said records indicate the canoe was hollowed out with fire and stones by indigenous people upon its construction. However, the museum said further inspection and analysis are necessary to determine the exact construction style, tree species, as well as to identify the tribe that would have created it.
Additionally, the word “Wagush” is written in red paint on the bow of the canoe. It was once said this was the Wyandot word for “friend,” but additional research has shown that it is actually either of Ojibwa or Chippewa origin, and means “fox.”
The Whitmore family
The 15-foot dugout canoe was anecdotally said to have been given or sold to Luther Whitmore Sr. after he moved to the Maumee Valley in the 1820s, according to the museum, which sent out a press release Tuesday. It is believed that Whitmore and his family were friendly with the indigenous people living in the area, leading to Whitmore’s acquisition of the canoe…