The ENA at the Museum (Vince
Shaudys is in the
foreground).
Rescuing the ENA
The Ena was kept
behind The Pacific
County Historical Society Museum building from November
2001 to November
2006. It was donated as a historic launch by the
Louderback family
of South Bend. The ENA was moved from it's berth
at the Louderback
boatshop to dry land behind the Pacific County Museum in
South Bend, arriving
November 27th, 2001.
The ENA, whose
name means "beaver"
in the Chinook trade language, was built in 1904 by Dan
Louderback, grandfather
of Janet and Danny Louderback, current owners of the
boatshop. Restoring
the ENA was the dream of Janet and Danny's father,
Marion Louderback.
Marion was well known around the Pacific Northwest as a
master boatbuilder,
and preserver of an heirloom collection of historic
boats.
"It was Marion's
dream to restore
the ENA for use on the Willapa River", said Historical
Society museum director
Bruce Weilepp. "In the long run we hope to fulfill
that dream.
Our immediate concern, however, is to protect the ENA
from further deterioration",
said Weilepp. "We need to build a cradle for the
hull to keep the
boat's shape while it dries out, and construct a shed
over it."
Purchase and
preservation of
the ENA and the Louderback oyster bateau, the last of
its type floating
on the Willapa, is being financed by donations.
Contributions to
help preserve the ENA are tax-deductible and should be
directed to Bruce
Weilepp at brucew@willapabay.org. |
