Steamboat Arabia Museum/collection in Kansas City

[reb64]

Finally visited this museum after living here 15 years and was amazed at the amount and types of almost pristine wares of the period, pulled up from the wreck of a steamboat in a mo riverbed over a hundred years later. there must of been hundreds of brogans, shoes and boots even RUBBER ones, that looked like modern crocs or golasses. The coats and hats, handsaws that looked like the ones in truevalue. Tons of tinware. Looked like sutler row. I saw sewn and pegged shoes, boot pistols and tools that i thought were post war, totally amazing. This wreck was in the 1850's, height of the bleeding Kansas days. Amazing visit if you ever get the chance.

[Culpeper]

Somebody posted photos on this forum a while back of dozens of pocket knives from the Arabia salvage and, like you, Rob, I was amazed at not only their condition, but at the many styles of pocket knives that would have been 10 years old at the time of the Civil War. It certainly broadened my horizon on what a period pocket knife would look like, and I made color prints of those pics to use as a guide in looking for knives for my impression.

The best thing was that there were a lot of really cool looking knives; not like the clunky plain jane pocket knives so readily available (albeit cheaply) from sutlers these days. But if you are going to lose a pocket knife at an event, during a battle scenario or when you set it down in the grass at night, there is something to be said for losing an easily replaced $4 knife versus a more expensive one that you might have an emotional attachment to. Apparently, from the results of contemporary diggers of CW era camps, losing your pocket knife in camp today would be a very period-appropriate thing to do.

Does anyone know if there is a book or publication available about the Steamboat Arabia collection?

John Orr
44th Va, Co. H
Longstreet's Corps

[harley_davis]

Many of the items found on the Arabia changed some previously held "facts" such as no left or right boots pre-War. It is, indeed, a fabulous journer through an 1850 "Wal-Mart". This link goes to their website, click on Arabia's Exhibt to find a link to the gift shop. First item up is a book of photos.
http://1856.com/
One of the amazing things in their store is they have duplicated two of the perfume fracranes found on the wreck. Very interesting and cool stuff.
Regards

[Viceroy]

Visited this museum on the way back up to the Dakota Territory after 150th Shiloh. The staff was VERY helpful and welcomed us warmly. Several of us in attendance were period craftsmen, drooling over the pristine condition of the collection. They were more than happy to retrieve items from the displays for us to photograph. One item from the collection which I plan to reproduce is a wooden crate which contained canned oysters. This museum is worth the trip.

[yankeebelle]

There are two books, Treasures in a cornfield, ( I finished it today) and Treasures of the Steamboat Arabia ( I think that is right). Both are available at the website listed above. I took away much from our trip there before we boarded the UP train to Marion Arkansas ( part of the Shiloh event). It left me looking for answers to questions that arose and gave me answers to other questions.

[mmescher]

If you go to visit the Arabia, be sure and save a day to also visit the nearby Watkins Woolen Mill State Park. The mill was built using 1840's technology and operated throughout the civil war. When it became unprofitable, the owner locked the door and walked away, leaving the equipment still present.

I would also suggest a trip up the Missouri River to visit the Steamboat Bertrand which was excavated on a wildlife refuge near Omaha, NE. Unfortunately, the artifacts are currently not on display but are scattered in several warehouses. Flooding in June of last year caused the staff to pack up the collection and get it in protected locations. It hasn't been reassembled yet but is definitely worth a trip as well when it reopens.

Michael Mescher

[Culpeper]

So Beverly, if you don't mind, which of the two books contains more photos of the cleaned artifacts?

The website for the Arabia, from the link that Harley provided above, is very nicely done.

John Orr

[yankeebelle]

Well, to be honest John, I can't answer that question, we took sooooo many pictures, I was interested in the story. In the back of the book is a list of every item they removed. I hope someone else can answer your question.

[Daniel Limb]

Has anyone sampled the fragrances that they had reproduced? I am thinking of getting a bottle for my wife.

Thanks,

Dan Limb

[mmescher]

I think that, with the number of artifacts available, the only way to get a comprehensive set of pictures is to go to take them yourself. My wife and I made it a destination one year for our vacation (over a thousand miles each way). The pictures on the website are only a sampling. We spent an entire day from almost the time it opened until near closing time with just a short break for lunch. It helps if you have some decent software to work with the pictures after you get home. I found that sometimes you can brighten them or change the contrast to make the image a lot easier to see the details. The reliance on software to brighten the images was particularly useful for the food and textile displays where they ask you not to use flash.

Of course, observe the courtesy of using the pictures only for personal reference and don't use them in any publication or presentation without getting permission of the museum.