Pat's Mission: Steamboat Arabia

We went to Steamboat Arabia in the City Market in Kansas City. It was a pretty amazing museum. Kansas City was a very busy port with lots of steamboats going through--in fact, many, many Mormons traveled this way. On a September afternoon in 1856, this steamboat was loaded with over 200 tons of brand new merchandise, including European dishware, jewelry, guns, tools, food products and clothing. As the steamboat was leaving the port for Council Bluffs, the hull was pierced by a submerged tree. The steamboat and her valuable cargo sunk in minutes. Fortunately, there were no lives lost but all else disappeared. It was buried for 132 years. It's an interesting story how it was discovered, unearthed and the treasures retrieved.