The Arabia Steamboat Museum is an amazing place and the collections are
truly amazing as well. I have been there on two occasions, and have
studied and reported on the recovered glass bead cargo. It would be an
absolute shame to have the Arabia collection broken up and sold piecemeal
-- there is SO MUCH research potential there -- but I think the asking
price is going to be way beyond what any one organization or institution
can manage, especially in these financially troubled times. Plus the
collection is -- as pointed out -- massive and would require a
large warehouse to house it. Truly troublesome.

On Mon, Nov 7, 2022 at 3:03 PM Fulmer, John <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> In 1856 the steamboat Arabia hit a snag in the Missouri River near
> Parkville and sank with 222 tons of cargo. In 1988, Dave Hawley and friends
> excavated the steamboat. The river had shifted course and the Arabia was
> buried in a cornfield, 45 feet deep. Dave and his friends were treasure
> hunters when they started out but as they became aware of the exceptional
> nature of the cargo, they decided to keep it all together, and share it
> with the public through the Arabia Steamboat Museum in downtown Kansas
> City. The museum is the #3 tourist attraction in Kansas City. The 222 tons
> of cargo make up the definitive type collection of domestic frontier
> artifacts for the period - almost all whole and complete and perfectly
> preserved in anerobic conditions. Approximately 60 tons are still in
> storage or are currently undergoing conservation.
>
> The museum's lease will be up in 2026. The owners would like the
> collection to stay together but they would also like to be paid fair market
> value for it - the collection is currently being professionally appraised.
> And other steamboats have been located for potential excavation. Dave's
> vision is to eventually excavate a steamboat from each decade of the
> Steamboat Era (roughly 1820-1870) and tell the story of the Western
> Expansion and the steamboat's role in that process through the material
> culture of the ships and their cargo.
>
> The museum website is here: A Historic Kansas City Attraction | The Arabia
> Steamboat Museum (1856.com)<https://www.1856.com/>
>
> A documentary on the museum is here: Watch Cornfield Shipwreck | Prime
> Video (amazon.com)<
> https://www.amazon.com/Cornfield-Shipwreck-Shane-Seley/dp/B07XMCMSJY>
>
> Do you think there are any universities or other organizations that might
> be interested in 1) Purchasing the Arabia collection; 2) Maintaining the
> Arabia collection together as a museum; 3) Funding the excavation of
> another steamboat (possibly offsetting costs through a documentary of the
> process)?
>
> Curious to hear HISTARCH subscribers thoughts.
>
>
> John Fulmer
> Cultural Resources Section Manager
> Environmental Services
> Burns & McDonnell
> 9400 Ward Parkway
> Kansas City, MO 64114
> Cell: 832.671.1838
> Office: 816.276.1535
>
>
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