May 16, 2012

After a short 210 mile trip to Kansas City Mo, we found gas at 327.9. Now if that wasn't a find, we have another to tell you about. In 1987, Bob Hawley and his sons set out to find the sunken Arabia, a paddle wheeler that sank in 1856. Believing that it was no longer in the Missouri River, they set out with metal detectors, like my good buddy John would, to locate it. It was eventually found in a cornfield. Over the next winter they dug and dredged and removed probably the most intact collection of early western building supplies that included pretty much included all materials to build a home. Since then, the have built a museum and still to this day, have continued restoration of the many articles. Information about the boat and museum can be found at 1856.com The pictures that follow are only a small portion of the find.

Keep in mind that all the pics that you are about to see are original artifacts dating back to 1856, and before. This is part of the stern that was removed.

It would be hard to believe but, many glass and china articles survived...in multiple quantities.

Just a small sample of the many tools for home construction.

...and plenty of hardware for doors, windows, hinges and the like.

It has taken years to remove the mud from the tons of materials saved. Here are hinge and doorknobs still covered in mud.

The paddle wheeler carried about 5 million beads that would have become valuable for trading with the Indians.

This is part of the boilers and steam engine to power the boat. It drove the two, 28 foot diameter paddle wheels.

Later on in the afternoon went to a place named Harrah's. They had a restaurant named Buffet. I'm not sure that this is the one owned by Jimmy Buffet but it might be. We didn't see him, maybe he was out back in the kitchen with one of them tall hats on.

Before we went in, they sent us out to the back room where we had to pull a lever of some sort to get a coupon for the meal. It wasn't really worth the trip out back and we didn't save much. The room was kinda smokey and didn't have any windows. It was a good day in the city. Good night John Boy