I recently noticed that the same folks
that found and uncovered the Steamboat Arabia in 1988 (with the Peter Schuttler running gear) now appear to have located another
buried steamboat. From all indications,
this time it seems the Hawley family has discovered the “Malta.” History shows that the Missouri River has claimed at least 400 steamboats, most of them in the 1800’s. This
particular steamer went down in 1841 on its way out West with as much as one
hundred tons of trade goods. It will be extremely
interesting to see how the story unfolds.
In the meantime, as the Hawley family prepares to dig this coming
winter, they’ve shared a few short videos about this new find.
Additionally, below is an excerpt from
an excellent article published March 2, 2016 by the Marshall Democrat-News. There’s
also another video at the end of the piece that chronicles the core sampling
process.
“…Drilling at
Backes' farm conducted Feb. 27 and 28 further confirmed the presence of the
steamboat, buried 37 feet beneath the ground. If it is the Malta, Hawley
estimated that parts of the steamboat could be buried as deep as 52 feet
beneath the surface. Testing of the drill samples revealed the presence of
vivid red and black woven fabric, and wood the museum believes came from boat's
deck and paddle wheel…”
The whole ‘search and rescue’ concept is
intriguing as, overall, there's a great deal of America’s western history still
waiting to be discovered and told. Again
and again, we’ve been fortunate to be a small part of uncovering and sharing our
country’s early wheeled history.
Recently, we’ve come across a few additional pieces of our past and are
excited to see where the artifacts take us.
Over the last two decades, there have been plenty of other trails we’ve followed. I’ve stood inside the walls where the famed Kentucky-brand wagons were once made by the hundreds of thousands, walked the historic grounds of the Luedinghaus, Espenschied, and Weber & Damme shops near the mighty Mississippi, followed the trail north to the hallowed remains of Studebaker, searched for the exact locations of M.P. Henderson’s coach factory in Stockton, found the last wagon parts that will ever be recovered from the Gestring Wagon Company site, helped rescue literally thousands of early transportation artifacts, and ran my hands over the lingering fingerprints and ink-filled impressions made by none other than legendary St. Louis wagon maker, Joseph Murphy. Still, it’s not enough. There’s too much out there. Too much to recover and too much to learn. Most of all – there’s too little time. What drives me is more than than curiosity; more than the unknown; and more than countless sets of old tracks. What pushes me forward is the chance to help set records straight while delivering a clearer picture of early western travel. Every day, we have the opportunity to make a difference; meeting amazing people while finding and giving back to America’s history books something that should never have been left out.
Over the last two decades, there have been plenty of other trails we’ve followed. I’ve stood inside the walls where the famed Kentucky-brand wagons were once made by the hundreds of thousands, walked the historic grounds of the Luedinghaus, Espenschied, and Weber & Damme shops near the mighty Mississippi, followed the trail north to the hallowed remains of Studebaker, searched for the exact locations of M.P. Henderson’s coach factory in Stockton, found the last wagon parts that will ever be recovered from the Gestring Wagon Company site, helped rescue literally thousands of early transportation artifacts, and ran my hands over the lingering fingerprints and ink-filled impressions made by none other than legendary St. Louis wagon maker, Joseph Murphy. Still, it’s not enough. There’s too much out there. Too much to recover and too much to learn. Most of all – there’s too little time. What drives me is more than than curiosity; more than the unknown; and more than countless sets of old tracks. What pushes me forward is the chance to help set records straight while delivering a clearer picture of early western travel. Every day, we have the opportunity to make a difference; meeting amazing people while finding and giving back to America’s history books something that should never have been left out.
Today, I’ve begun a new chapter in these
efforts; a redoubling of our focus - a hunt we hope will bring even more
discoveries and greater appreciation for the wheels that built the American
frontier. As we embrace an even stronger
resolve to uncover more history, we’ve added some new apparel to our website as
well. Take a look. If you see
something you like, we’d appreciate your support. If you don’t, please let us know what you’d prefer
to see. If there’s sufficient interest,
we’ll do all we can to make it happen.
To those who have encouraged our work in the past, ‘Thank you.’ You’re helping bridge a gap that is saving
history and, hopefully, building a stronger future for these incredible wooden
machines... wheels that bore more than things – They carried the deepest of
dreams for a nation and its people.
Back to the discovery of the Steamboat
Malta… it seems clear that there are strong parallels to the wheeled
history so many enthusiasts search for.
For generations, farmers have plowed and walked over the field covering
the Malta. For generations, no one
realized what treasures might lay below.
Today, there is a great deal of excitement as many wonder just what will be
uncovered. Similarly, there are volumes of information (and lost vehicle brands) from America’s first
transportation industry just waiting to be discovered. We may have walked by some rare pieces and never even noticed them. Ultimately, every day is a new opportunity to uncover and
share more of what is still out there. So, if you see something you’ve never seen
before, do some homework. It could be
something we’ve all been searching for.
Please Note: As with each of our blog writings, all imagery and text is copyrighted with All Rights Reserved. The material may not be broadcast, published, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written permission from David E. Sneed, Wheels That Won The West® Archives.
