Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

[Matt Woodburn]

OK Gang,

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting the Steamboat Arabia Museum in Kansas City, MO this past weekend, and I've never seen so much stuff from just before the Civil War. The Arabia sank in 1856 in the Missouri River with 200 TONS of cargo. When the Arabia sank, she didn't get salvaged. And she took just about an 1856 Wal-Mart down with her. Dave Hawley, the finder, salvager and museum owner is a great guy and took me on the finest museum tour I've had in over 30 years.

A good Civil War impression includes knowledge of many things between 1861 and 1865, but it is not complete without a firm knowledge of what people knew most about in their lives up until 1861. If you want a great sampling of what material existed in civilian life just prior to the war to see how it fits in with our historical impressions, Dave and the Steamboat Arabia Museum probably has it. You can visit their website at www.1856.com

Dave was kind enough to open the museum and his displays to me, and now I'm going to share as much as I have with you. For 27 years in the hobby, I've heard all kinds of debates about what is "authentic/correct" and what is not. I had a number of myths busted for me at the museum and now present them here for all of us to forever know. Let's begin!

I've heard some people say that hot dipped tin is the only way to go. While there may have existed a mottled tin finish on some tin, the Arabia's tinwares were smooth and shiny. My eye is untrained, so I'll let the pictures below speak for themselves. So what do you think?

I've heard people say that a stamped/pressed tin plate that looks like a modern tin pie plate is not correct. I say look at the picture of the one below. There were quite a few on display, and Dave got this one down for me to see the back side. The edges were simply folded under and pressed flat about 2-3 mm. What do you think about that?

I've heard some people say that you should really have cast iron ears for the bail on boilers. While I did see cast iron ears on a boiler in another museum, all the ones I saw at the Arabia were of tin. Some were plain and simply curved. Others had a stamped groove around the hole through which the bail wire went. The ears were all riveted to the body of the boiler. Some photos are below. What do you think about that?

I'll post more subjects and photos in this thread as time permits over the next couple weeks.

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

So what did at least one type of stick matches look like and how were they packaged? These below have the phosphorous tips disolved away, but you'll get the idea. The wooden containers were about two inches in diameter. They varied a little which was from being waterlogged and then shrinkage. Dave and I looked under the cap to see if there was a rough place, i.e. glued sand paper, but we found nothing but a dark spot. Couldn't tell if it was discolorization from the phosphorous tips, where glue had been or simply age. So who's going to tackle making these now?

[Rob Walker]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Thanks Matt,
Very interesting info and pictures. In the past I have heard the same thing about boilers in regards to the use of cast iron. I have an original boiler that is very similar to the ones you have pictured. It would be cool if the museum was able to publish it's finding and collections in a book in the future. Thanks again for sharing.

[Material Culture]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Hot dipped tin can be very smooth and shiny. That is the difference between something made in factory and something made in your backyard.
I would say the ears are not tinned but of blackened sheet iron.

Sam Hayle
Tinner Mess

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

How about a simple way to ship and sell plug tobacco? In a small wooden barrel with the plugs pressed into the shape of pie wedges would seem to be efficient. John Crabb of Ezra Barnhouse Goods needs to add this style to his fine sutlery. I'll be happy to be his first customer.

[jwoodli]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

That stuff is incredible. I feel a lot better about my boiler now. Can't wait for some more posts. Any new info on cutlery and supper fixins? What about pomades...

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Rob,

Books are out on some of it, but not all. Dave and I talked about it and I'm going to check into some ways to make it happen with my publishing background.

Sam,
I meant to say tinned sheet iron on the ears as opposed to pure tin. Pure tin would be too soft I think and wouldn't take the heat of cooking. Thanks for the clarification.

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

I've heard people debate about what pocket knives should look like. That some knives look too modern. So what did they look like? These below.

[Old Overholt]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Those of us who live in the Kansas City area are very proud of the Arabia museum, and every time I have visited it they always have a bundle of new items on display. The conservation efforts will take years before the entire cargo is finished. If you are ever in the area, you simply must stop in. Also, the cargo of the steamboat Bertrand consisting of over 200,000 items is just a couple of hours up I-29 at Missouri Valley, Iowa in the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge. The Bertrand sank in 1865 just north of Omaha on its way to the Montana gold fields.

Another good reason to pay a visit to the Arabia is the fact that the Hawley group runs the museum and conservation efforts as a privately funded venture. When the ship was found and its cargo salvaged, a great debate sprang up about "for profit" museums. This seems to have died down now, but we still get little ripples here and there. The bottom line is, if people don't come see the museum, it may not be around forever and its conservation work could be stopped. Plus, there are literally dozens if not hundreds of Missouri River steamboat wrecks that are out there to be discovered, buried under 30 feet or so of river silt. Who knows what is still on those that were not immediately salvaged...

[P. M. Cunningham, Tinner]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

The tinware on the boat was all hot dipped. The vats that produced the plate probably had mechcanical wipes installed, which were around at the time. There is definite evidence to dip plate from some of the artifacts crystallization pattern. This was what I was able to tell after being in collections for a couple of days.

Patrick Cunningham

[crabby]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Hi Matt,
Isn’t the Arabia museum just fantastic? Regarding the matches, these are the basis for our packaging on the Gates Matches we sell. We were unable to find or manufacture the wooden tubes so had to go with the “closest available” which is pasteboard. Also, there was a match company in the 1850 – 1870 era called Gates & Sons.

The pie shaped tobacco plugs are something we will have to check into. The round plugs we sell are made in a reproduction tobacco plug press. The original press is owned by the living history site our son-in-law works at.

And we totally agree with Aaron. It is truly amazing what the Hawleys have accomplished with no state or federal funding. Especially when you read their book and realize that when they set out to find the Arabia, they had no intention of starting a museum.
John & Beth Crabb

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

I stumbled upon the Arabia museum completely by accident. My wife was in a wedding there and we had lunch at one of the restaurants just adjacent to the museum. Needless to say, while "The Missus" did the bridesmaid thing, I spent most of the day putting nose prints on the glass cases at the Arabia museum.

Simply "putting old stuff in a case" really can tell a story. ;-)

[crabby]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

John,

I completely understand. When we went we got there at opening and they had to pry my cold hard grip from the site at closing. I am sure they go through windex by the gallons per day. It was like being a child on Christmas moring and not knowing which present to open first!

The only downer was that the gift shop doesn't sell repro's of their items, maybe someday.

Crabby

[lambrew]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Yet another museum for me to drool over! Just throwing this out there, at the Detroit Science Center they have a traveling exhibit which has items from the S.S. Republic on display. The exhibit is geared more for the kiddies, but fun never the less.

Respectfully....
Sean Collicott

[P. M. Cunningham, Tinner]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Found my images from the Arabia. The two attachments show the crystallization pattern I metioned earlier.

Mr. Crabb is correct in saying that;

The only downer was that the gift shop doesn't sell repro's of their items, maybe someday.

Maybe someday :wink_smil

Patrick Cunningham