Hats From the Steamboat Arabia -- 1856

[AlanC]

I had an opportunity to visit the museum of the Steamship Arabia, which sank near Kansas City in 1856. It was fully loaded with store goods going into the frontier when it went down. It was rediscovered and salvaged with a museum established to tell its story and show off the goods. It's really an amazing thing. If you're ever in Kansas City it's well worth a visit. You'll be amazed.

Among the goods heading West were felt hats. Like all the other items on the Arabia, they were very well preserved, and are now on display. Remembering my duties to the Lounge I took some photos of the hats for your viewing pleasure. I apologize for the quality. They were behind glass (thus reflections) and lighting was poor (for preservation reasons.

Picture of a picture of hats being retrieved:

 

[Brad Bowers]

Wow, really amazing! Love to see the styles from 1856, and so preserved. Just think, if it hadn't been for the wreck, we wouldn't have these today, they'd have just been discarded when worn out.

Thanks so much for taking and posting these photos, Alan.

Brad

 

[thunderw21]

Wow, they pretty much look like new (or at least as nice as some of our hats on the Lounge)! Amazing preservation. Really like the jacket in the bottom photo, too.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

Stagger me! They're almost indestructable these felt hats. So stop fussing over them like they're made of tissue paper you pathological hat lovers.

Wear 'em and enjoy 'em. They can take it.

Just watch out for moths ....and bullets.

But mostly moths.

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

Thank you very much for posting those pictures. I have been wanting to visit the museum for some time.

 

[AlanC]

It really is well worth the visit. They even recovered foodstuffs such as pickles that were still edible. One of the particularly remarkable things is the sheer quantity of goods. They were loaded with ordered goods for frontier stores so they had everything imaginable to stock a shop.

It's essentially a time capsule from 1856.

 

[scottyrocks]

Im curious how stuff that was underwater for so long is in such good condition. How had it all been stored?

 

[buler]

Im curious how stuff that was underwater for so long is in such good condition. How had it all been stored?

My guess is its like the old growth timber that is pulled out of the great lakes. They get water logged and sink and then are protected from sunlight and oxygen underwater.

see: TimelessTimber

Thanks a lot for posting this! I now have a new road trip to plan out.

B

 

[duggap]

As to the ship being under water, I don't believe it was all that time. The river changed course and the boat was actually found in a farmers field. It did have a lot of water there at the level they excavated the boat. I just wonder, Alan, did you notice if any of the hats had sweats sewn in them.

 

[DOUGLAS]

WOW

That is truly amazing. Thanks for showing and taking the time to photograph them. I would take any of them.

 

[kaosharper1]

I visited this museum many years ago and it is truly amazing. The ship was, as they described it, a "Walmart" of its time. It was filled with everything from tools, complete pre-fab houses and french perfumes. The site was where the Mississipi once flowed when the boat sank. But since it was fresh water everything was preserved as long as they protected it when excavated and slowly dried it out. There were many items of clothing that survived as well. I forgot about the hats. Truly worth a visit.

Also, for any people who want vintage from the time: There was french perfume that was perfectly preserved. They had it duplicated by a perfume company. So if any ladies do re-enactments from the mid-19th century and want an authentic perfume, they have it.

 

[Jabos]

Wow. I'd heard about this but not seen the museum. What kind of bash, if any, would those hats have likely had? Were there any kind of labels you could make out to know the makers? Who would have made the "average" hat found in a dry goods store on the frontier? Would they have been beaver felt? Okay, enough with the questions Jabos.

 

[Ephraim Tutt]

They would likely have been sold with open crowns in 1856

 

[CRH]

Story warning.....

This thread has been haunting my dreams and my waking thoughts.

I can't help but imagine some poor sod buster who had to walk behind his steeds and his John Deere plow with his head and shoulders wrapped in his wife's kitchen curtains (curtains from France that they bought in St. Louis) because the only shops within three days ride were all out of hats.

The durn shipments did not arrive and that was all they knew........

I'd reckon that young man had to swallow a who lot of pride while is wife wrapped him in those curtains and lectured him about how she would not lose him to a sunburn.....

 

[Lefty]

This is worth seeing twice.

 

[Garrett]

Thanks, Lefty. Had forgotten about this one. Good stuff!

 

[Sam Craig]

Many years ago I began doing Indian Wars living history at a national parks site here in Kansas, interpreting a civilian scout circa 1868 and used the documentation from the steamship Bertrand that had a similar story.
I found that the construction and dimensions of the hats that were uncovered were almost identical to current Amish dress hats, so that is what I used for my civilian campaign hat.

Now you can buy just about anything you want by just going on the Internet, but this research from the steamboats was crucial back in the day.

Sam

 

[danofarlington]

That is just fascinating. I mean outstandingly fascinating. As a history buff, I always wondered what good such as hats would have looked like in that day. That was a really good post.

 

[buler]

This is worth seeing twice.

How about a third time!

B

 

[Blackthorn]

Thanks Buler, I love these hats.