For over one hundred years the Missouri River kept the steamboat Bertrand hidden away. Last year the raging river almost claimed it a second time.
On Sunday, September 16th, the Historical Society of Pottawattamie county will present “Almost Lost a Second Time: The Rescue of the Bertrand Collection in 2011.” The audio/visual program examines the evacuation of the Bertrand artifacts during last year’s devastating flood.
Bertrand Museum curator Dean Knudsen will explain plans for the new exhibits and answer questions about the Bertrand. The presentation will be held at 2pm in the auditorium of the Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Avenue in Council Bluffs. The program is free and open to the public.
The steamboat Bertrand was bound for Virginia City, Montana Territory, when it hit a submerged log and sank April 1, 1885. There were no fatalities but all cargo was lost. Salvagers located the ship in 1968. The recovered contents makes up the largest intact collection of Civil War era artifacts in existence today. The Bertrand Museum at the DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge told the story of the ill-fated steamboat but has been closed since the Missouri River flooded the refuge last summer.
For more information contact the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County at 323-2509 or visit www.TheHistoricalSociety.org.