My Family Spent 4 Months Playing Battleship in a Cornfield

About this episode

Matt Hawley shares his family's adventure in uncovering the steamboat Arabia from a cornfield after it sank in 1856.

On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1856, the steamboat Steamboat Arabia struck a snag and slipped beneath the Missouri River, taking with it cargo bound for stores and towns across the frontier. The Arabia did not stay buried forever. As the river changed course over time, the wreck was left behind beneath layers of earth. More than a century later, a group of Kansas City men set out to uncover the long-buried treasure. Matt Hawley tells the story of his family’s quest to dig up the steamboat Arabia from the middle of a cornfield. Support the show ( https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate) Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Guest: Matt Hawley

Topics covered

• steamboat
• treasure hunting
• family stories
• history
• archaeology
• Missouri River
• cornfield

Keywords

• steamboat Arabia
• cornfield
• treasure
• archaeology
• Missouri River
• family quest
• history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Our American Stories

Places: Missouri River, Kansas City

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