Steamboat Bertrand introduction

Beginning in the early nineteenth century, an increasing amount of steamboat traffic passed along Nebraska's segment of the Missouri River. This traffic reached its zenith in 1859 during the Colorado Gold Rush and declined in the 1860's due to Civil War disorders and to competition by the railroads. The "Bertrand," owned by the Montana and Idaho Steamship Lines, was one of the largest steamboats to ply the Missouri River north of the Platte River. The apparent discovery of this sunken boat and its contents is a major historical find. This steamboat is Nebraska's only substantial link of a tangible nature with the early steamboating era. This discovery may be unique; no other early steamboats are known to have to have been discovered and excavated along the Missouri River outside of Nebraska. According to terms of the Corbino and Pursell contract with the federal government, the U.S. Department of the Interior will retain possession of the "Bertrand" and most of its contents. If restored or preserved near its present site, the "Bertrand" should become a significant additional tourist attraction to the wildlife and recreational area in which it is located.

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