There’s A Shipwreck Ruin From 1865 With 250,000 Artifacts At This Island State Park And Refuge In Iowa

Believe it or not, there’s a shipwreck right here in Southwest Iowa (just north of Omaha) that seemingly has everything but pirates in its history.

The DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge and adjacent Wilson Island State Park is the area where the Steamboat Bertrand sank in 1865 on its journey up the Missouri River.

The ship and its fateful end courtesy of a submerged log have been a source of local lore ever since.

The ship was new - only a year old, with paddle wheels in the back, firewood for steam generation in the front, and a whole lot of goods in the cargo hold between. It departed from St. Louis. Its destination was the gold fields of Montana.

Instead, nearly the entire cargo was lost in the river and subsequently covered with 30 feet of mud for 100 years.

While Indiana Jones wasn’t the one to find her, the Bertrand, rediscovered in 1968, had a treasure of well-preserved items including delicate clothes and wooden objects.

It’s a fascinating window into what life was like in 1865.

A sampling - or rather many samples totaling all of 250,000 artifacts - of the loot are on display at the DeSoto Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center.

The collection contains a wide variety of fascinating products, including what are hopefully some of the oldest canned pickles you’ve ever seen.

Not everyone comes to Wilson Island State Park and DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge for the Bertrand display, however; countless waterfowl (attempted counts have estimated something like 50,000 at a time) make a stop here in the fall.

Birdwatchers can use the telescopes provided to view or possibly recount the ducks and geese. Bald eagles also frequent this area, particularly during the winter.

Wildlife abounds in all seasons, and a great way to see a good variety of animals is via the walking trails. Try the 3.4-mile lightly trafficked loop at Wilson Island or the 1.6-mile easy walk over at DeSoto Wildlife Refuge.

Daily entrance fees at DeSoto are $3 per vehicle. Make a day or afternoon trip out here for some good history, culture, and nature.

Have you ever been birdwatching at DeSoto or Wilson Island? Learn more about visiting the DeSoto Steamboat Bertrand Museum here. Did you know about the shipwreck that happened near there over 150 years ago? If you've seen the artifacts, which was your favorite? Steamship ruins aren't the only fascinating ruins around - if you love history, you'll want to visit these spots as well.