A Resource.....

[JimBob]

A resource for looking at period material is the items recovered from the excavation of the steamboat Arabia sunk in 1856 going upriver on the Missouri.The Museum itself is in KC,MO.
Here's a couple of sites with some pictures:

http://www.1856.com

http://www.pbase.com/hockingphotos/steamboat_arabia

Quite an extensive collection of clothing and footwear among other items of interest.

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

What an amazing discovery ... thanks for this.

[Caleb Hobbs]

My wife and I did a vacation through that part of the country last year, and visited the Arabia Museum on the way through K.C. Well worth the stop. So is James Country Merchantile, if you make it up to Liberty. Not too far away from there.

Thanks for posting this, JimBob.

[Comanche Kid]

Amazing piece of Historical reference. Not very common to look that closely into a window of the past such as this..Thanks for posting

[Tascosa Joe]

The NCOWS Convention has been held in KC the past 5 years.  My wife and I have made the trip to see the Arabia twice while at the convention.  As stated what a great window into the past.  Most of the firearms I saw were small single shot pistols.  I may have missed some as there is so much to see.  We plan on going back the next time we are in KC.