The Forgotten Ship Was Found Buried in a Corn Field
Two Omaha men, Jesse Pursell and Sam Corbino, began a search in 1967 that led to the discovery of the Steamboat Bertrand. The Missouri River had changed course over time, leaving the forgotten wreck in the middle of a Nebraska cornfield. Operating under a Federal contract, the pair successfully completed the excavation of the boat and its cargo in 1969. Much of the material is on display in the visitor center of DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.