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In addition to exhibits, education programs and material culture
preservation, the History Center and Oklahoma Museum of History also
conduct occasional special projects. Working with the OHS
Outreach Division and the Texas A&M Institute of Nautical
Archeology, the History Center is recovering the remains of an 1838 steamboat. The project started in 1999, with final completion expected in 2010. Built in Indiana in 1832, the ship was named the “Heroine.” It sank in the Red River near present day Hugo, Oklahoma on May 7, 1838. Its mission was to provision the Fort Towson military garrison with barrels of pork, flour, and other supplies. This find has been recognized as one of incredible archaeological and historical significance reaching far beyond the region of its discovery. The ship is approximately 140 feet in length. Portions of the drive machinery, main deck, and hull are preserved in the main channel of the Red River, with a substantial portion buried beneath the river floor. During its 6 year life, the ship traveled many of the major rivers of the west, including: the Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas and Red River. Goals of the OHS project are to conduct archaeological and historical research sufficient to fully document and understand this ship, and to recover representative portions of the vessel and any cargo for preservation and exhibit. Exhibits are displayed in the new Oklahoma History Center and at a future facility at the OHS Fort Towson Historic Site. Funding for this project is through the Oklahoma Department of Transportation as provided in the Transportation Enhancement Program of PL 105-178, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21 program). For more information about the Steamship Heroine, please visit the Oklahoma Historical Society. |