The Bertrand Sank in 1865 in the Missouri River
The steamboat Bertrand was carrying passengers and cargo up the Missouri River to the mining towns in Montana Territory when it hit a snag in the river 30 miles north of Omaha and sank on April 1, 1865.
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.
Sixteen ladies' capes were recovered from Bertrand, including triangular knitted capes of pinkish violet with tasseled ties at the neck, very typical of the time.