2nd Annual Iowa Lincoln Hwy Assoc. Motor Tour-- Part 2

Desoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge costs $5 a car load to enter and is housed in an impressive welcome center that overlooks a bend in the Missouri River. It was established in 1981 and has an average of 250,000 visitors a year.

We saw a short film on the steamboat Bertrand which sank in the Missouri River in 1865 on its way to the gold fields in Montana. Today, the bend is an isolated lake, It was found in the 1968.

I had never heard of this vessel before. The Bertrand was built in Wheeling West Virginia in 1864. It sank April 1, 1865. The mercury it was carrying was salvaged, but much of the rest of the cargo remained underwater and in remarkably good shape.

It was rediscovered in 1968 on dry land as the river has shifted many times. Upon excavation, the hole immediately began filling up with water. Pumps were used and by 1968 the hull was uncovered and the remaining cargo removed. The pumps were shut down and the hole filled up again.

Once again, you can no longer see the hull, but you can drive out to the site and see a good-sized pond.

More to Come. --RoadDog