We'll leave Omaha tomorrow morning and head north on I-29 through Sioux City (of Sioux City Sue fame for those who know the song of at least sixty years ago..."Sioux City Sue, trade my horse and dog for you...") then pick up I-90 in South Dakota and head west.
We have had a memorable time here in Omaha, visiting Bill Witty, my office mate from 1969 at Arizona State University, along with his son, Will. Yesterday we walked across the Missouri River, AKA Old Muddy, on a pedestrian bridge. It's the longest river on the continent at 2341 miles, forming in Montana and joining the Mississippi in St. Louis. We wandered around the old market in downtown Omaha for a while, but didn't buy anything. Today, we went to the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, which is actually just over the border in Iowa, the site of the sinking of the 187 foot, Missouri River steamship, Bertrand, in 1865. It struck a snag and sank in twelve feet of water settling into the muddy bottom; fortunately everyone survived. Over the years, the course of the river has shifted and in 1969, a couple of archeologists located the Bertrand a few hundred feet from the current river bed, buried under thirty feet of earth. Excavation of the site began and over the next year, 250 tons of cargo, well preserved by the oxygen-free mud, was unearthed. Since the steamship had been on its way from St. Louis to both the Montana gold fields and farms in the territory, it carried the tools and personal items needed by the settlers who were making new homes in the Montana Territory around present-day Helena. The cache included shovels, plows, mining equipment, scales, clothing, shoes, carpenter's tools, clocks, door knobs, canned goods, lamps and candles, dishes and flatware, pots and pans…even intact bottles of Champaign. The items from the Bertrand provide a uniquely accurate picture of nineteenth century America and the goods available to people on the frontier. They did a nice job of cataloguing and displaying the items.
As we were leaving the museum, we happened to see to a couple of fellows in a row boat fishing for carp in the river shallows with bows and arrows. All of a sudden, one guy pulls back his bow and twang, the arrow, with string attached, goes into the water and he pulls out a fish at least two feet long. Very cool! It looked like a lot of fun and I'd like to try it someday.
The value of getting together with old friends cannot be overestimated. Seeing Bill meant more to Marcella and I than we could possibly have known. Marcella cooked a farewell supper of meatloaf, mac & cheese and broccoli for all of us at Bill's house. Bill has lived in his apartment for four years and it was the first time his oven was ever used. That should tell you something about his eating habits. The two men, both single, ate like it was their final meal on death row. It was great…really great.
Time to pack up and ready for the morning's travel.
Derek
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