Did you know that this large model, made by Craig Hlavinka, is fashioned after the wreckage of a 19th century steamboat found in the muddy waters of Caney Creek?
Not much information is available about it, but there are three theories as to why it is there and what happened to it.
They are:
1. It may have belonged to William H. Smith, Sr. of Indianola, Texas during the Civil War and while trying to evade a Yankee gunboat it was abandoned along the creek shore and later scuttled and burned.
2. The wreck may have burned at the waterline and was left in the creek to block advancing Union forces during the Civil War.
3. The ship belonged to a prosperous plantation owner and after a dispute with the owner the crew got drunk and a fire started. They were unable to put it out and jumped overboard, leaving it to burn.
Which theory do you think is correct or most plausible?
Come and explore our "Gem of a Museum!"
