Sultana set for capital campaign kick-off

Museum fundraising announcement set for anniversary of disaster

By RALPH HARDIN

ralphhardin@gmail.com

On April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana exploded in the Mississippi River near Marion. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in exploring “America’s greatest maritime disaster,” thanks in no small part to efforts led by the Marion Chamber of Commerce and a handful of history-minded enthusiasts who want more people to learn about the tragedy and its legacy.

Fast-forward more than 150 years, and the Sultana Historical Preservation Society is planning an event aimed at furthering that goal. On April 27, 2021, 151 years to the day since the Sultana disaster, the Society is holding a special public announcement of the capital campaign to move and expand the museum dedicated to the tragedy.

The announcement will take place at the future home of the Sultana Disaster Museum, the old Marion School Gymnasium at the corner of Old Military Road and Briarwood Street, beginning at 10 a.m.

The museum is committed to honoring and memorializing those who experienced the greatest maritime disaster in United States history with a multimillion-dollar project to move the museum from its current location on the Crittenden County Courthouse Square and expand the images and artifacts that the museum currently houses.

The announcement will also stream online (https:// vimeo.com/510296033). For more information about the project and the upcoming announcement, contact Marion Director of Economic Development Tracy Brick at (870) 739-6041, or by email at tracy.brick@marion arkansas.org.

Find out more about the Sultana Disaster Museum online on YouTube (Sultana Disaster Museum Marion), on the web at SultanaDisaster Museum.com, or follow the Sultana Disaster Museum on Facebook and Instagram.

Donations can be made to the Sultana Historical Preservation Society, a 501(c)(3) nonpro_t organization. All donations are tax deductible.

The Sultana Disaster Museum memorializes the more than 1,800 souls who perished when the ill-fated steamboat exploded near Marion along the Mississippi River 151 years ago this month.

File photo