Susan Kilcrease was worried a piece of U.S. history would be altered or damaged after it surfaced on the Neches River last week.
Parts of several shipwrecks recently surfaced on the southeast Texas river due to lower water levels caused by the region-wide drought. Bill Milner, who told local news he grew up on the Neches River, photographed the discovery of the shipwrecks Aug. 18 and immediately brought them to the Ice House Museum in Silsbee, Texas.
Kilcrease, the museum’s curator, said interest in the shipwrecks exploded online after the museum posted the images on social media. News outlets from across the country reported the discovery, and although they are working with the Texas Historical Commission to continue researching the shipwrecks, Kilcrease said she was worried the exact location of the shipwrecks would get out.
