Sounds a bit like Sahara (2005), starring Matthew McConaughey, Penélope Cruz, and Steve Zahn. It follows the story of Dirk Pitt, a master explorer who teams up with a WHO doctor to search for a lost Civil War ironclad battleship known as the “Ship of Death” that is rumored to be buried in the Sahara Desert of West Africa. The plot centers on a treasure hunt that turns into a dangerous adventure involving a deadly conspiracy, a disease outbreak, and a ruthless dictator.
Due to shifts in the Missouri River over the years, there have been several steam ship recoveries in cornfield in Nebraska and Iowa.