[Tupelo]

The U.S. curatorial and conservation establishment sniffed at these outsiders." ****************************************************************** To me this is the key sentence of the article.
I wonder how much history has been lost because the "Professionals" had disdain for rank amateurs like these. After all the Hawleys did not go to the proper schools. They were just tradesmen and what did they know about museums and conserving artifacts. Worst of all, they did not get the almighty government involved.

[Rodamala]

...so with the help of extended family, friends and money borrowed from the bank, they built a 35,000-square-foot museum for less than half a million dollars with the can-do entrepreneurial spirit that characterizes the entire enterprise. And they did it without any state or federal support, something they are proud of.

I highlighted the key phrase that I took away. Not bad... 80,000 visitors/year... any freepers going through the area should stop by.

There are many, many, photographs of the artifacts (even the mule skeleton was conserved) at this webite:

http://www.pbase.com/hockingphotos/steamboat_arabia

[wildbill]

Let’s not miss the major point about the academics and professional in this field—it’s all about the money.

They hate it that they missed out on possible millions in government funding to a bunch of amateurs who built a musesum out of love for the Arabia and its treasures they developed while doing the dig.

They built it for less and are exhibiting their finds via private enterprise.

And the museum might actually make them some money for their hard work and faith.

Man, you know the academics hate that.