Explorers

History of Steamboating on the Minnesota River

Hughes, Thomas
Following a brief discussion of early navigation on the Minnesota River by voyageurs and explorers, this article focuses on the use of steamboats fro pleasure and commerce along the river during the nineteenth century. The earliest trips are described, and the role of steamboats in supporting early settlement of the valley is highlighted. Steamboat traffic from 1852 through 1871 is detailed, including boat names, destinations and purposes, while factors contributing to its demise by the end of the century are asserted.

Minnesota and its Resources

Bond , J. Wesley
This work recounts the early history of Minnesota and celebrates its virtues which attracted new settlers to the territory. It includes a chapter on the "Minnesota River Country," in which the author describes, in glowing terms, the region's landscape, soil fertility, timber resources, and water. Bond doubts "whether any portion of the west presents greater inducements for immigration that the charming valley of the Minnesota river." To make his case, he presents excerpts from reports by early explorers, including Carver, Featherstonhaugh, and Nicollet.
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