The Red River Trails: Oxcart Routes Between St. Paul and the Selkirk Settlement, 1820-1870

This book presents the history of the oxcart trade routes connecting the Mississippi and Red rivers in the nineteenth century. The earliest of the routes across Minnesota was the Minnesota Valley Trail, which included trials along the north and south banks of the Minnesota River. The chapter on the Minnesota valley Trial provides detailed descriptions of trail routes, their use, and the surrounding lands. Maps depicting trail locations, old photographs, and line drawings supplement the text.