The settlement of North Dakota by Euro-Americans is significantly tied to transportation. The first “highways” were the rivers, which brought most of the early explorers, fur traders, and the first “white” settlers to North Dakota by boat. Later on, Red River carts, stagecoaches, and trains served people and businesses on the North Dakota frontier and during the time of early settlement.
Figure 10. Red River cart trains hauled goods from Pembina to St. Paul. (SHSND A1934)