For fifty years starting in 1820, the Red River Trails were a muddy network of crude roads stretching from today’s Winnipeg to the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fur traders navigated these treacherous paths using the Red River ox cart. The wooden frames were held together by buffalo hides and could carry up to 1,200 pounds. This sculpture was erected in 1974 at Assiniboine Park as part of Winnipeg’s centennial celebration.