Descendants of French fur traders and native Cree or Ojibwe women, the Metis people of Canada were known for their buffalo hunting skills and their role in the fur trade but mostly for their Red River carts. Basically a box that rested on 12-foot long shafts and equipped with two enormous wheels, the Red River cart first appeared in 1801 at Fort Pembina, according to fur trader Alexander Henry. The carts soon became common sights between Canada’s Red River (Selkirk) Settlement and St. Paul, Minnesota, and remained popular through much of the 1800s.
What made them so popular? For one thing, they were constructed entirely of wood, including the wheels, so they didn’t cost much to build. What’s more, if a cart broke down while on route, it could easily be fixed with wood found along the trails. Red River carts were also sturdy enough to carry anywhere from 400 pounds of weight in the early carts to 800 pounds in the later ones. Most importantly, the Red River cart had versatility — its wheels could be removed and the cart converted to a raft for crossing water — and tremendous usefulness.
Uses of the Red River Cart
Although Metis-built, Red River carts didn’t just serve the Metis people. Settlers and other fur traders also discovered the many benefits of these versatile vehicles, which were pulled by horses and later oxen. People used the carts:
- To haul buffalo skins and meat after buffalo hunts
- As a means of transportation and shelter during long trips and migration
- To get to homesteads
- For everyday business
- For exporting furs to St. Paul, Minnesota
- To transport supplies from larger communities
- As a defensive mechanism during battles with the Sioux Indians
Sometimes, Red River carts could be found moving in long trains made up of hundreds of carts, like when large families migrated from one place to another. But while these cart trains were quite a sight to behold, it was the carts’ wheels that drew the most attention.
The Wheels
Over five feet in diameter and dish-shaped, the wheels of the Red River cart could be heard long before they were seen. That’s because the axles were never greased. The reason? Oil would have mixed with dust from the trail and worn them down. The axles were already the most often replaced part. (In fact, spare axles could be seen tied to the backs of many carts.) Without grease, then, the carts squeaked and shrieked as they made their way across the prairie. But the huge, durable wheels — constructed with sturdy woods like elm and oak — had advantages, too. They kept the cart from tipping over and made traveling over stumps and mud much easier.
Because of their simple design and usefulness, Red River carts grew in abundance through the 1800s, hitting their peak from about 1850 to 1870. With the introduction of steamboats, the carts started to decline in popularity. Later, as railways expanded and trains became a more convenient way to transport freight and passengers, Red River carts began to die out. Still, the Metis people continued to use them to haul wood and other materials to market. Even some Metis of today build Red River carts to stay connected to their ancestors.
Replicas of the carts can now be found on display in many museums and history centers, such as the Clay County Historical Society in Moorhead, Minnesota, as a reminder of their vast importance. Thanks to the Metis of Canada, Red River carts gave people of the prairie a practical means to haul goods and travel during the 19th century.
Sources:
Alberta Metis Historical Society, “Red River Cart,” 2001.
Clay County Historical Society, “A Few Thoughts about Red River Carts” (CCHS Newsletter: March/April 2000).
Fargo-history.com, “Red River Carts.”
Knox, Olive, “Red River Cart” (Manitoba Historical Society, Manitoba Pageant: April 1956).
Metis Culture & Heritage Resource Centre, “Red River Cart Building,” 2002.
Virtual Museum of Canada, “Metis Red River Carts.”
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