Iron Horse
The steam boat and early railroad did not factor much into the development of the Brainerd lakes region, per se. Steam ship service was never established to Crow Wing, though the famous North Star/Anson Northrup, the first steamship on the Red River, did make a stop there. However, regular steamers operated between St Anthony Falls and Sauk Rapids, after the establishment of Fort Ripley near Crow Wing. Sauk Rapids, like Saint Anthony falls, was a barrier to navigation of the river. Many new settlers and travelers arrived or passed through the region after disembarking in Sauk Rapids. Steam service was also available from Saint Paul to all steam port cities along the enormous Mississippi watershed. From Duluth, during the epoch Steamers were preferred for passenger travel, while sailed ships were in use for freight until after 1900. Finally, Railroads did not come through the region until the dawn of the Steel Rail Epoch.