Ortonville in Big Stone County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Red River Ox Carts
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 15, 2018
1. Red River Ox Carts Marker
Red River Ox Carts were made of wood and leather. They could hold over 600 pounds. Trading posts had regular routes one at Hartford State Park in South Dakota, one at the foot of Big Stone Lake and one about 8 miles up.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 45° 17.817′ N, 96° 25.95′ W. Marker is in Ortonville, Minnesota, in Big Stone County. It can be reached from U.S. 12 0.1 miles west of U.S. 75, on the left when traveling west. The marker is at the Big Stone County Welcome Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 985 US Highway 12, Ortonville MN 56278, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Minnesota River Valley. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and on the Great Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Louisiana
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A Glacial Wall of Water (here, next to this marker); Paul Bunyan's Boat-Anchor (a few steps from this marker); Geology of Minnesota (a few steps from this marker); Big Stone County Courthouse (approx. 0.8 miles away); Ancient Exposed Rock (approx. 3.2 miles away); Welcome to Odessa (approx. 5½ miles away); St. Pauli Lutheran Church (approx. 9 miles away); Grant County Veterans Memorial (approx. 10.7 miles away in South Dakota). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ortonville.
Also see . . . Red River Cart (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: The Red River cart is a large two-wheeled cart made entirely of non-metallic materials. Because nails were unavailable or very expensive in the early West, these carts contain no iron at all, being entirely constructed of wood and animal hide. The cart can be dismantled, the wheels covered with bison hides to make floats and the box placed on top. Thus the cart can be floated across streams. Often drawn by oxen, though also by horses or mules, these carts were used(Submitted on July 28, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)throughout most of the 19th century in the fur trade and in westward expansion in Canada and the United States, in the area of the Red River. The cart is a simple conveyance developed by Mιtis for use in their settlement on the Red River in what later became Manitoba.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 15, 20182. Red River Ox Carts MarkerThe marker is at the Big Stone County Welcome Center.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 28, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
