Crossroads of the Continent: A History of the Forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers
Huck, Barbara (editor)
This book presents the history of The Forks as an ancient meeting and trading place, fur trade hub, and passage for western immigration and development. It begins with the formation of geological character of the area from 65 million years ago to glacial Lake Agassiz and the waterways left behind when the lake receded. The earliest peoples to inhabit the area 8,000 years ago, their way of life and cultures are explored through oral tradition and archaeology, like the Peace Meeting between the Cree, Anishinaabe, and Assiniboine 715 years ago. The development and details of the fur trade are explored, the forts and figures: La Verendrye, Fort Gibraltar, The Northwest Company, Fort Douglas, The Hudson's Bay Company, Forts Garry I and II, Louis Riel. The use of steamboats and the arrival of the railway are discussed in detail. The book ends with a chronicle of immigration waves, industrialisation, modern usage, and the area's return to use as a meeting place, celebrating the site's history and future.
Huck, Barbara (editor). 2003. Crossroads of the Continent: A History of the Forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. Winnipeg: Heartland Associates Inc..
[ Monograph (176pp.)(FNHSC) ]