October 2023 By: Bennett Kubischta
Shortly after Anton Westgard completed his 1912 pathfinding tour across the northern United States from New York City to North Dakota to Seattle this route became known as the Red Trail. What then followed was the realization from Red Trail business people and city officials that auto tourists will be travelling across the country and they wanted them to use this route.
At that time counties were responsible for building roads and bridges. Those roads were little more than graded trails with cuts into hillsides and raised grades over low areas. Gravel surfaced roads were a rarity. Most streams were small enough for small bridges that counties could afford. Cass, Barnes, and Stutsman counties had the financial resources to fund bridges across the Red, Sheyenne, and James rivers. The bridge across the Missouri at Bismarck was so costly that it couldn’t be built until federal assistance became available.
The Little Missouri River needed to be bridged for automobiles; but in the 1910s Billings County was a poor county and did not have the $15,000 needed to build a bridge. The North Dakota Red Trail Association took the lead in finding financing for the bridge. George Keniston of Beach, as reported in the July 25, 1916 issue of the Bismarck Tribune about the bridge dedication, was the man who “Got the men to get money.”
Keniston went out and encouraged cities and counties along the Red Trail to help fund the bridge at Medora. His boosting of the bridge described the importance of this project to North Dakota and eastern Montana. Keniston’s efforts led to contributions from Fargo to Fallon, Montana. And this bridge became known as “The Bridge that Boost Built.”
The Old Red Old Ten Scenic Byway committee is much like Red Trail Association. As they understood then we understand today that a combined effort in promoting our byway is essential for our byway towns. Drawing a few of the thousands of travelers off of I-94 to view the buttes of the Missouri Slope, golf at our courses, visit our historic churches and museums, and interact with us at our coffee shops, gas stations, and saloons will benefit our communities.
Goodbye for now. Remember, promoting the Old Red Old Ten promotes our towns, and always take time to talk to the cows.
Bennett Kubischta is the President of the Old Red Old Ten Scenic Byway Committee.