Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-11-19
Built by Special Contributions
In Counties Through Which
Auto Route Runs

~ Noo &0 O~
which the Little Missouri flows re-
manned as wild and almost as I'M
known as it was when the old explor-
ers and fur traders crossed it in the
early part of the century. 1t was the
last great Indian Hunting grounds
across which Grosventree and Man
dams, Sioux and Cheyennes, and even
Crows and Rees wandered in chase of
game, and where they fought one an
other and plundered the small par
ties of white trappers and hunters
that occasionally ventured into it,"
says Colonel Theodore Roosevelt in
the. Century Magazine for May, 1883.
That was only t~1irty-five years ago.
Yet the past few seasons have see
thousands of tourists in fleet automo-
biles going through this same Little
Missouri, country over what is known
as the Red Trail, a portion Of the Ma
tional Parks Transcontinental High
way which guides the motorist from
New York City to Seattle.
Hagicai Transformation.
What wonderful-almost maaical
Transformation has taken place in
this Little Missouri country in those
IS short years! Had a person, a lit
tie owe a quarter of a century ago.,
sought out the ranch cabin of Colonel
Roosevelt or of the Marquis de Mores,
both of which were located neaz
where the town Of Medora, North Da-
kOto pow Glands ond pio+urod ~ tho
owners the things that were to take
place, there is not the least doubt
but that either would have considered
that person ''loco." Would they have
believed that in a few years people
in horseless carriages would be pass
ing peacefully through that country
10y the thousands? Would they have
believed that a few years would see
a great steel and concrete bridge
spanning the Little Missouri at Me-
dora, built by popular subscription, for
the sole purpose of providing the last
link in the great transcontinentai
highway? They might have believed
that "some day"-in the dim and dis
tant future, the country would be set
tied and farmed, but to have con.
WINGED them that horseless carriages
would be traversing a splendid high
way would have required an effort
equal to that the early theorists expe-
rienced in trying to convince a super
s~titious world that the eartl was
round instead of fiat.
"seeing America First"
Yet all these have taken place. Next
season the Red Trail will be strung
with motor cars containing thousands
of people who are Seeing America
First" by visiting the Yellowstone or
the Glacier National parks or taking
the glorious mountain trip to the Pa
cific coast.
Tie National Parks Transcontinent-
al Highway is known to the world, but
before the opening of another motor
ing season the motoring world will
know that a great bridge has been
completed over the Little Missouri
river at Medora that will make the
trip by this route one of the easies;
and grandest Of any in the country.
Process Of Construction.
The Red Trail bridge at Medora is
now in process of construction, an
architects drawing being reproduced
herewith. This bridge is 4O5 feet
long, not counting the approaches.
There are three steel spans Of 1876
feet each, resting on heavy concrete
piers that will make tie bridge one
that will be in use many years hence.
1t will cost $4,000, Of which amount
$4,000 was raised by popular sub
scription in the towns along the route
Of the Red Trail from Fargo to Glen
dive, Montana. The balance was pro-
vided by Billings county, North Da-
kota, in which county tle bridge is sit
uated.
This bridge is the last link in a real
auto trail from coast to coast. 1t is
real in that it is not only on the map.
but it is a we'll make, easy grade road
open to actual traffic all the way.
There are some things which the av.
erage motorist las yet to learn about
this route. These are the easy grades.
the unimpeachable motoring climate,
the exceptional hotel and garage and
supply facilities, and last, but not
least, the wonderful scenic beauty of
the route.
Best Facilities.
70 a great many, especially eastern.
ers, the Little Missouri country con
veys an impression something similar
to that which Colonel Roosevelt re-
ferred to in his article in the Century
Margarine of May, 1883. These have
! yet to learn that along this ro,te the