Freight was carried by pack animals until…
source date: 1891
availability: public-domain

Freight was carried by pack animals until 1824, when wagons were introduced as an ex- periment, and making the trip without diffi- culty, were used exclusively after 1825. In January of that year, through the influence of Col. Thomas H. Benton, of Missouri, a bill was passed by congress authorizing the marking out a road. Thirty thousand dollars was appro- priated for that purpose and that of obtaining the Indians’ consent to the road and its unmo- lested use. The U. S. Commissioners appointed to conduct the survey were Benjamin Reeves, George C. Sibley and Thomas Maher; and Jo- seph C. Brown as surveyor.