Chautauqua and French Festival 2011

Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog visited the Chautauqua and French Festival --- August 27, 2011.      (See also Chautauqua and French Festival 2010)

Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog approach the Chautauqua and French Festival with great caution. The Red Lake River flows on the left. During the years of the Red River Ox Carts the Woods Trail crossed the river at this location.The trails ran from Pembina, on the Canadian border, to St Paul, Minnesota.

Scout the Ox poses by a replica of a Red River Ox Cart.  The oxcarts carried furs on their way south and needed supplies when traveling back north. The carts were driven primarily by the Metis.                           History of the Red River Ox



The annual festival is held at Old Crossing Treaty Park, Huott, Minnesota. Scout the Ox was absent his ox cart when the pictures were taken, though he had pulled it through the park earlier in the afternoon.                    Red River Ox Cart Train 



Harry the Dog greets a fearless pooch. My main objective was to get Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog used to being around lots of people, dogs, horses, and new sights, sounds and smells. We accomplished that. Scout was very excited and quite a handful to control when we arrived, but he had calmed down by the time we left.

Scout the Ox was a hit with many of the kids. It sure would be nice to get an authentic Red River Ox Cart for Scout to pull! I've heard the Metis people in Canada have made some in recent years.  Red River Ox Cart Diagram, Photo, and Cartmaking Video.