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joecarter93 t1_j14idku wrote

Reply to comment by Obiwan_Salami in When this bridge in Fort Benton, Montana, USA was built 1888 it was required to have a swing span to allow steamboats to navigate. It was considered the furthest navigable point on Earth, more than 2,700 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. by triviafrenzy

There were fur traders in northern Canada back in the 1700’s, but they used canoes to explore and trade. Steam ships in the 1800’s were not that common in western Canada, as the waterways that far inland tend to be too shallow. I live in Canada relatively near Ft. Benton, but our rivers mostly drain to Hudson Bay. They tried steam ships on our rivers for a couple of years, but they were prone to run aground / partially sink if the rivers were a little low, so they stopped. The railway was also built around that time, which was far more effective.

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Obiwan_Salami t1_j157467 wrote

canoes are still a form of trade right? i realize i'm speaking from a more theoretical viewpoint, but the basic premise of what i've been saying seems to hold true.

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platitood t1_j15jxr2 wrote

Canoes were often portaged.

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Obiwan_Salami t1_j15mp31 wrote

during the rainy season? i can point you to an indiana department of conservation area which has a sign saying that basically from that point, which was about 20ish miles southwest of south bend, indiana, along the yellow river, kankakee system and calumet system, an area of close to 1000 square miles of swamp existed before there was any white settlements.

i'll look for it online in a little while, and if need be, i'll drive there and take a picture. it probably included what we're talking about.

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