Certain Canadians in St. Paul, such as Messrs. N.W. Kittson, and J.J.
Hill, began at this time to take an interest in the trade of Red River
Settlement, and to speak of communication between the Settlement and the
outside world. The demand for transport led a company to bring in a
steamer, the Anson Northrup, afterwards called "The Pioneer," to break
the Red River solitude with her scream. The steamer International was
built to run on the river in 1862, and thus the Hudson's Bay Company was
unwittingly joining with The Nor'-Wester in opening up the country to
the world, and sounding the death-knell of the Company's hopes of
maintaining supremacy in Rupert's land.
[Illustration: THE ANSON NORTHRUP The machinery was brought from the
Mississippi to the Red River. The name was changed to Pioneer in 1860.
"International", larger boat of similar pattern was built by the
Hudson's Bay Company in 1861. These steamers were run on the Red River.]
Until this time of arrivals there had been no village of Winnipeg. The
first building back from the McDermott, Ross and Logan buildings on the
bank of Red River, was on the corner of Main and Portage Avenue. Here
gathered those, who may be spoken of as free traders, being rivals of
the Hudson's Bay Company Store at Fort Garry.
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