In the mid-1800s, hundreds of Red River carts rolled down from the Winnipeg area in the summer and passed through Sherburne County on the way to St. Paul. Later on, the Winnipeg-St. Paul rail connection brought grain from the fields of Manitoba and Saskatchewan south to the mills of Minneapolis.
This historic trail was also the route of the great 1917 500-mile dogsled race sponsored by the St. Paul Winter Carnival and fictionalized in the movie Iron Will. Eleven teams started in Winnipeg on January 24, but only five finished at Como Park on February 3. The arduous race and bitterly cold and snowy weather took its toll.
Most of the participants were Canadian. Albert Campbell, the eventual winner, was a mixed blood Cree trapper from Manitoba and had won the 150-mile Le Pas dog-team sweepstakes in 1916. Racism against Campbell and his brother Gabriel led to the recruitment of several white drivers from the Lake Winnipeg region. The American hope and favorite was Fred Hartman, whose bad luck began on the first day when his dogs fought among themselves and his lead dog was killed. This meant that he was forced to lead his team, sometimes through waist-deep snow, while the other drivers were able to ride their sleds for most of the race.
The winter carnival president that year was Louis W. Hill, son of railway magnate James J. Hill and president of the Great Northern Railway Company. He saw to it that a dog-race committee was appointed in each town that the race passed through. Hill also provided signs at confusing crossroads so the racers wouldn’t get lost, although heavy snows caused problems in spite of this preparation.
Photographers were able to shoot movies of the racing teams from a railroad flatcar in places where the race route lay close to the railroad tracks, and newspapers covered the race closely with the Canadian government even cabling progress reports to their troops serving in Europe in World War I.
Some of this coverage shows in Sherburne County newspapers, and Fred Hartman’s status, as race favorite is clear. When the teams passed through Sherburne County, crowds waited for them in all the communities along the route. From the Sherburne County Times in Clear Lake, we can read about the anticipation:
Thursday, 1 February 1917
The dog team race from Winnipeg is not coming up to expectations in the matter of speed. It was confidently expected that some of the teams would arrive in St. Paul by Wednesday, but it is now estimated that it will be Friday and possibly later before they reach their destination, being still further hampered by the storm of Tuesday and yesterday.
Unless the storm interferes too much, it is believed that the leading teams will make St. Cloud by today. The local committee will be notified when the leading teams leave that city, and will notify by phone any who wish to be apprised of the hour. The committee has obtained permission from the authorities to ring the fire alarm bell about 20 minutes before the teams arrive in the village; this will give notice to all who wish to see the teams go through an opportunity. There will be no stops made here as the road from St. Cloud to St. Paul is the ‘home stretch’ and every minute is valuable.
Latest reports are that the teams are between Alexandria and Sauk Centre and handicapped by heavy snowdrifts.
The next week the Sherburne County Times carried the following report.
8 February 1917
The much advertised dog team race came to an end Saturday at St. Paul, Albert Campbell being the winner, arriving shortly after 12 o’clock, Hartman, the favorite, arriving about 5 o’clock. Hartman had the lead several times but his dogs were in bad shape.
Four of the teams went through Clear Lake Friday, arriving about 1:50 p.m. and stopping ten minutes; Hartman arriving just as the leading teams pulled out. Hartman plainly showed the terrible strain he was under, his feet, hands and face were frost bitten, his exhausted dogs laid down upon the depot platform and required much urging to take the trail, but, after a lunch of sandwich and cup of coffee he pluckily ‘hit the trail’ again and at Becker was only a few minutes behind the leading teams.
One of the largest crowds that Clear Lake has seen for a long time braved the cold, (25 below zero) to see these plucky contestants and their teams. About 75 came over from Clearwater, many of them being pupils of the public school, a recess having been given for the occasion. Many were present from Haven, Palmer, Santiago, and more would have come in had the roads been in better condition and the cold not quite so intense. It was plain to be seen that Hartman was the favorite.
The race was front-page news in the Sherburne County Star News from Elk River.
Thursday, 1 February 1917
…The dogs have had rough going in Minnesota, as the track has not been well packed. Nevertheless they have averaged fairly good time. There were seven leaders in the race bunched at Fergus Falls Tuesday and it is believed they will remain close together the balance of the trip. Hartman, the American driver who lost one of his dogs, and was behind, made up the lost time and passed the other contestants Tuesday night and yesterday morning was about 19 miles ahead of them.
Signs indicating the trail to St. Paul were received at Elk River last week and put up by Marshal Clark. The trail through this village follows the Jefferson Highway and the drivers will have little difficulty in keeping on the right track.
The following week the Star News covered the conclusion of the race as well.
Thursday, 8 February 1917
As was the case everywhere else along the route of the race, Elk River people were intensely interested in the big dog race, which reached its climax when the leading team reached Como Park, St. Paul, shortly after noon last Saturday. Several hundred people were on hand here late Friday night to see the dogs come in and most of time stood about in the cold for several hours watching the dogs and the drivers.
All day Friday people had been on the watch for the dogs and the dog race was the main topic of conversation notwithstanding the crisis in international affairs confronting the nation. It was reported early in the forenoon that the dogs had already reached Clear Lake, and would make Elk River late in the afternoon, but that proved to be a false report and it was later learned that the teams could not reach town until some time in the evening.
On account of the drifted condition of the roads the drivers finally took to the railroad right-of-way, where the going was considerably better, but none of the distance from St. Cloud was made in good time and it was nearly ten o’clock when the four leaders finally reached Elk River. They were greeted by cheers by Elk River people, but nothing compared to the welcome received by Hartman when he pulled in some time later.
Hartman, the American driver, who had gained sympathy of all along the route, was behind when the leaders reached Elk River. A number of schoolboys, Clayton Swanson, Harry Olson and Harry Bell, went up the tracks a few miles to meet him, accompanied by Mr. Hide, one of their instructors. When Hartman came in it was seen that his dogs as well as himself were in a bad way, but when questioned Hartman said he was going to St. Paul.
All the drivers were taken care of at the hotel or restaurant and all went to bed to rest up, while their dogs were taken care of at the baggage room of the depot. Shortly after two o’clock Hartman arose, harnessed his dogs and left for Anoka, hoping to steal a march on his opponents and gain a lead which would bring him into St. Paul the winner of the race. But the other four drivers were tipped off by a local man who was on watch for them, and they all immediately harnessed their dogs and started off down the track.
Saturday was a day of business before pleasure for the winners of the first four places. From the minute they were aroused in Elk River in the early morning hours and were told that Hartman was on his way they wasted no time as they did Friday. The dogs felt the lash when they lagged. It was a case of attempting to shake off the others but the teams were so evenly matched that only Albert Campbell with his splendid blacks was able to open a gap. They whirled on through Anoka, Fridley and New Brighton without delays of longer length than they found necessary. They knew the struggling Hartman was behind them and
‘club traveling’ was over. Albert Campbell finished at 12:44 o’clock; Grayson at 12:49; Metcalf at 12:49:20 and Gabriel Campbell at 12:49:40. Hartman arrived about four hours later, but though he was the last man to arrive he was given an ovation by the immense crowd of carnival celebrators who had remained to see the plucky American come in.
(From: Historical Speaking Newsletter of the Sherburne County Historical Society. Volume 19, Winter 2004.)