COUNTRY ROADS - by Liz Donaldson

A popular song asks that country roads take us home to the place we belong. It is a lovely sentiment and the pioneers may often have had similar thoughts when they set out on a journey a century ago. Our roads are well-maintained summer and winter and we are reasonably certain that wherever we travel that we will arrive at our destination. The pioneers were not always that sure.

A very early resident states that in the 1890's there were no roads, only a footpath along the Rainy River and people could pick their way along finding the best footage. Later the River Road was the main artery to Emo or Fort Frances. Men carried loads on their backs and necessity produced some prodigious "packers."

The pioneer's first encounter with these country roads was travelling north from Big Fork to find their claims. More than one story mentioned the "muskeg which seemed to be flooded with water. The horses would plunge for some distance then rest themselves, lying in the mud as I called it. I thought the poor beasts would die of fatigue before getting to a solid footing."

Some things may have been misrepresented to the people that were eager to take advantage of the free land. Another woman was prompted to write, "Before coming to the Rainy River District I was told that the roads where made, were level, wide and straight. They were, and also very deep in spots." To paraphrase another writing, "There is only one mud-hole and it extends from Big Fork to Burriss."

Consider the enormous task involved. Some of the stipulations were; the whole extent of the road to be chopped a width of 66 feet. All trees 8 inches and under in diameter, to be cut close to the ground. These with brushwood and rubbish to be piled on each side of the road so that a clear space of 45 feet shall be left in the centre of the allowance for the road." It sounds rather simple when stated this way until you remember that this was all done by manual, back-breaking labour a mile at a time.

Many of our roads were of corduroy origin where logs were cut and laid across the road and dirt thrown over them. Think of the cords and cords of wood that were cut for this and of men working in heat and mosquito infested swamps and swollen creeks. Many bridges or causeways were required to cross the LaVallee River that wandered all through the townships. But work they did and those men of long ago laid the basis for our good roads of today.

Many roads were described as "little more than trails." Perhaps these roads were better suited for travel by oxen and "jumper," that flat conveyance similar to the stone-boat. It was slow but it got you there. The buggies and wagons could sink to the wheel hubs or an axle could break causing delays and major repairs. However, the pioneers accepted these drawbacks as part of living in this new unbroken country.