Traveling the Old Red Trail

INTRODUCING THE AUTOMOBILE IN NORTH DAKOTA
The first automobile to appear in North Dakota was in 1897 when a German-made vehicle, called a Benz Velo, was brought into Grand Forks and Fargo. It caused much excitement and people came from miles away to look at this vehicle. Below is a picture of a Benz Velo. Many people who traveled at that time used a horse drawn buggy. This was basically a buggy with an engine on it. Notice that there is no steering wheel. It was steered by the handle in front of the seat.

For the next ten years a few people in North Dakota started purchasing automobiles, but they were not used for long distance travel. They were primarily for show but were only owned by people who had a lot of money or they built the vehicles themselves. There were also some people who bought automobiles and then charged passengers 25 cents to ride in them.

In time, the automobile became the most popular way for people to travel. Today, nine out of ten families own an automobile.

Discussion question
Why do you think automobiles became so popular?

What were the advantages of the automobile versus other kinds of transportation?