Red River steamboat captain built the first large hotel in North Dakota Did You Know That columnist Curt Eriksmoen explains why Hugh Maloney opened the Mansard House in 1878 in Grand Forks. Written By: Curt Eriksmoen | ×
Hugh Maloney. Special to The Forum
During the 1870s, steamboat activity on the Red River was at an all-time high, and one company, the Red River Transportation Company (RRTC), which was founded by James J. Hill and Norman Kittson in 1870, had a monopoly of this bustling enterprise.
The primary pilots for the RRTC were Alexander Griggs and Hugh Maloney, who, during the months when the river was not frozen, made regular steamboat trips to and from the rapidly growing community of Winnipeg/Fort Garry in Manitoba, Canada. Steamboats on the Red River became the major supplier of goods needed by the people and businesses in Winnipeg.
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