BRAINERD — Over 150 years ago, the trails within present-day Crow Wing State Park were traversed not by hikers but large wooden oxcarts filled with beaver furs.

But details of that history were largely unknown or at least not part of the common public knowledge until now. Dan Hegstad, a Brainerd resident and independent videographer, has created a documentary exploring the history of the oxcart trails in the Brainerd lakes area.

Hegstad first became interested in the oxcarts after visiting the Red River Oxcart hiking trail in the state park. A sign along the path marks where traders on the Red River Trails forded across the Mississippi River.

Hegstad knew there must be more to the story, yet when he asked locals if they had heard of the trails, most knew nothing.

“I knew they went betw

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