Transporting settlers and military across Lake of the Woods to the Canadian prairies was big business at one time as Canada tried to keep up with western expansion in America. The first steamer began operating there in 1872. The Shamrock had accommodations for twenty-five first-class passengers and fifty in steerage. The three-day trip across Lake of the Woods cost twelve dollars, including room and board. Ferry service expanded in the late 1800s along with mining, lumbering, and fishing. Side-wheelers, stern-wheelers, and propeller boats roamed the waters—ranging from 30-foot lumber
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