A Red River ox cart train halted on a dirt street in St. Paul, Minnesota fills this albumen CDV from Martin's Gallery of Minnesota Views. The photograph documents a scene of considerable historical significance, capturing the overland trade route that connected the Red River Settlement in present-day Manitoba to St. Paul during the mid-nineteenth century. The image dates to approximately the 1860s, when ox cart trains were the primary means of moving goods between the two regions.

A man in a loose light-colored shirt, dark cap, and belted trousers stands at the head of the lead ox, gripping the animal's harness while facing the camera. Behind him, heavy wooden carts with large spoked wheels are loaded with barrels and bundled cargo, and additional oxen and carts extend into the middle distance. A multi-story commercial building with arched ground-floor openings and a covered upper gallery forms the backdrop, with several figures visible on the porch and near the wagons.

Red River ox cart trains were central to the economy of the northern frontier, operated largely by Métis traders who transported pemmican, furs, and trade goods along routes stretching hundreds of miles. Martin's Gallery of Minnesota Views produced a documented series of regional views during this period.

The mount face reads "RED RIVER TRAIN. (In St. Paul.)" with the imprint "From Martin's Gallery of Minnesota Views, St. Paul." printed below.