Buffalo Bone Industry – 1915 Tales From Old Timers #14 –

  About this time the Buffalo Bone Industry began to flourish. Settlers traveled hundreds of miles over the prairies gathering the sun dried bones, so it was no unusual sight to see four or five hundred Red River carts lined up and down Main Street. The bones were used for sugar refining purposes and the market price ranged from $4.00 up to $26.00 per ton. The Indians also contributed to the supply and they would bring valuable buffalo skins to exchange for whiskey. Some of our present citizens made their start in this business. Farming was still being done on a small scale. There were practically no cereal grains raised except for individual consumption and collecting buffalo bones offered a means of support that was almost a blessing to early pioneers.