was one of the most important companies during the 1870s. Only four trips a year were usually planned by the wagon masters, and the lack of steady service drove up prices. On occasion, the return freight trains would bring rich ores, wools, hides, or furs from Montana. When the freight trains brought trade goods back to Utah, it brought the high costs of goods down slightly in Montana. Fast-freight and express lines were also established, but these services were only available at much higher rates. Demise of the trail As the Utah and Northern Railway was introduced to Montana by the Union Pacific, ox teams and pack trains had to compete for customers because of the difference in time and cost. Wagon freighters had to work harder to negotiate new fares. Farmers flocked to the construction sites with teams to help build the rails, earning up to $2.50 a day. The Union Pacific Railroad was determined to get as much freight as possible and entered into contracts with local businesses for freighting on the Utah and Northern Railway. Businesses had trouble finding wagon teams to take goods north because prices dropped as low as $.04 per 100 pounds by June 1878. Because of the rapid increase in the use of trains, wagon teams declined slowly. By 1879, most people were traveling to Montana by train, via the Union Pacific. Those that could not afford to travel by first or second class in the trains all the way to Montana were told to buy a ticket to Omaha or Lowell and continue their journey by teamster, or ox and wagon. They soon found out, however, that most of these wagons were too full to take them all the way to Montana. Although travel was much faster with the railways, it was still fairly expensive, which helped to keep the stagecoaches in business. This also contributed to the lack of smoothness in the transition from wagon trains to railways. Over time, the use of the trail declined as the railways shortened the trail by over 70 miles and created a much easier and less dangerous route to Montana. The Montana Trail still has a significant part in Montana history. References External links Trails and roads in the American Old West Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Idaho Roads on the National Register of Historic Places in Montana Historic trails