Years ago, bison, Native Americans, and European settlers wore trails into the prairie grasses. By the 1880's many trails had become steel rails. Some trails became dirt roads, traveled by wagons, sleighs, and horse-drawn coaches, moving people and goods. In 1854, a road from Dubuque, Iowa to St. Paul was established by Martin O. Walker, the "James J. Hill of stage-coaching." The four day trip took his coaches through present-day Rochester and over Zumbrota's covered bridge. Early planners platted Rochester shortly after Walker's first four-horse coaches passed through. By 1857, people rode coaches to Winona, Owatonna, Austin, Albert Lea, and other cities. Early towns were increasingly linked by more roads. By the 1970's, as the first of Minnesota's freeways were being completed, there were over 12,000 miles of paved state highways.