Gingras Trading Post

Gingras Trading Post. . , Between 1843 and 1873, this house and store owned by Antoine B. Gingras served the Metis community in the northern Red River Valley., The Metis emerged from the fur trade of the early 19th Century. Descended from French and British traders and Indian (primarily Chippewa) women, the Metis retained elements of both cultures. Their language incorporated both French and Indian words; colorful clothing emphasized an outdoor lifestyle; oxdrawn Red River carts provided transport. The Metis economy was based on the buffalo; hides and pemmican from spring and full hunts were hauled to St. Paul and traded for manufactured goods., The Metis controlled the northern Red River Valley during the mid-19th Century: Most lived north of the International boundary, but centers existed at Pembina and St. Joseph., Antoine Blanc Gingras (1821-1877) dominated the latter community. His post was established in 1843. In 1851, Father George Anthony Belcourt built a chapel, convent, and school. Gingras served in the Minnesota Territorial Legislature (1851-1858), and his store was a political center after Dakota Territory was organized in 1861. Described as fat and jolly and considered a shrewd businessman, Gingras supported the ill-fated Metis nation along the Red River In 1869 1870; Metis leader Louis Riel sought Gingras' protection after the rebellion failed., Gingras married Scholastique Trottier and fathered twelve children. At his death, he was reputed to be the wealthiest man in the region. The Metis community had declined, however, and immigration from Scandinavia changed the region's character: St. Joseph was renamed Walhalla in 1871., These two buildings are the oldest standing structures built by Euro-Americans In North Dakota. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.