Gingras Trading Post State Historic Site

The Gingras Trading Post State Historic Site is a North Dakota State Historic Site near Walhalla, North Dakota. It features the trading post and home of the Metis legislator Antoine Blanc Gingras (1821-1877).HistoryGingras built a two-story exposed-log trading post and a clapboard house on his plot of land in the 1840s. In 1861, the net worth of Gingras was $60,000.00. He soon owned trading posts across the Dakota Territory and parts of Southern Manitoba. In 1851, Gingras was chosen to represent the area in the Minnesota Territorial House of Representatives. He served in the legislature from 1852-1853. When Louis Riel started the 1869 Red River Rebellion, Gingras also participated in the events. When the City of Winnipeg was chartered, Gingras was present.TodayThe Gingras Trading Post is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The North Dakota State Historical Society operates the site. It features the original buildings and exhibits about Antoine Blanc Gingras, Metis culture, and the Red River Valley fur trade. It also contains a reproduction of the Gingras Store.