Gordon Keeney, founder of Fargo, ND ?
Just for the interest of readers - Canadian public radio (CBC) late in November had an item that said:
In the State Archives at Bismarck, ND, a document was found (in 1984 ?) which told a story that Gordon Keeney, who is said to be the 'founder of Fargo, ND', took shelter with a Métis family during a snowstorm in 1872. In the straw of the upper loft of the cabin where he bedded down for the night, he came across a diary, bound in animal hide, written by an Englishman who evidently returned to his home country and never returned.
The diary recorded the story of the Métis and the English-speaking settlers before the Riel Rebellion of 1885. In this diary the name 'Baptiste Robideau' (sp?) was mentioned as being a 'nom de plume' of the leader of the Métis people, Louis Riel.
Speculation arises that Riel may have been in ND in the early 1870's, since he was known to have been on the run from the English administration in Manitoba at the time (1870-1875) and had a price on his head. The radio item said he was in North Dakota during this time period.
Evidently the existence of this diary has not been that well known up to this time. The item did not clarify if the diary itself was at the State Archives in Bismarck, or just the story about what was written in it.
Does anyone posting here know who Gordon Keeney (sp?) was, who founded Fargo, ND ? What Keeney line does he come from ? No one on this forum or the ND one has mentioned him so far.
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Please note - I do NOT have any info on this, other than what I heard on CBC Radio. Interested persons might want to check the ND State Archives for more info.
More Replies:
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Re: Gordon Keeney, founder of Fargo, ND ?
Mark Leckie 8/18/05
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Re: Gordon Keeney, founder of Fargo, ND ?
Karyl Hubbard 12/26/02