Are you sick of hearing about North Dakota yet? TOO BAD because I got a new book on it for Christmas. It’s called Did You Know That…?: 46 Fascinating Stories About People Who Have Lived in North Dakota (vol 4). You may think it’s kind of a weird gift–especially being volume 4 in a series, but my uncle is a whimsical Santa who knows Christmas is the best time to clean out your apartment of random things you don’t want (my cousin received an empty tape dispenser and half a candle). Joke’s on him anyway, because I READ IT. Well, not all of it (yet). Eventually I got bored reading about all the dudes who rode with Custer and skipped ahead to find the ladies (there were 5–this is how history works). But it turns out, some of the people were fascinating! Well, interesting anyway. So I’m giving it to you straight:
1. Isobel Gunn: North Dakota’s First Crossdresser
There aren’t any pictures of her, so here’s another girl-pretending-to-be-a-boy
Isobel Gunn (1780ish-1861) was born in Scotland, and soon decided that being poor sucked. So, she dressed up as a dude and got a job with the Hudson Bay Company to see beautiful Canada! She was found out in 1807 when she gave birth in what is now North Dakota. Like, on the floor of her boss’ house. Awkward. The father was a dude she’d been sharing accommodation with, and he didn’t stay with his small family long. Isobel and the kid were sent back to Scotland, because North Dakota was still No Girls Allowed. Bummer, Isobel.
2. Charles DeRudio: Custer’s Most Ridiculous Officer
And best facial hair
Charles DeRudio is amazing. Here are some reasons why:
1. His real name was Carlo Camillo di Rudio (1832-1910) and his parents were a count and countess in Italy
2. He attempted to assassinate Napoleon III with a bomb in 1858
3. After being sentenced to death for that, his last request was to “smoke a pipe of tobacco,” and while he stood there smoking his reprieve arrived from the empress
4. He was then sentenced to life in prison in French Guyana, but after a year he escaped, stole a boat, and sailed to British Guyana where he was given asylum
5. Even though he eventually worked for Custer, he didn’t die at Little Bighorn because Custer didn’t like him and had him transferred to another company at the last minute
6. Why is there not a movie about this person?
3. Yellowstone Kelly: Noted Badass
He only wore things he killed with his own two hands
They did make a movie about this guy (sort of). Luther Sage Kelly (1849-1928) made a name for himself in Dakota Territory as a respected guide and trapper, sometimes helping to deliver the mail hundreds of miles across treacherous terrain. There’s all the usual stories about him having daring Wild West battles with Native American warriors, but he was also known for being unfailingly honest and humble, rarely speaking, and almost never about himself. The best story about him is:
Having no greeting card, Kelly cut off one of the paws of a grizzly bear he had recently killed, etched his name on the paw, and sent it to General Miles. Miles hired Kelly as his chief scout.
Yeah, I’ll BET he did. You have to take particular notice of anything you receive written on part of a bear.
4. Enos Stutsman: Trying to give ladies the vote since 1868
North Dakota’s cold, alright? Gotta keep the sides of your face warm somehow
Enos Stutsman (1826-1874) must have had a difficult life–he was born without legs, on the frontier in 1826, a setting not known for its ADA compliance. Still, he managed to become a successful lawyer and kind of sketchy land speculator. I guess it’s easy to get around legal restrictions of selling land you don’t actually own when you’re the only lawyer in town. He served in the Dakota Territory legislature at various points, which is where, in 1868, he introduced a bill “to confer upon women the elective franchise and eligibility to office.” It passed in the house, but was defeated in the council (the upper chamber). Supposedly, this bill is the first such attempt at women’s suffrage in the US!
You know I’ll keep you informed of any further North Dakota related developments.
