Fargo’s Hidden History: Parking Ramp Construction Uncovers Buried Sentimental Treasures

The Kilbourne Group has  found some artifacts while building the new parking ramp downtown.

One piece is connected to a late North Dakota politician.

Construction for the new parking ramp at Second Avenue North and Roberts Street started in June.

Since the digging began, the Kilbourne Group has come across a few surprises.

“We found foundations from some old buildings, the Carnegie library, the Columbia hotel, the Salvation Army building, among other things,” says Project Manager Mike Zimney.

Included in that, a motion picture film of a late North Dakota politician.

“They found a old film roll and we had NDSU archives take a look at it and it’s old film of Quentin Burdick,” Zimney says.

Burdick represented North Dakota in the U.S. House and Senate for over 30 years.

There’s no proper way to date or determine the content in the film because of its delicacy.

His son Birch Burdick has a good idea of what it might contain.

“I’m guessing, that without knowing, they probably captured images of him at some political events, he was involved in politics for many many decades.” Burdick says.

The film is believed to have been from the Carnegie library that on the property until 1970 when it was torn down.

“This treasure for some reason went down to the ground with the rest of the building,” Burdick exclaimed.

His father is remembered throughout the state, and captured in buildings seen around town.

The film was donated to NDSU, where it will be preserved.

The Kilbourne Group will also be incorporating the old bricks from the remains of the Carnegie Library in the new structure.