1/2/2010:
On this date in 1948, the Fargo Forum reported on a fire at the Nanking home of Lionel H. Lamb, who was then British minister to China.
The fire destroyed Lamb's home, but notable among his lost possessions was a key to the city of Fargo. While serving as British vice consul in Minneapolis in 1943, Lamb and his wife came to North Dakota to visit Governor Moses. On their return, they passed through Fargo, where he was presented with the gilt plywood key.
He listed it as a prized possession, proving that which is only gilt may still glitter-though it is not fireproof.
Dakota Datebook written by Sarah Walker
Sources:
Fargo Forum, Friday morning, January 2, 1948, p.1