Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-04-13
History of Organization
of Cavalier County, N. D.
Continued from Page One.)

permanent location of the county seat
was in favor of Langdon by a small
plurality. There were a number of
incidents connected with this election
that in looking back cannot otherwise
than interest and perhaps amuse.
Olga and the eastern part of the
county contained as many voters at
that time as they have at the present
day, but Langdon township at that
time, which included tka Village of
Langdon, did not have to exceed 20
legal voters. Yet strange to say
there were 1856 votes cast in Langdon
in favor of its location for the county
seat. How the vote was gathered up
of course does not all make history,
but there was Dave Nichol, a squat
ter neal Langdon who walked from
Young post office to Langdon to vote,
because his claim was near here and
he wished to help out on the county
seat question with his vote. Dave
arrived about two O'Clock in the after
noon only to find, however, that Dave
Micols had already voted. The cleo.
ton officers asked him what his grand
fathers name was, to which he re-
piled, "Dave Thompson "All
right" said the election officer,
"David Thompson one VOTE" So
David Thompson, who died forty years
previous in Scotland helped to swell
the vote of Langdon for the county
seat. However, l do not believe any
one in the county at the present time
has much kick coming on the result
of this election as most undoubtedly
Langdon was the proper place for
the county seat, from a geographical
stand point and for a number of other
most excellent reasons
In January 1856, the board of
county commissioners consisted Of w.
j. Doyle, chairman and Commission
ers George McGregor, A. d. Shelp,
f. E. Renaud and John Mcbride. At
a meeting held on January 4th, M.
d. O'Brien was appointed sheriff of
the county in place of Clarence
Hawkes., who was disqualified. Many
of the old timers will remember why
MIR. Hawkes. was disqualified. Hav-
ing the necessary papers to take a
team belonging to William Stevens
on a chattle mortgage, he me- Mr..
Stevens near where the old Mona post
:, office was located. driving the team.
The sheritf's authority to take possess
sion of the same was disputed by
Stevens and Hawkes. thereupon shot
his man dead on the road. For this
crime | believe be was given a sen.
tence of ten years at Bismarck.
In the fall of 1885 a former pa
, tient of the insane asylum, named
Gunderson, murdered a young lady
named Miss McEWan, a homesteader
and school teacher, in the neighbor-
! hood of Rosa Lake. The crime was a
l most brutal one and Gunderson was
: captured and lynched at Olga. Harry
Bowles, at the present time a resi-
: dent of Hay township, was given the
T iSlCull VI LdSllS oSoCC Ctio Soplul GU
the criminal, but | do not believe that
G he was in anyway connected with the
lynching.
q l almost forgot to mention that il
e the winter of 1884 and 1885, e. j.
= Fox, who at the present time is 6
resident of Langdon city, acted as
It deputy register of deeds, county
clerk, county treasurer and clerk Of
after the other county offices. He
was the only resident of the village
:, during that winter. During the las
year or so | have heard tax payers
- make the remark that one good maj
could do all the work in the cour
house, but from my own experience
l. know that they are mistaken.
On January 3rd, 1887, John Nc
'. seats as members of the board O.
u county commissioners. At this meet
&C. ing Langdon was again named as thu
~ county seat. On April 3rd, 1887
% Vic COlIlllilSSlUllC1o DOIluCu IIIC Guilty
for $40, 900 at seven per cent for thu
g purpose of paying outstanding war
% rants. The bonds were sold for 81. OIL
y At a meeting of the board held OF
January 18th, 1888, DR.. Donovan tool
- his seat as a member from the Secont
~ district, Com'r A. D. Shelp being
named as chairman of the board. A
ID this time the office of county audito
re was created. On February 9TH, 1885
re a petition was presented to the board
containing more than fifty names
asking that an election be held for tn
=. purpose of voting upon the question
= of the organization of Langdon as
y city. An election was ordered to b.
10 held at the office of Frank j. Hodgin
n for this DurpOse. A. d. ShelD. w