County Seat Battle II

Pembina County Courthouse, Pembina, ND
Although built in 1881 (as a sign reads near the roof line),
Pembina wasn't officially designated as the county seat
until 1897 [Source:  State Historical Society of ND]

St. Vincent wasn't the only town to lose its standing as its county's 'seat' - Cavalier tried in 1894 to have the Pembina county seat moved from Pembina to Cavalier, putting it to a (failed) public vote.  But the fight was far from over.

Front Cover of Cavalier's booklet, published during 1910 debate
regarding having county seat changed from Pembina to their city
Source: State Archives of North Dakota  

Later, in 1910, the two towns launched a public debate issuing competing booklets espousing their arguments.  One of Cavalier's main points was that their city was more centrally-located.  After looking at their map below, it's hard to argue with that!

Let's take a closer look at Cavalier's arguments; to read more easily, click images to enlarge...

There were court cases contesting the petitions and elections concerning the matter, but in the end, Cavalier became the county seat of Pembina County in 1911.