Politics has been chaotic in North Dakota history, even on the local level. Such was the case for the creation of Golden Valley County in far western North Dakota. Fifty-two percent of Billings County voters in 1910 approved splitting the county to create Golden Valley County. Slope County’s creation was also on the ballot and passed, but one faction of residents challenged the election before the county auditor could certify the results. The dispute started a lawsuit, and a judge in Dickinson agreed with the plaintiffs that the election results didn’t carry.
The Golden Valley crowd appealed to the North Dakota Supreme Court. The high court reversed the decision, and on this date in 1912, dismissed an application for a re-hearing in the case. It was official: Golden Valley was a county. Two months later, the county organized and Beach was named as county seat.
The county was likely named for the color of grass on the rolling prairie. The city of Golva is named after the county, taking GOL from golden and VA from valley.
The fight over Golden Valley was not the only turf war in North Dakota. Ward County has a gooseneck shape that was intended to keep Kenmare from becoming the Burke or Renville county seat.
And in 1879, the Dakota Territory Legislature beheaded Morton County and tacked Mandan onto Burleigh County – a move that was later reversed.
And of course the removal of the territorial capital from Yankton to Bismarck in 1883 was considered a great political conspiracy at the time.
Dakota Datebook by Jack Dura
Sources:
Gavett, J.L. (2008). North Dakota: Counties, towns & people, part 3. Watchmaker Publishing, Ltd.
The (Grand Forks) Evening Times. 1912, Sept. 20.
Wick, D.A. (1989). North Dakota place names. Bismarck, ND: Prairie House
