Lac qui Parle County seat controversy
| Duration | April 1885 to May 21, 1889 |
|---|---|
| Location | Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, US |
| Cause | Expansion of the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway |
| Outcome | Madison, Minnesota as Lac qui Parle County seat |
Lac qui Parle County, in Minnesota, United States, had two battles for its county seat during the 1800s. The first was between Williamsburg and Lac qui Parle Village. The second was between Dawson and Madison which culminated in the county courthouse being stolen and a case being brought to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
After the establishment of Lac qui Parle County in 1871 by the Minnesota Legislature, a dispute over the county seat almost immediately erupted between Williamsburg (now a ghost town) and Lac qui Parle Village. In 1872, Lac qui Parle Village was declared to be the county seat. The county board met in the hotel and post office building of Lac qui Parle Village from 1871 to 1875, then in a rented space in the local general store until 1883 when a new wooden frame courthouse was built. This courthouse was 30 by 40 feet (9.1 by 12.2 m) and two stories high.