An interesting incident was reported by the Fargo Forum to have occurred on this day in 1907, which also happens to be Lincoln’s birthday. Apparently, a couple of visitors to the Cass County Courthouse were upset to find that the county did in fact recognize Lincoln’s birthday as a legal holiday, and Cass County lost $1.00 in business to neighboring Clay County because of it.

The incident, reported by an innocent bystander, is a tale of love and trial. It follows the lives of two country bumpkins who had fallen in love, and had sought the county courthouse as a place to solidify their love once and for all. This couple arrived arm-in-arm at the Cass County Courthouse around 10 o’ clock that morning hoping to purchase a marriage license from the place, and made their way to the office of Judge Hanson. The bystander noticed the tenderness of the young man as he warned his future bride of the slippery floor of the courthouse: “Be careful, honey...This here floor’s slippery.” The pair finally made their way to the judge’s quarters, but were dismayed to find the door to the office locked. There they sat consoling themselves and patiently awaiting the return of the judge. The young man stood up at one point and tapped gently on the office door, but after listening for a moment without a response, returned to his bride-to-be.

The pair waited in this way for some time, until finally the bystander approached the couple to remind them of the importance of the day in question. The couple did not understand exactly what President Lincoln’s birthday had to do with their marriage license, so the bystander informed them that Lincoln’s birthday was considered a legal holiday in Cass County, and that the courthouse was therefore closed for the entire day. At this, the couple’s tenacity became evident, as the young man “...announced his determinism to forego the pleasure of contributing to the income of Cass County...[and that they would] go over to Moorhead and get a license.”

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