Towner

Formed March 8, 1883 (34^th county)

Towner County (2,163), Cando (1,120)

The tan brick Queen Anne courthouse was constructed in 1898.  Towner County was organized on March 8, 1883 as the 34^th county with Cando, the only county seat.  It is named for Congressman Oscar M. Towner.  He is also the namesake of the county seat of McHenry County.  The county seat’s name comes from the “can do” attitude of the settlers.  The courthouse is on 2^nd Street at 3^rd Avenue.  United States Highway 281 is three blocks to the west.  A. J. O’Shea provided the building designs.  An old one room school sits on the courthouse grounds. 

Towner County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Towner, Benson, Bottineau, Cavalier, McHenry, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Renville, Rolette, and Walsh counties and a court clerk serves Towner County (judicial.)  The county is on the northern border with Canada.  Minot, North Dakota is southwest and Grand Forks, North Dakota is southeast of the county.  The county center is 20.7 miles North-Northwest of Cando nearer Rocklake.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Cavalier, Ramsey, Benson, Pierce, and Rolette counties. 

The area of the county is 1025 square miles.  It is 36 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 46 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.1 persons per square mile making it 43 out of 53 in the state.  Towner County has 63.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 281 enters the county from the west, Rolette County, and exits to the south, Benson County.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Cando is located in the southern quarter of the county.  Cando is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 51.8% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced KAN-DOE.

Sarles