Devils Lake Courthouse and Valentine's Day | Prairie Public Broadcasting
In August 1887, ground was broken in Devils Lake for a new courthouse and jail. The courthouse had caused some initial angst among some residents, although the Devils Lake Inter-Ocean calmly stated that some of this came from “the first mistake of the [county] board,” which was that it “tried to please everybody.” Completion was planned for December, but it was soon extended to February 1, 1888. Of course construction plans change—especially when working in the winter!
Source: prairiepublic.org