Howard v. Trotter, et al., 2012 ND 258 (N.D. Sup. Ct. 2012)

(evidence established that public road existed on section line which plaintiffs had been using to access otherwise inaccessible hay pasture until defendant's obstructed road blocking plaintiff's access and preventing plaintiff's from harvesting hay crop; 1927 county order establishing route as public highway entered into evidence; in ND congressional section lines are open to public travel without necessity of any prior governmental action by virtue of 1866 law (Sec. 2477) where the federal government made offer of section line easements on public land and such offer accepted by Territory of Dakota in 1877 which stated, "...all section lines in this Territory shall be and are hereby declared public highways as far as practicable, Provided, That they shall not interfere with existing highways...."; trial court award of $20,000 damages to plaintiffs upheld).