On May 2, 1901, Sherman County held an election to decide whether the county seat would be moved from Coldwater, a ranching center in the central part of the county, to Stratford, a growing town on the new railroad. Partisan feelings ran high and the legality of certain votes was questioned. Because of a threatened injunction against the move, a special court session was held at 1 a.m. on May 6. After the votes were canvassed, the county records were moved under cover of darkness to a tent about 2 blocks south of here, and a horseman carrying the injunction to stop the move arrived too late. For several days, apprehensive Stratford citizens kept an armed guard around the tent. Supporters of Coldwater then filed the suit "W.B. Slaughter Et Al. vs. D.W. Snyder Et Al.," but by the time court convened, Stratford had been widely accepted as the county seat and the suit was dismissed. Those who helped move the records included D.W. Snyder, county judge; C.F. Rudolph, county clerk; Dick Pincham, sheriff; D.D. Spurlock, deputy sheriff; Tom Chambers, treasurer; W.J. Potts and J.H. Bowman, Jr., commissioners; and J.M. Upshaw, a hired freighter.