President Obama's Birth Certificate: Not The Only Document Missing

Perhaps that's a bit of hyperbole. I guess some folks have seen the president's birth certificate.

But like the president, a little town northeast of Williston, has an issue with it's "birth certificate," or in this case, it's "incorporation" document. 

The Secretary of State's office confirmed there are no incorporation documents on file at that office.

However, Williams County Auditor Beth Innis said Spring Brook's papers of incorporation dated April 15, 1916, are on file in her office.

Jerry Hjelmstad, deputy director of the North Dakota League of Cities, said it's possible the state's early records for Spring Brook were destroyed when the original Capitol building burned in late winter 1930. He said other cities' incorporation records were destroyed in the fire and eventually were duplicated.

"It's been in our records for many years as an incorporated city. The counties run a survey of the taxable valuation for all incorporated cities and Spring Brook has always been one of those," Hjelmstad.

Stewart said he doesn't buy either of those as proof. "They have to be legally registered with the Secretary of State. If they are, why don't they show it to us?" he says.

My hunch: this one is headed for the ND Supreme Court.

Go to the link to find out why incorporation papers are important. Remember the television series "Dallas"?

A lot of story lines, here, also. There are days I am glad I am not part of all this except as an observer.