Based on original research, this exhaustive volume provides a rich background to Alberta's historic courthouses. Covering in detail all of Alberta's historic courthouses built between 1874 and 1950, this book considers many facets of these unique and significant structures. Using the backdrop of the major political periods in Alberta history, this study considers the influence of local and provincial politics on courthouse construction in addition to the cultural and economic milieu of the time. As part of the overall historical context, the book also presents some of the more colourful aspects of Alberta's little-known legal history, as well as an account of the evolution of the court system. Most courthouses have a rich and detailed history, and as landmarks they are important not only for their functional requirements but as symbols of the cultural ideals that they reflect in our society.