Dakota County v. Glidden is a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1885. The case involved a dispute between Dakota County and the Glidden family over the ownership of a piece of land. The Glidden family had purchased the land from the United States government in 1856, but Dakota County claimed that the land had been granted to them by the Minnesota legislature in 1858. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Glidden family, finding that the land had been legally purchased from the United States government and that the Minnesota legislature had no authority to grant the land to Dakota County. The Court held that the Glidden family had a valid title to the land and that Dakota County had no right to it. The decision established the principle that the United States government has the exclusive right to dispose of public lands, and that state legislatures cannot grant such lands to private individuals or entities.

In Dakota County v. Glidden, the Supreme Court was tasked with deciding whether a county could be held liable for damages caused by its negligence in failing to keep a bridge in repair. The majority opinion found that counties are not responsible for such damages and thus cannot be sued. Justice Field dissented from this decision, arguing that it would lead to an unjust result as the injured party would have no recourse against the county despite their clear negligence in maintaining the bridge. He further argued that allowing suits against counties is consistent with established legal principles of liability and does not conflict with any constitutional provisions or state laws; therefore, he concluded, it should be allowed here as well.