Cavalier County, North Dakota: History
The Dakota Territory legislature created Cavalier County on January 4, 1873, with territory annexed from Pembina County, but did not organize the county government structure at the time. It was named for Charles Cavileer (or Cavalier) of Pembina, an early settler. The county was organized on July 8, 1884. Its boundaries were altered in 1883 and in 1887.
After petitioning the Territorial Governor for permission to organize the county, Patrick McHugh, W. Hudson Matthews, and L.C. Noracong met on July 8, 1884. On July 26 the new county officials met for the second time and chose Noracong as chairman of the board with William H. Doyle and Matthews as Commissioners. The first Register of Deeds and County Clerk was McHugh. W.J. Mooney became the first Judge of Probate, Charles B. Nelson was the first Cavalier County Supt. of Schools, and Clarence Hawkes the first sheriff. Cavalier took its current form in 1887 after the Territorial Legislature authorized an increase in size by taking a portion from Pembina County. The expansion added 15 new townships to the county.
A site for a county seat was selected at the second meeting; it was named Langdon, for Robert Bruce Langdon of Minnesota, an official with the Great Northern Railroad. Langdon never visited the town, but reportedly donated a bell for the local school.
The first courthouse was built in 1884 at a cost of $360.00. It was used briefly and then abandoned for warmer and more centrally located quarters in a downtown bank. A large brick courthouse was built in 1895 on the present site, the contract cost was $9,099.00. The building served county officials until a courthouse was constructed in 1957–58.
Established after 1969 - The Holy Trinity Church at Dresden, North Dakota became the cornerstone of the County Museum. It now houses local historic artifacts and landmarks.
The Holy Trinity Church at Dresden replaced two previous wooden structures that both burned. The present structure was erected in 1936, built out of fieldstone collected by the local parishioners. Fabian Redmond, a Minneapolis architect designed the building. A stonemason from Rugby, North Dakota, Edroy Patterson, directed volunteer workers. Assisting in the building of the church were Andrew Bachman-head carpenter, Alphonse Hiltner, Stanley Koehmstedt and William Geisen.