[5][6] After petitioning the Territorial Governor for permission to organize the county, Patrick McHugh, W. Hudson Matthews, and L.C.

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.

Mooney became the first Judge of Probate, Charles B. Nelson was the first Cavalier County Supt.

[citation needed] Cavalier took its current form in 1887 after the Territorial Legislature authorized an increase in size by taking a portion from Pembina County.

A large brick court house was built in 1895 on the present site at a contract cost of $9,099.00.

The Holy Trinity Church at Dresden replaced two previous wooden structures that both burned.

Assisting in the building of the church were Andrew Bachman-head carpenter, Alphonse Hiltner, Stanley Koehmstedt and William Geisen.

The Pembina River enters from Manitoba and flows southeasterly through the eastern part of the county, exiting near the SE corner.

The county terrain consists of rolling hills, dotted with lakes and ponds in the western part.

[9] The terrain slopes to the east, with its highest point near the midpoint of the south boundary line at 1,644 ft (501 m) ASL.