Cavalier County was established by the 1879 territorial legislature and organized 8 July 1884. It is generally accepted that it was named after Charles Turner Cavileer (1818-1902), a customs collector at Pembina who was one of the state's earliest settlers and a well known politician.
    Cavalier County was originally a part of Pembina County, and it's borders were changed several times before the present boudaries were established. The population of the county was sparce prior to 1879, but settlement grew rapidly with the construction of what was known as the "Manitoba Line" of the Great Northern Railway during the 1880's. New towns were plotted from Union in the southeast corner of the county to Hannah in the northwest as the railway construction moved to it's most westward point.

County Seat: Langdon, 1884-present.
Area 1488 square miles.
2010 population -- 3993.

County & Regional Information Sources and Databases

• Cavalier County Archives
  Includes:
  • Cemetery Transcriptions Index
  • 1900 Census Images
  • 1910 Census Images
  • 1920 Census Images
  • 1930 Census Images
  • Populated Places
  • Townships
  • BLM Records
  • The Hannah Moon Newspaper 1897-1909
  • The Hannah Moon Newspaper 1910-1919
  • The Milton Globe 1888-1895
  • The Milton Globe 1896-1900
  • The Milton Globe 1901-1910
  • Obituaries - King
• Cavalier County ND Township Map
• Cavalier County Historical Society
• Cavalier County High Schools
• Cavalier County Cemeteries
• Family Biographical Index, Cavalier County History Books
  Lookups in these books are available, See Lookup Volunteers Section.
  Includes:
  
  • "A Century of Area History", Milton, ND, 1882-1982
  • "The Spirit Lives On", Osnabrock ND, 1887-1987
  • "Langdon, ND", 1888-1988
  • "Fjalla Lutheran Church", Milton, ND, 1886-1967
  • "History of Olga, ND and Our Lady of Sacred Heart Church", 1882-1982
  • "Hannah, ND", 1896-1996
  • "History of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and Surrounding Area", 1888-1988
  • "United by Rail", Munich, ND
• Clerk of Court
• Register of Deeds
• North Dakota Newspapers - Cavalier County
• Internet Public Library -- North Dakota Newspapers
• Cavalier County Historical Society (Other listings as well)
• 1912 Plat Map Index -- Cavalier County ND
• The Political Graveyard: Cavalier County ND

Maps

• County Location Map
• 1888 Territorial Map
• North Dakota -- 1895
• North Dakota Counties from the Library of the University of Texas at Austin

Adjacent Counties

Lookup Volunteers

If you own resources (surnames/lookup sources) and would be willing to help others via email or US mail, please contact the County Coordinator.