Dawes

Formed February 19, 1885 (75^th county)

Dawes County (8,195), Chadron (5,204)

The tan brick Art Deco facility was constructed in 1936 to replace a classic 1887 courthouse.  The structure is located on Main, 4^th, Chadron, and 5^th streets.  United States Highway 20 is one block north of the courthouse.  The architects were John Latenser and Sons.  The grounds have veteran memorials and a gazebo.  The county was formed on February 19, 1885 from Sioux County as the 75^th county.  Chadron has always been the county seat.  Dawes County is named for Governor James W. Dawes.  The county seat is named for fur trapper Louis Chadron. 

Dawes County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Four District Court Judges and Five County Court Judges serve Dawes, Banner, Box Butte, Cheyenne, Deuel, Garden, Grant, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan and Sioux counties (judicial.)  Dawes County is on the northwest border with South Dakota.  Scottsbluff, Nebraska is southwest and Rapid City, South Dakota is north.  The county center is 16.8 miles South-Southwest of Chadron.  The county is surrounded clockwise by South Dakota and Sheridan, Box Butte, and Sioux counties. 

The area of the county is 1396 square miles.  It is 8 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 36 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 5.9 persons per square mile making it 58 out of 93 in the state.  Dawes County has 74.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 20 crosses east to west in the county from Sheridan County to Sioux County.  United States Highway 385 passes north to south from South Dakota to Box Butte County.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Chadron is in the northeast quarter of the county.  Chadron is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 63.5% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced CHAD-RON.