Cheyenne

Formed March 20, 1873 (78^th county)

Cheyenne County (2,616), Saint Francis (1,271)

The tan brick Classical Revival building on a square, Washington, Denison, Jackson, and Benton streets was built in 1924 replacing an 1889 courthouse.  United States Highway 36 is seven blocks south of the site.  Thomas W. Williamson is the building designer.  Marble stairs and a wooden-laden courtroom adorn the inside.  The county was organized on March 20, 1873 from Native American Territory as the 78^th county.  Bird City was the county seat until 1889 when Saint Francis assumed the position.  Cheyenne County gets its name from the Native American tribe.  Saint Francis is reported to be named for the wife of a city founder. 

Cheyenne County government consists of a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Eight District Court Judges serve Cheyenne, Logan, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas, and Wallace counties (judicial.) The county is in the northwest corner of the state.  The South Fork of the Republican River flows through the county.  Nebraska is north and Colorado is west of the county.  The county center is 5.2 miles East of Saint Francis nearer Wheeler.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Nebraska and Rawlins and Sherman counties and Colorado. 

The area of the county is 1020 square miles.  It is 15 out of 105 in the state.  It ranks 90 out of 105 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.6 persons per square mile making it 95 out of 105 in the state.  Cheyenne County has 65.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 36 crosses east to west through the county from Rawlins County to Colorado.  The county is a square.  Saint Francis is south and west of center in the county.  Saint Francis is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 48.6% of the county population.