Boyd

Formed March 20, 1891 (90^th county)

Boyd County (1,814), Butte (283), Spencer (405)

The 1966 tan brick Modern courthouse sits Thayer Street at Butte Street.  Nebraska State Highway 12 is five blocks to the north of the location.  There was a 1904 wooden courthouse previously in Butte, the only county seat.  B. H. Backlund & Associates are the building designers.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  Boyd County was organized on March 20, 1891 from parts of Holt County and Native American Territory as the 90^th county.  It is named for Governor James E. Boyd.  The county seat is named for a local rock outcropping. 

Boyd County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a treasurer and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Supervisors (legislative.)  Two District Court Judges and Three County Court Judges serve Boyd, Blaine, Brown, Cherry, Custer, Garfield, Greeley, Holt, Howard, Keya Paha, Loup, Rock, Sherman, Valley and Wheeler counties (judicial.)  Boyd County is on the northern border with South Dakota.  The Missouri River forms its northeast border.  Grand Island, Nebraska is south and Sioux Falls, South Dakota is northeast of the county.  The county center is 9 miles East-Southeast of Butte nearer Spencer.  The county is surrounded clockwise by South Dakota and Knox, Holt, Rock, and Keya Paha counties. 

The area of the county is 540 square miles.  It is 72 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 78 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 3.4 persons per square mile making it 70 out of 93 in the state.  Boyd County has 58.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 281 passes north to south through the county from South Dakota to Holt County.  The county shape could be described as the head of a vacuum hose.  Butte is north and west of center in the county.  Spencer is east of center in the county.  Butte is the county seat and Spencer is the largest city.  Boyd is 15.6% of the county population while Spencer is 22.3% of the county population.