Dundy

Formed February 27, 1873 (57^th county)

Dundy County (1,657), Benkelman (824)

The brown brick Federalist courthouse was constructed in 1921.  There was an 1889 facility earlier in Benkelman, the only county seat.  The courthouse is on Chief Street, 7^th Avenue, Arapahoe Street, and 8^th Avenue.  United States Highway 34 travels nine blocks northwest of the building.  A. T. Simmons designed the building.  The structure sits on a hill with veteran memorials on the grounds.  The county was created on February 27, 1873 from Native American Territory as the 57^th county.  Dundy County is named for Judge Elmer S. Dundy.  The county seat is named for settler J. G. Benkelman. 

Dundy County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Three District Court Judges and Five County Court Judges serve Dundy, Arthur, Chase, Dawson, Frontier, Furnas, Gosper, Hayes, Hitchcock, Hooker, Keith, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Perkins, Red Willow and Thomas counties.  The county is in the southwest corner of Nebraska on the border with both Colorado and Kansas.  Scottsbluff, Nebraska is northwest and Grand Island, Nebraska is northeast of the county.  The county center is 10.6 miles Northwest of Benkelman.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Chase, Hayes, and Hitchcock counties and Kansas and Colorado. 

The area of the county is 920 square miles.  It is 20 out of 93 in the state.  It ranks 79 out of 93 in population in the state.  It has a density of 1.8 persons per square mile making it 77 out of 93 in the state.  Dundy County has 58.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 34 travels east to west through the county from Hitchcock County to Colorado.  The county is a rectangle.  Benkelman is located in the southeast quarter of the county.  Benkelman is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 49.7% of the county population.