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Nebraska Counties
There is ninety-three counties in state of Nebraska. Despite the fact that Sarpy County contained the oldest settlement in the state, it was one of the last lands along the river to be recognized by law. Finally, on February 1, 1857, the land "where the cities meet the country" was officially created.Red Willow County, Nebraska
Red Willow County Education, Geography, and History
Red Willow County is a county located in the state of Nebraska. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 11,055. Its county seat is McCook
Etymology - Origin of Red Willow County Name
Red Willow County received its name from Red Willow Creek, which runs through this area of Southwest Nebraska. It has been reported, however, that the name is actually a mistranslation of the Dakota Indian name "Chanshasha Wakpala," which literally means Red Dogwood Creek. The Dakotans referred to the creek as such because of an abundance of the red dogwood shrub that grew along the creek banks.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Red Willow County History
Before this area would become a
county, an exploration company was formed in Nebraska City for the express
purpose of establishing a settlement somewhere in the Republican River Valley.
In 1871 the party decided on an area at the mouth of the Red Willow Creek. A
surveyor was hired to lay out a town patterned after Lincoln, with large, wide
streets.
The county was officially organized in 1873. That same year the town of
Indianola was laid out along Coon Creek. Indianola and Red Willow each wanted to
secure the greatest number of settlers and become the county seat. Following an
aggressive campaign, the Indianola ticket was victorious over the Red Willow
ticket.
The election results were quickly contested by Red Willow supporters and the
case went before a justice of the peace in neighboring Furnas County. Indianola
supporters would not recognize the justice's authority and refused to appear.
The justice declared the election was illegal and Red Willow immediately sought
control of the county. Red Willow supporters went to Indianola and took the
county records and county seal by force. Tempers eventually subsided and the
records were returned to Indianola, which remained the county seat until it was
moved to McCook in 1896.
The residents of McCook constructed a courthouse that was "sufficient in all
respects at the time for the demands of the county." Continued growth and
development in the area forced the county to raze the building in 1926 and
construct the current courthouse. In 1990 an extensive remodeling project was
set into motion and the building was rededicated by county officials last year.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 718 square miles (1,860 km2), of which 717 square miles (1,860 km2) is
land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) (0.1%) is water.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Furnas County, Nebraska (east)
- Decatur County, Kansas (south)
- Rawlins County, Kansas (southwest)
- Hitchcock County, Nebraska (west)
- Frontier County, Nebraska (north)
Education
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