Cheyenne county was created by act of the first state legislature in 1867, and at that time contained the territory since erected into Banner, Deuel, Garden, Kimball, Morrill and Scotts Bluff counties. At the present time the county lies in the Panhandle section of Nebraska, in the second tier from the western boundary and the south tier north of the Colorado-Nebraska boundary. Cheyenne county is bounded on the north by Morrill county ; on the east bv Garden and Deuel counties, on the

south by Colorado, and on the west by Kimball and Banner counties.

The general topography of the country may be described as high rolling plains, ranging from broken cliffs along the Lodgepole to the level lands of tableland and valleys. The land is composed mostly of rich sand loam, occasionally traversed by deep canyons showing some rock out cropping. Profitable farming is extensively carried on in the county. Where much was given over to stock-raising by using the native grasses for forage, and pasture, in early days, it is now secondary- in point of importance.

The Lodgepole creek valley leads all the valley in the county in size. It enters the county at the west line south of the center north and south, is several miles wide and runs east entirely across the country in an almost direct east and west direction. In addition to this major stream, the Lodgepole valley has a south branch running northeast from the western line and smaller valleys, many unnamed. Lodgepole valley is generally "level, deep soiled and well watered and in an early day was attractive to the homeseekers. The lands were the first lands to be settled and today are the sites of the oldest ranches and farms. In the early days the stream was wooded along its banks with trees native to this locality, while the bluffs bordering the . valley contained scattering Cedar 'and Pine.