The oldest of the present generation of people there do not seem to have heard of it.

Fifty years ago, March 1, 1867, Nebraska became a state, and by an arbitrary act of the legislature, Sioux county came into existence. Its eastern boundary was the present west line of Holt county, and its south line the forty-first degree of latitude, which is its present south line. There was no county government, and few white people to need one until a later date. It was attached to Cheyenne county for taxation, administrative and judicial purposes for nearly a score of years.

From Sioux count}- as first created, a total of sixteen county organizations now exist, and the parent county reduced to about onetenth of its original size, or approximately twenty-one hundred sections. This area is now populated with forty-five hundred and twenty-eight people, according to the census of 1920, which is a decline of over one thousand people from the census of ten years ago. This decline is due to the fact that many speculative homesteaders were in the county a decade ago, attracted by the section homestead law. These have since proven up on their claims, and some have moved to nearby towns and others have sold their lands to neighbors, and ranchmen.

The character of the county generally is adapted for ranching, much of the area being rough and broken, but well watered. As a result ranching is the predominant industry.

Water Resources and Uses The Niobrara river, first called L"Eau Qui Court, and later Running Water, is the most important stream as to size in Sioux county. It enters the county about twenty-five miles south of the northwest corner, running southeasterly to Agate, a distance of about twenty miles, thence nearly east an almost equal distance to the county line, the point of leaving the county being about seventeen miles farther south than the point of entrance.