Cheyenne County was established in 1889 with 1,782
square miles and, according to the 2010 census, an
approximate population of 1836 people. This
county is named after the town which became the county
seat, Cheyenne Wells (established in 1870 and incorporated
in 1890). The county was created from portions
of Elbert and Bent Counties. The town's name
was originally applied to a stage station, five miles
north of the present site. That location was
named for the Cheyenne Indians of the Great Plains,
and for several wells that were dug there. "Cheyenne"
is not the name used by the Cheyenne tribe for themselves;
it is said to be a Sioux name, Shairena, meaning "people
of alien speech." The Cheyenne tribe now has
reservations in Montana and Oklahoma. (William
Bright, Colorado Place Names, 3rd Edition, Johnson
Books, 2004, pg 36) |