TIMELINE

1854 - Territory of Kansas formed by an act of Congress

1861 - Admission of Kansas as a State

1873 - Cheyenne County created by the legislature

1873 - Cheyenne County surveyed

1875 - First cowboys stayed in the county all winter

1879 - The G.T. Dunn family were the first to spend the winter

1880 - Cheyenne County's population is 37

On August 23, the first post office was established in Wano at the A.M. Brenamen trading post

There are 11 farmers, 3 cattle ranches, and the first white child was born, Adelma Dunn

Kepferle was the first post office approved in the county (in the northeast of the county)

Lucius and Nancy Heaton were the first to file homestead papers in the county

1881 - Cheyenne County's population is 100

1884 - First civil suit at law in county

1885 - Wano town site selected and platted

Bird City platted

First fair in Wano

The first German-Russian immigrants arrive

1886 - Cheyenne County organized with 13 townships

Bird City selected as the temporary county seat

First courthouse was a leased building for $75 a month in Bird City

1887 - Wano is moved a few miles south by the railroad to land owned by Captain Emerson

The new town is named St. Francis

The Citizens Bank was organized April 14 and one year later renamed the Citizens State Bank

1888 - The first train arrives in Cheyenne County on July 8

The last building is moved from Wano to St. Francis

The new post office opened in St. Francis

1890 - Half of St. Francis burned down in one hour

First arrest for murder in the county

Population is 3,975

1891 - A bounty of $1.75 was placed for every wolf or coyote scalp with ears brought to the County Clerk. Five cents was paid for rabbits.

1893 - The grasshopper scourge forced many settlers to leave the area

1898 - The St. Francis Elementary School was erected

1903 - Dewey and Berry Feud

1925 - Dedication of new court house in St. Francis

1934 - Population of St. Francis was 1,834

1935 - The Republican River flood

1946 - Site for the Cheyenne County fair is purchased

1951 - Drilling of the first test oil well

1957 - New roadside park in St. Francis