Cheyenne County, Jefferson Territory
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Cheyenne County was a county of the extralegal United States Territory of Jefferson that existed from November 1859 until 1861-02-28.
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[edit] History
In July 1858, gold was discovered along the South Platte River in Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory. This discovery precipitated the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. Many residents of the mining region felt disconnected from the remote territorial governments of Kansas and Nebraska, so they voted to form their own Territory of Jefferson on 1859-10-24. The following month, the Jefferson Territorial Legislature organized 12 counties for the new territory: Arrappahoe County, Cheyenne County, El Paso County, Fountain County, Heele County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Montana County, North County, Park County, Saratoga County, and St. Vrains County. Cheyenne County occupied the region that today includes the City of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Cheyenne County was named for the Cheyenne Nation of Native Americans that lived in the area.
The Jefferson Territory never received federal sanction. On 1861-02-28, the Territory of Colorado was organized,[1] and on 1868-07-25, the Territory of Wyoming was organized.[2]
[edit] See also
- Historic Colorado counties
- History of Wyoming
- Laramie County, Wyoming
- Pike's Peak Gold Rush
- State of Wyoming
- Territory of Jefferson
- Territory of Wyoming
[edit] References
- ^ An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado (PDF). Thirty-sixth United States Congress (1861-02-28). Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
- ^ An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Wyoming (cgi-bin). Fortieth United States Congress (1868-07-25). Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
