Keya Paha County, Nebraska: History
Keya Paha County was created on December 17, 1884 of land partitioned from Brown County.
The name "Keya Paha" is taken from the Dakota language; literally translated, it means "turtle hill". The Dakota name for a set of small hills was given to the county and to the Keya Paha River, which runs through it.
All land north of the Keya Paha River (which includes a small portion of Keya Paha County and most of neighboring Boyd County) was not originally part of Nebraska at the time of statehood, but was transferred from Dakota Territory in 1882.