Scotts Bluff County received its name from its rich history. A fur trapper by the name of Hiram Scott gained a certain immortality by dying, alone and deserted by his companions, at the base of a magnificent formation of bluffs along the North Platte River in 1828. The formation became known among western travelers as "Scotts Bluff" (now Scotts Bluff National Monument), and would later provide a name for both the county (Scotts Bluff) and the City of Scottsbluff. In 1888, an election resulted in the creation of Scotts Bluff County.