 It was named after the Canadian River, which runs through the county, and settled by white settlers after the April 22, 1889, land run that expropriated Native American land.It was expanded by a second land run in 1892 and finally, the opening of the Cheyenne and Arapaho lands in 1902.El Reno was chosen as the county seat over competitors Reno City, Frisco, and Canadian City.