Captain A.L Emerson was instrumental in building the railroad to the current location. The city was incorporated in 1903. Atwood is the county seat for Rawlins county . The town of Atwood which is nestled in the heart of the picturesque Beaver Valley is surrounded by the natural beauty of golden wheat fields and lush green ranches. Lake Atwood is also the home of the annual Lake Atwood 10 mile which is rated as one of the top 10 road races in the country and keeps more detailed records than any other race in the world.
Economic progress is rapid as small and big businesses make investments here.
Atwood is nationally known as the best hunting ground in the country. The Hayden Nature Trail is a wildlife habitat which is also used by area schools to study wildlife. USD 317 Herndon is located beside the Beaver Creek in northeastern Rawlins county. In 1876, two US citizens from Smith county first resided in the caves at the banks of Ash Creek which later became known as Herndon. Many Austrian Hungarian immigrants homesteaded a miles west of town in In 1877.