Deuel County, Nebraska

Deuel County, Nebraska

County seat: Chappell · Created: November 6, 1888, from Cheyenne County; organized January 15, 1889 · Named for: Harry Porter Deuel, Omaha railroad man · License plates: prefix 78 · Population: 1,838 (2020 census); peak 3,992 in 1930 · Area: 441 sq mi · Time zone: Mountain

About Deuel County

Deuel County is the southeastern corner of the Nebraska Panhandle, a strip of tableland between Lodgepole Creek, which flows east past Chappell, and the South Platte, which crosses the southeast corner at Big Springs. The Pony Express ran up Lodgepole Creek in 1860–61, with its Nine Mile station just southeast of today's Chappell, and the Union Pacific built through in 1867. On September 18, 1877, Sam Bass and his gang robbed a Union Pacific express at Big Springs of about $60,000 in new gold coins. On November 6, 1888, Cheyenne County voters created four new counties, among them Deuel, named for Harry Porter Deuel (1836–1914), a pioneer Omaha steamboat and railroad agent who was the Union Pacific's city passenger agent there.

The first county election, on January 15, 1889, left no town with a majority, and Chappell became the temporary seat. In a special election that February, Big Springs precinct, with about 200 legal voters, returned more than 5,600 ballots; the Chappell Register charged that 1,300 ballots printed at Ogallala had been slipped in after the polls closed. After several more elections and a court case, Chappell was declared the county seat on August 11, 1894. In 1909 the northern three-quarters of the county became Garden County; the 1890 and 1900 census figures include that area. The population peaked at 3,992 in 1930. In 1961 Dick Cabela began selling fishing flies by mail from Chappell, the start of Cabela's.

Towns of Deuel County

Travel Corridors

I-80 — across the county, with exits at Chappell and US 385 (85), NE 27 north toward Oshkosh (95), US 138 to Big Springs and Julesburg, Colorado (101), the I-76 split for Denver (102) and Big Springs (107). I-80 Corridor →

US 30 — the Lincoln Highway, along the Union Pacific through Chappell and north of Big Springs. US 30 Corridor →

Other highways — US 385 from Julesburg, Colorado, to Chappell, then west with US 30; US 138 from Julesburg through Big Springs to US 30; NE 27 north from exit 95 to Oshkosh.

Cameras: View Deuel County cameras → · Road conditions: Nebraska 511

Things to See

In Chappell, the 1915 Deuel County Courthouse, the Sudman-Neumann Heritage House and the Pony Express and bomber-crash markers at Pony Express Park. In Big Springs, the 1885 Phelps Hotel, the depot museum and the Sam Bass robbery marker in Eiker Park; north of town, the 1886 Waterman Sod House. The county has five National Register listings. South of Big Springs, Colorado's northeast corner is marked where Deuel, Keith, Perkins and Sedgwick counties meet.

Outdoors

Deuel County has no state park or recreation area. The South Platte NRD keeps two small wildlife areas open to public hunting: Goldenrod (97 acres, near Chappell) and Goldeneye (23 acres, with a fishing pond, west of Big Springs). Chappell Lake has fishing and disc golf beside the Chappell Golf Club. RV parks: Creekside in Chappell and McGreer Camper Park at Big Springs. Lake McConaughy is about 25 miles northeast in Keith County.

Deuel County Business Directory

Businesses within 20 miles of: Chappell · Big Springs · All listings →

Adjacent Counties

Garden County (north) · Keith County (east) · Perkins County (southeast, at a single corner point) · Sedgwick County, Colorado (south) · Cheyenne County (west).

Events

2026 dates: the Deuel County Fair in Chappell, August 12–15, with 4-H and FFA livestock shows and the livestock sale; the Chappell pool opens June 1; the Big Springs depot museum is open daily in summer.

Deuel County at a Glance

Deuel County, Nebraska — the southeast corner of the Panhandle, on I-80 where I-76 splits off for Denver. County seat Chappell; Mountain Time.

Getting there: I-80 and US 30 across the county; US 385 and US 138 from Julesburg, Colorado; NE 27 from Oshkosh.

For visitors: the courthouse and Heritage House in Chappell, where Cabela's began; the Phelps Hotel, depot museum and Sam Bass robbery marker in Big Springs; the Waterman Sod House. Nearest hospitals: Julesburg, Colorado, and Sidney.