Furnas County Cameras
Towns in Furnas County Nebraska
Furnas County, Nebraska
County seat: Beaver City · Created: February 27, 1873; organized April 8, 1873 · Named for: Robert W. Furnas, Nebraska's second governor · License plates: prefix 38 · Population: 4,636 (2020 census); peak 12,373 in 1900 · Area: 721 sq mi
About Furnas County
Furnas County lies on the Kansas line in southwestern Nebraska. The Republican River crosses its northern part, with Medicine Creek joining it at Cambridge; Beaver Creek drains the middle of the county and Sappa Creek the south. Custer's column crossed the county in June 1867. In 1870 Isaac "Ben" Burton opened a trading post at Burton's Bend, now Holbrook, the first permanent settlement; a Plattsmouth town company founded Arapahoe in July 1871, and settlers came up the Beaver to Wild Turkey (now Wilsonville) in 1872. The Legislature created the county on February 27, 1873, and named it for Robert W. Furnas, who was then governor and later issued the first Arbor Day proclamation.
The county seat was settled in court. At the organizing election of April 8, 1873, Arapahoe's returns reached the Secretary of State on time while a snowstorm held up Beaver City's, and Arapahoe was certified. Beaver City won the general election of October 14, 1873; Arapahoe contested it, Judge William Gaslin ruled for Beaver City, and the Nebraska Supreme Court affirmed, ending the fight by 1876. The present courthouse in Beaver City was dedicated on May 4, 1951.
The Burlington built up the Republican valley in 1879–80, through Oxford (first called Grand View), Edison, Arapahoe, Holbrook and Cambridge (first laid out as Northwood and called Pickletown), and in 1887 a branch up the Beaver through Beaver City, Hendley and Wilsonville. George W. Norris practiced law in Beaver City from 1885 to 1899. The 1935 Republican River flood killed about thirty people in the county, and the 1947 Medicine Creek flood 13 more, which led to the Cambridge Diversion Dam and Medicine Creek Dam. Natives include Park Service director Arno B. Cammerer (Arapahoe, 1883), shortstop Ron Hansen, running back Jeff Kinney and pop artist Dorothy Grebenak (all born in Oxford), Navy Cross sailor Alvin Lee Marts (Wilsonville); Kool-Aid inventor Edwin Perkins grew up in Hendley.
Towns of Furnas County
Cities and villages
Beaver City
The Furnas County seat, 537 people on Beaver Creek and NE 89, founded in 1872 and the winner of a three-year county-seat fight with Arapahoe. The 1951 Art Deco courthouse, the county fair in July, and the home base of George W. Norris and the "flying doctor."
Cambridge
Furnas County's largest town, 1,071 people where Medicine Creek meets the Republican, first laid out as Northwood and called Pickletown. The county hospital, an 18-hole golf course, the Cambridge Museum, both of the county's National Register sites, and Harry Strunk Lake to the north.
Arapahoe
City of 1,002 where US 6/34 crosses US 283 in the Republican valley, founded by a Plattsmouth town company in 1871 and briefly the county seat in 1873. The Furnas-Gosper museum, a WPA pool called The Plunge, and the birthplace of Park Service director Arno Cammerer.
Holbrook
Village of 201 on US 6/34 at the old Burton's Bend, where Isaac "Ben" Burton opened a trading post in 1870, the first permanent settlement in Furnas County. Renamed for a Burlington official in 1881; a pioneer log cabin in the park and Holbrook Days in June.
Oxford
Village of 718 on US 136 at the Harlan County line, founded on the Burlington in 1880 as Grand View and a railroad junction from 1884. The 1935 flood marker west of town, a free RV park, Turkey Days in June, and the birthplace of Ron Hansen, Jeff Kinney and Dorothy Grebenak.
Edison
Village of 111 in the Republican valley where US 136 begins, named not for the inventor but for Eddie Rohr, a storekeeper's son. Home of what was called the smallest schoolhouse in Nebraska, 14 by 16 feet.
Wilsonville
Village of 75 on Beaver Creek and NE 89 in southwestern Furnas County, settled in 1872 as Wild Turkey and renamed for the Wilson brothers in 1873. Home town of Navy Cross sailor Alvin Lee Marts, namesake of USS Marts.
Hendley
Furnas County's smallest village, 20 people on NE 89 and Beaver Creek, named by the Burlington in 1887 beside the older Lynden settlement. Edwin Perkins, who later invented Kool-Aid, grew up here and was postmaster at 13.
Former towns and post office communities
Hollinger
Railroad station on Beaver Creek between Beaver City and Stamford, named by the railroad from a list of suggestions. Post office from 1905 to the mid-1940s; the name survives as an election precinct.
Spring Green
Country settlement on Apple Creek near the Kansas line, with a post office from 1873 to 1905. Its church and cemetery survive.
Precept
Country post office and store settlement near Maple Creek in southeastern Furnas County, 1877–1906, with a general store, hardware and drug store in 1890.
Travel Corridors
US 6 / US 34 — east–west along the Republican valley through Cambridge, Holbrook and Arapahoe. US 6 Corridor → · US 34 Corridor →
US 136 — the Heritage Highway begins at US 6/34 north of Edison and runs east through Edison and Oxford into Harlan County. US 136 Corridor →
US 283 and state highways — US 283 runs north–south through Arapahoe from Norton, Kansas, to Elwood and Lexington, crossing NE 89 west of Beaver City; NE 89 runs east–west through Wilsonville, Hendley and Beaver City toward Stamford and Orleans; NE 47 links Wilsonville with Cambridge; and NE 46 runs north–south through Oxford.
Cameras: View Furnas County cameras (NE 89 near Wilsonville) → · Road conditions: Nebraska 511
Things to See
The county's two National Register sites are in Cambridge: the 1914 Cambridge State Aid Bridge over the Republican and the 1909 W. H. Faling House, now the Cambridge Bed & Breakfast. The Cambridge Museum and the Furnas-Gosper Historical Society Museum in Arapahoe keep the county's history. State historical markers tell of Burton's Bend at Holbrook, Nebraska's Flying Doctor east of Beaver City, and the 1935 flood west of Oxford. Also worth a stop: the 1951 courthouse in Beaver City, Edison's smallest schoolhouse and the log cabin in Holbrook Park.
Outdoors
Furnas County has no state park or recreation area; the nearest is Medicine Creek SRA on Harry Strunk Lake, just over the line in Frontier County north of Cambridge, with 1,768 acres of water, cabins and campgrounds. Game and Parks manages the Cambridge Diversion Dam and Oxford WMAs and part of the Burton's Bend WMA, a strip of old railroad right-of-way. Cambridge has Cross Creek Golf Links (18 holes), and Arapahoe and Oxford have nine-hole and club courses; city campgrounds are in Cambridge, Holbrook, Oxford and Beaver City, and Arapahoe and Cambridge have pools.
Furnas County Business Directory
Businesses within 20 miles of: Cambridge · Arapahoe · Beaver City · Oxford · Wilsonville · All listings →
Adjacent Counties
Gosper County (north) · Harlan County (east) · Norton County, Kansas (south) · Red Willow County (west) · Frontier County (northwest); Phelps County (northeast) and Decatur County, Kansas (southwest) touch only at the corners. Oxford reaches across the Harlan County line.
Events
2026 dates: Medicine Creek Days in Cambridge (June 19–21), Holbrook Days (June 25–27), Oxford's Turkey Days in mid-June, Arapahoe's Prairie Pioneer Days in July, and the Furnas County Fair at Beaver City (July 13–18), with a ranch rodeo, a demolition derby and a concert.
Events in Furnas County
- Furnas County Fair (Beaver City)
Furnas County Fair, a county fair in Beaver City, Nebraska. - Medicine Creek Days (Cambridge)
Medicine Creek Days is held in Cambridge, Nebraska, on a mid-June weekend.
Know of another event in the county? Tell us about it.
Furnas County at a Glance
Furnas County, Nebraska — on the Kansas line in the Republican valley of southwestern Nebraska. County seat Beaver City; largest town Cambridge.
Getting there: US 6/34 along the valley, US 283 from Lexington and I-80, US 136 east from Edison, and NE 89 across the south.
For visitors: Cambridge's museum, golf course and National Register bridge and house, Harry Strunk Lake just north, the Furnas-Gosper museum in Arapahoe, the Burton's Bend marker at Holbrook and the 1935 flood marker near Oxford. Hospital: Tri Valley Health System in Cambridge.
Vehicles registered in Furnas County carry license plate number 38. See what every Nebraska county number means.
Furnas County Businesses & Places
211 listings in Furnas County.
Click a category to see the businesses.
Eat & Drink (8)
- Amateur's Bar 'N Grill — Bar & Grill, Cambridge
- Beaver Bar & Grill — Bar & Grill, Beaver City
- Lee's Crossroads Cafe — Diner / Family Restaurant, Arapahoe
- Long Dogs Distilling — Distillery, Arapahoe
- Los Abuelos Mexican Grill — Mexican Restaurant, Cambridge
- Shirley K's Coffee Shop — Cafe / Coffee Shop, Cambridge
- Subway – 610 Chestnut, Arapahoe — Subway, Arapahoe
- Town Talk Restaurant — Diner / Family Restaurant, Cambridge
Stay (3)
- Cambridge Bed & Breakfast (W. H. Faling House) — Bed & Breakfast, Cambridge
- Cobblestone Inn & Suites — Hotel, Cambridge
- Shady Rest Motel — Hotel, Arapahoe
Outdoors & Recreation (15)
- Arapahoe Municipal Golf Course — Golf Course, Arapahoe
- Beaver City Disc Golf Course — Disc Golf Course, Beaver City
- Cambridge City Park — Campgrounds & RV Parks, Cambridge
- Cambridge Diversion Dam WMA — Public Hunting Areas & WMAs, Cambridge
- Cardinal Country Club — Country Club, Nebraska
- Cross Creek Disc Golf Course — Disc Golf Course, Cambridge
- Cross Creek Golf Links — Golf Course, Cambridge
- George R. Mitchell Park/RV Park — Campgrounds & RV Parks, Nebraska
- Holbrook Park — Campgrounds & RV Parks, Holbrook
- McKinley Park Disc Golf Course — Disc Golf Course, Cambridge
- Medicine Creek SRA Disc Golf Course — Disc Golf Course, Cambridge
- Oxford Park Disc Golf Course — Disc Golf Course, Nebraska
- Oxford WMA — Public Hunting Areas & WMAs, Nebraska
- South Park Disc Golf Course — Disc Golf Course, Arapahoe
- West Side Park — Campgrounds & RV Parks, Beaver City
Places to Visit (10)
- Burton's Bend Historical Marker — Historic Marker, Holbrook
- Cambridge Museum — Specialty Museums, Cambridge
- Cambridge State Aid Bridge — Attraction, Cambridge
- Furnas-Gosper Historical Society Museum — Specialty Museums, Arapahoe
- Marking First Homestead in Furnas County Marker — Historic Marker, Arapahoe
- Nebraska's Flying Doctor Historical Marker — Historic Marker, Beaver City
- Norwegian Lutheran Church and Cemetery (Deer Creek) — Attraction, Holbrook
- Pioneer Log Cabin (Holbrook Park) — Attraction, Holbrook
- Republican River Flood of 1935 Historical Marker — Historic Marker, Nebraska
- Smallest Schoolhouse (Edison) — Attraction, Edison
Events & Venues (5)
- Arapahoe City Park and Pool (The Plunge) — Swimming Pool, Arapahoe
- Cambridge Swimming Pool and Splash Pad (McKinley Park) — Swimming Pool, Cambridge
- Furnas County Fair — County Fair, Beaver City
- Furnas County Fairgrounds — Fairground, Beaver City
- Medicine Creek Days — Festivals & Celebrations, Cambridge
Health & Emergency (7)
- Arapahoe Medical Clinic — Medical Clinic, Arapahoe
- Arapahoe Pharmacy — Pharmacy, Arapahoe
- Cambridge Rehab & Fitness — Medical Clinic, Cambridge
- Medicine Creek Counseling — Medical Clinic, Cambridge
- Medicine Creek Family Dentistry — Dentist & Dental Office, Cambridge
- Tri Valley Health System — Hospital, Cambridge
- Tri Valley Health System Rehabilitation Services - Arapahoe — Medical Clinic, Arapahoe
Shopping & Gifts (6)
- Blooms and Collectibles — Variety Store, Cambridge
- Cambridge General Store — General Store, Cambridge
- Cambridge Super Market — Grocery, Cambridge
- Dollar General - Cambridge — Variety Store, Cambridge
- Wagner's Quilts & Conversation — Fabric & Quilt Shop, Arapahoe
- Wagner's Supermarket — Grocery, Arapahoe
Government & Resources (43)
- Arapahoe Area Pantry — Food Pantry, Arapahoe
- Arapahoe Chamber of Commerce — Chamber of Commerce, Arapahoe
- Arapahoe City Hall — City Hall, Arapahoe
- Arapahoe Fire Department — Fire Station, Arapahoe
- Arapahoe Post Office — Post Office, Arapahoe
- Arapahoe Public Library — Libraries, Arapahoe
- Arapahoe Senior Center — Senior Citizen Center, Arapahoe
- Beaver City Chamber of Commerce — Chamber of Commerce, Beaver City
- Beaver City City Hall — City Hall, Beaver City
- Beaver City Post Office — Post Office, Beaver City
- Beaver City Public Library — Libraries, Beaver City
- Beaver City Senior Center — Senior Citizen Center, Beaver City
- Beaver City USDA Service Center — USDA Service Center (FSA/NRCS), Beaver City
- Beaver City Volunteer Fire Department — Fire Station, Beaver City
- Butler Memorial Library - Cambridge — Libraries, Cambridge
- Cambridge City Hall — City Hall, Cambridge
- Cambridge Fire Department — Fire Station, Cambridge
- Cambridge Housing Authority — Housing Authority, Cambridge
- Cambridge Nebraska Chamber of Commerce — Chamber of Commerce, Cambridge
- Cambridge Post Office — Post Office, Cambridge
- Cambridge Senior Center — Senior Citizen Center, Cambridge
- Edison Village Office — City Hall, Edison
- Furnas County Assessor — County Assessor, Beaver City
- Furnas County Attorney's Office — County Attorney, Beaver City
- Furnas County Clerk — County Clerk, Beaver City
- Furnas County Court — County Court, Beaver City
- Furnas County Courthouse — Court House, Beaver City
- Furnas County Driver License Office — County Driver License, Beaver City
- Furnas County Emergency Management — Emergency Management, Beaver City
- Furnas County Sheriff — County Sheriff, Beaver City
- Furnas County Treasurer — County Treasurer, Beaver City
- Furnas County Weed Superintendent — County Weed Control, Beaver City
- Golden Generation Center — Senior Citizen Center, Nebraska
- Hendley Village Office — City Hall, Hendley
- Oxford Community Food Pantry — Food Pantry, Nebraska
- Oxford Housing Authority — Housing Authority, Nebraska
- Oxford Post Office — Post Office, Nebraska
- Oxford Public Library — Libraries, Nebraska
- Oxford Village Office — City Hall, Nebraska
- Wilsonville Post Office — Post Office, Nebraska
- Wilsonville Public Library — Libraries, Nebraska
- Wilsonville Village Office — City Hall, Nebraska
- Wilsonville-Hendley RFD Station #8 — Fire Station, Nebraska
Community & Faith (42)
- Amateur Radio Repeaters - Furnas County (via RepeaterBook.com) — Amateur Radio Repeater, Nebraska
- Arapahoe Cemetery — Arapahoe — Cemeteries, Arapahoe
- Arapahoe Christian Church — Non-Denominational Church, Arapahoe
- Beaver City Seventh-day Adventist Church — Seventh-day Adventist Church, Beaver City
- Beaver City, First Presbyterian Church — Presbyterian Church, Beaver City
- Deaver Cemetery — Beaver City — Cemeteries, Beaver City
- Edison Cemetery — Edison — Cemeteries, Edison
- Evangelical Free Church — Evangelical Free Church, Nebraska
- Fairview Cemetery — Cambridge — Cemeteries, Cambridge
- First Baptist Church - Holbrook — Baptist Church, Holbrook
- First Baptist Church - Oxford — Baptist Church, Nebraska
- First Congregational UCC — Cambridge — Congregational Church, Cambridge
- First United Methodist Church - Arapahoe — Methodist Church, Arapahoe
- Garfield Cemetery — Arapahoe — Cemeteries, Arapahoe
- Hendley Cemetery — Hendley — Cemeteries, Hendley
- Holbrook Cemetery — Holbrook — Cemeteries, Holbrook
- Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery — Arapahoe — Cemeteries, Arapahoe
- J.O. Stone Cemetery — Wilsonville — Cemeteries, Nebraska
- Kellner Cemetery — Cambridge — Cemeteries, Cambridge
- Lynden Cemetery — Hendley — Cemeteries, Hendley
- Maple Creek Cemetery — Beaver City — Cemeteries, Beaver City
- Mount Hope Cemetery — Beaver City — Cemeteries, Beaver City
- Norwegian Lutheran Cemetery — Holbrook — Cemeteries, Holbrook
- Oxford Cemetery — Oxford — Cemeteries, Nebraska
- Oxford, NE UMC — Methodist Church, Nebraska
- Pleasant Hill Cemetery — Cambridge — Cemeteries, Cambridge
- Pleasantview Cemetery — Hendley — Cemeteries, Hendley
- River Valley Evangelical Free Church — Evangelical Free Church, Arapahoe
- Rockton Cemetery — Hendley — Cemeteries, Hendley
- Saint John’s Catholic Cemetery — Cambridge — Cemeteries, Cambridge
- Spring Green Cemetery — Beaver City — Cemeteries, Beaver City
- St. Germanus Catholic Church — Catholic Church, Arapahoe
- St. John Catholic Church Cambridge — Catholic Church, Cambridge
- St. John Lutheran Church — Lutheran Church, Nebraska
- St. Michael Oxford — Catholic Church, Nebraska
- St. Paul Lutheran Church — Lutheran Church, Cambridge
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church - Arapahoe — Episcopal Church, Arapahoe
- Stump Cemetery — Edison — Cemeteries, Edison
- Trinity Lutheran Church - Arapahoe — Lutheran Church, Arapahoe
- Union Cemetery — Beaver City — Cemeteries, Beaver City
- United Baptist-Christian Church — Baptist Church, Nebraska
- Wilsonville Cemetery — Wilsonville — Cemeteries, Nebraska
Professional Services (15)
- Eisenhart Law Office — Attorney, Cambridge
- Farmers National Company - Cambridge — Farmers National Company, Cambridge
- First Central Bank - Arapahoe — Banking, Arapahoe
- First Central Bank - Cambridge — Banking, Cambridge
- First State Bank - Beaver City — Banking, Beaver City
- First State Bank - Cambridge — Banking, Cambridge
- First State Bank and Insurance - Arapahoe — Banking, Arapahoe
- First State Insurance — Insurance, Cambridge
- Heitmann Tax Services — Accountant, Cambridge
- Hometown Agency — Insurance, Cambridge
- MNB Insurance Services – Arapahoe — Insurance, Arapahoe
- Northwestern Mutual - Cambridge — Insurance, Cambridge
- State Farm Insurance - Linda Maiden Agency — Insurance, Cambridge
- Urbom Law Office — Attorney, Arapahoe
- Waypoint Bank - Cambridge — Banking, Cambridge
Utilities (13)
- Arapahoe Municipal Utilities — Electric Power Provider, Arapahoe
- Arapahoe Telephone Company — Telephone & Internet Provider, Arapahoe
- Beaver City Municipal Utilities — Electric Power Provider, Beaver City
- Bic Joint Water Agency — Water Utility / District, Cambridge
- Cambridge Municipal Utilities — Electric Power Provider, Cambridge
- City of Arapahoe — Water Utility / District, Arapahoe
- City of Cambridge — Water Utility / District, Cambridge
- Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District — Water Utility / District, Cambridge
- Oxford Municipal Utilities — Electric Power Provider, Nebraska
- Pinpoint Communications — Telephone & Internet Provider, Cambridge
- Twin Valleys Public Power District — Electric Power Provider, Cambridge
- Village of Edison — Water Utility / District, Edison
- Village of Holbrook — Water Utility / District, Holbrook
Education (11)
- Arapahoe Elementary School — Elementary & Middle School, Arapahoe
- Arapahoe High School — High School, Arapahoe
- Arapahoe Public Schools — School District (K-12 / General), Arapahoe
- Cambridge Elementary School — Elementary & Middle School, Cambridge
- Cambridge High School — High School, Cambridge
- Cambridge Middle School — Elementary & Middle School, Cambridge
- Cambridge Public Schools — School District (K-12 / General), Cambridge
- Furnas County Extension — County Extension Office, Beaver City
- So Valley Elementary School — Elementary & Middle School, Nebraska
- Southern Valley Jr/Sr High — Elementary & Middle School, Nebraska
- Southern Valley Schools — School District (K-12 / General), Nebraska
Automotive (10)
- 6S Motor Co — Used Car Dealer, Holbrook
- Anew Travel Center — Fuel & Gas Station, Cambridge
- Cambridge Body Shop — Auto Body Repair, Cambridge
- Cambridge Car & Truck Wash — Car Wash, Cambridge
- Casey's General Store — Casey's, Cambridge
- D & D Service — Auto Repair, Holbrook
- Faw Motor Company Inc. — Auto Repair, Cambridge
- Faw's Garage — Auto Repair, Arapahoe
- NAPA Southwest Farm & Auto Parts — Auto Parts, Cambridge
- Strayer Motor — Used Car Dealer, Beaver City
Agriculture & Farm (6)
- Ag Valley Coop - Cambridge — Farm Coop, Cambridge
- American Butchers, LLC — Custom Meat Locker / Processing, Beaver City
- Extreme Ag Inc. — Agricultural Chemicals, Cambridge
- Johnson Animal Nutrition — Animal Feed Store, Cambridge
- LandMark Implement - Arapahoe — Equipment Dealers, Arapahoe
- Nebraska Corn Processing — Ethanol Producers, Cambridge
Trades & Construction (5)
- Cacy Electric — Electrical, Arapahoe
- Day & Night Services — Plumbing & Heating, Arapahoe
- Haveman Construction, LLC — Construction, Cambridge
- River Valley Services — HVAC Contractor, Cambridge
- Trompke Construction — Construction, Cambridge
Transportation (4)
- Arapahoe Municipal Airport — Municipal / General Aviation Airport, Arapahoe
- Cambridge Municipal Airport — Municipal / General Aviation Airport, Cambridge
- Golden Plains Aviation — Aviation Services / Flight School, Cambridge
- Tri Valley Public Transportation — Public Transportation, Cambridge
Personal Services (3)
- Amy's Salon & Spa — Beauty Salon, Cambridge
- Garey Funeral Home — Funeral Home, Arapahoe
- Hair By Megs — Beauty Salon, Cambridge
Media (3)
- K30FV-D Channel 11 - Cambridge — TV Translator, Cambridge
- KAGR-LP 92.1 FM - Arapahoe — Radio Station, Arapahoe
- Valley Voice — News Paper, Cambridge
Manufacturing & Industrial (1)
- Besler Industries, Inc. — Cambridge
Land & Property Services (1)
- KW & Sons Tree Service — General Tree Service, Cambridge