Arapahoe, NE

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Arapahoe, Nebraska, located in Furnas County, in southwest Nebraska, is a busy, rural community of 1,000+. The community was founded in 1871 and is home to the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, a Veteran’s Memorial, numerous parks and ball fields, city pool, municipal golf course, volunteer operated Movie Theater, and more. Come to Arapahoe on your next visit.

In the spring of 1871, the Arapahoe Town Company was formed in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, under the leadership of Captain E. B. Murphy, for the purpose of establishing a settlement in the Republican River valley. The town site was surveyed on July 18, 1871. It was named for the Arapaho tribe of Native Americans.

A post office was established in Arapahoe in 1872. A sawmill and gristmill were constructed on Muddy Creek, west of the town. The saw mill took care of timber for early construction projects.

In 1873, Furnas County was organized by the state legislature, with Arapahoe designated the county seat. The designation was challenged by Beaver City; an 1873 election, followed my extensive litigation, moved the county seat to Beaver City in 1876.

The city’s first newspaper was the Pioneer, established in 1879. In 1882, the Arapahoe Public Mirror was established to support the Democratic Party in the county. The Public Mirror is still in operation; in 1924, it absorbed the Holbrook Observer; in 1978, it acquired the Elwood Bulletin, which it continues to publish under that name.

The Arapahoe Telephone Company was established in 1904. In the 1930s, a WPA project constructed a swimming pool and solarium at the city park, which had been part of the city’s original layout.