Chappell, NE

Chappell is the Deuel County seat in the Nebraska Panhandle, a city built along the Union Pacific Railroad. It was platted in 1884 and named for Charles Henry Chappell, a railroad construction official; a post office followed in 1886, and county commissioners made Chappell the permanent county seat in 1894 after a disputed contest with Big Springs and Froid. The 2020 census counted 844 residents. Lodgepole Creek runs through town, and Interstate 80, U.S. 30, and U.S. 385 keep Chappell connected to the wider plains.

County government and agriculture structure the town's present-day role. The city's major employers include Frenchman Valley Coop, Miller Memorial Nursing Home, schools, and public agencies, while parks, a municipal golf course, Chappell Lake, pool, and disc golf course give residents places to gather. Union Pacific still runs through the city, making the railroad visible alongside wheat fields and county offices. Chappell is small by state standards but larger in function for Deuel County: the city handles local government, farm services, education, and recreation for a wide rural area along the Nebraska-Colorado border.