Editing Big Springs, Nebraska (section)

==History==
The first name of the settlement was "Lone Tree", after a large cottonwood tree standing alone on the prairie near the town. It was believed to be over 100 years old at the time of first settlement and could be seen by riders on the [[Pony Express]] and travelers on the [[Oregon Trail]]. Sam Bass's gang reportedly divided $60,000 in loot under the tree from an 1877 robbery of a Union Pacific train.<ref name="Virt Neb"/>

The railroad named this stop "Big Springs" in 1867. Spring water from near the track was used by steam locomotives until 1950.<ref name="Virt Neb"/>

Big Springs was [[plat]]ted in 1884,<ref>{{cite book|last=Shumway|first=Grant Lee|title=History of Western Nebraska and Its People|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7RM1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA204|year=1921|publisher=Western publishing & engraving Company|page=204}}</ref> and named for the stream that runs through town.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dlas_EPVGFEC | title=Nebraska Place-Names | publisher=University of Nebraska Press | author=Fitzpatrick, Lillian L. | year=1960 | pages=52}} A [http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=englishunsllc 1925 edition] is available for download at [http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ University of Nebraska—Lincoln Digital Commons.]</ref> The Big Springs post office, established in 1884, was officially called Bigspring until 1943.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=NE&county=Deuel |title=Deuel County |publisher=Jim Forte Postal History |accessdate=August 25, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827054025/http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=NE&county=Deuel |archivedate=August 27, 2014 }}</ref> The village of Big Springs was incorporated in 1917.<ref>{{cite book|last=Shumway|first=Grant Lee|title=History of Western Nebraska and Its People|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7RM1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA232|year=1921|publisher=Western publishing & engraving Company|page=232}}</ref>

The county fair was held in Big Springs from 1889 to 1932. [[Chappell, Nebraska|Chappell]], the only other town in the county, became the county seat.<ref name="Virt Neb"/>

In 1884, the first church services were held by the Rev. E. E. Mount in the [[Phelps Hotel]]. The first church in the county, called Prospect Church, was a [[sod house|sod building]] constructed {{convert|9|mi}} north of town in 1887.<ref name="Virt Neb">{{cite web|title=Big Springs, Deuel County|url=http://www.casde.unl.edu/history/counties/deuel/bigsprings/|website=Virtual Nebraska|publisher=University of Nebraska - Lincoln|accessdate=April 25, 2016}}</ref>

In 1965, [[Duane Earl Pope]] robbed the Farmers State Bank in Big Springs, killing 3 people.