About Funk
Funk is a village in Phelps County in south central Nebraska, roughly seven miles east of Holdrege, the county seat. The population was 175 at the 2020 census. The village covers about a quarter of a square mile and sits near 2,244 feet above sea level. A co-op operates grain elevators and storage here, and Funk remains a grain shipping point for the surrounding farms.
History
P. C. Funk, a Civil War veteran, bought 160 acres in Phelps County in 1877 and helped persuade railroad officials to locate a townsite here. The village was platted in May 1887 on land purchased from August Anderson for 2,500 dollars. L. T. Brooking built the first grain elevator and the first residence, and later served as postmaster and editor of the Funk Enterprise. The Fridhem Lutheran congregation moved into town in 1910, and Funk incorporated as a village in 1913. The town came through several major fires, the drought years and the Depression. Irrigation reached the area in 1938.
Birding
Funk Lagoon, a waterfowl area outside the village, is well known among birdwatchers and draws visitors during spring and autumn migration. It was designated a National Recreation Trail in 2008.
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Funk was platted in 1887 on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad line and named for Phillip C. Funk, an early settler. The village is the birthplace of federal appeals court judge John Robert Brown (born December 10, 1909), a pivotal figure on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit who helped enforce school desegregation and civil-rights rulings across the Deep South in the 1950s and '60s. Grain elevators remain a visible downtown landmark, and the county's own tourism material describes the town's name as "quirky" — a description residents have embraced.
Funk, platted in 1887, is the birthplace of federal appeals judge John Robert Brown, a key figure in enforcing school desegregation rulings.
Navigate & Explore Funk
Get directions: search "Funk Nebraska" in Waze or Google Maps
Road Conditions: Nebraska 511 — 511.nebraska.gov
Phelps County Cameras: View Phelps County cameras