Weeping Water

History

The name of the stream running through Weeping Water is Nigahoe in Oto and Omaha, meaning "rustling water," in reference to the sound of the water running over the low falls. This was mistaken by the French to be Nihoage, meaning "water weeping." This error was recorded in French as L'Eau qui Pleure, meaning "the water that weeps." This was later translated into English as its current name, Weeping Water. The village of Nehawka, also in Cass County, is an anglicization of Nigahoe, the original name of the stream in Weeping Water. Weeping Water was incorporated as a village in 1870, and as a city in 1888. Debates over the origin of the name have existed since at least the early twentieth century. Regardless of whether the legend originates from Native American sources or was simply created to explain the mistranslation of the Native American name for the stream, the legend has become an important piece of Nebraska folklore. According to American folklorist Louise Pound, the first written reference to the legend of Weeping Water is found in the 800-line poem "The Weeping Water" by Orsamus Charles Dake, published in a book of poetry called Nebraska Legends and Other Poems in 1871. Dake's poem is also preceded by a paragraph summarizing the legend which reads:The Omaha and Otoe Indians, being at war, chanced to meet on their common hunting ground south of the Platte River in Nebraska. A fierce battle ensued, in which all the male warriors of both tribes being slain, the women and children came upon the battle-field and sat down and wept. From the fountain of their tears arose and ever flows the little stream known as the Ne-hawka or the Weeping Water.The poem includes details and dialogue that Dake likely invented, such as the main narrative thrust of the poem, a story…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  1,220
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,218
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,057
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  892
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  823
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  784
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  780
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  741

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2014-01-06
  5 km NW of Liberty, Nebraska
• M 3.3 — 2010-11-18
  4 km E of Octavia, Nebraska
• M 3.6 — 2009-12-17
  2 km NW of Auburn, Nebraska
• M 3.5 — 2004-07-16
  6 km SSE of Riverton, Iowa