Facts About Valentine

• Valentine was established in 1884.
• The city was named for E.K. Valentine, a popular congressman who was elected to congress for his work toward westward development in Nebraska.
• Cherry County was named after Lt. Samuel A. Cherry, a West Point Military graduate who was assigned to Fort Niobrara in 1880. On May 11, 1881, he was shot while leading a search party.
• Smith Falls, located 15 miles east of Valentine, is the highest waterfall in the state. Its water falls about 70 feet before feeding into the Niobrara River.
• The Niobrara River is a designated National Scenic River and part of the National Park Service. The national designation stretches from Valentine to 76 miles east of the town. Niobrara is an approximation of the Omaha-Ponca Indian name for the river. American Indians called the river Ni obthatha ke, which means “Spreading Water River.”
• The Minnechaduza Creek, which runs through the City Park before emptying into the Niobrara River, is also based on an American Indian word meaning “Murmuring Water.”
• The Valentine Post Office stamps approximately 10,000 Valentine’s Day cards with their special cachet each year and then re-mails for people who want their valentines post marked from the Heart City.