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A−History
History · Weeping Water

Weeping Water’s post office opened in 1857, and 36% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 78% of U.S. towns. What drives it

3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 3 buildings.

1857first post office
3on the National Register
36%homes built before 1940
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Weeping Water began

When was Weeping Water founded?

1857

The Weeping Water post office opened in 1857, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1867.

2020 census: 1,029169 years

How historic is Weeping Water?

A−

More historic than 78% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Weeping Water post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1867.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Weeping Water’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Weeping Water is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Weeping Water’s overall grade.
Founding era1857, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194035.8% of homes (±10.6) · typical NE town 17.8% · U.S. 8.4%ANational Register3 listings, 5 historic buildings, 35.5 per 10,000 residents · typical NE town 16.3 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 78%
NewerOlder

Nebraska towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Nebraska town has 16.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Weeping Water’s 35.5 sits above most of its state (77% of Nebraska towns have fewer) while its 5 historic buildings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±10.6 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1867 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Weeping Water’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Weeping Water are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Weeping Water’s homes were built before 1962.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Weeping Water’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Weeping Water’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Weeping Water came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Weeping Water.

Read it all →

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 platted in 1867. Weeping Water was incorporated as a village in 1870, and as a city in 1888.

ChaptersLegend

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Weeping Water, 1857 to 1894

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1857Post officeThe Weeping Water post office opens
  3. 1870Born hereF. P. Reed is born here
  4. 1880Born hereArthur Garfield Kennedy is born here
  5. 1882Born hereRoy W. Johnson is born here
  6. 1894Born hereOrville Ralston is born here
By decade

Weeping Water, decade by decade

Today5 recent
2022-09-11 16 16 32 Aerial view of south-central Cass County, Nebraska, centered on the city of20222022-09-11 16 16 32 Aerial view of south-central Cass…Weeping Water, Nebraska downtown 32012Weeping Water, Nebraska downtown 3Weeping Water, Nebraska downtown 22012Weeping Water, Nebraska downtown 2Weeping Water, Nebraska downtown 12012Weeping Water, Nebraska downtown 1NEMap-doton-Weeping Water2005NEMap-doton-Weeping Water
On the National Register

3 historic places in Weeping Water

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
5
each building in a district counts
first listed
1972
Weeping Water Historic District
Gibson HouseWeeping Water Historic DistrictAgricultural Society Building (Auditorium)
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Georgian1
Gothic Revival1
Vernacular1
Victorian1
Gibson HouseGeorgian
All 3 listings
Weeping Water Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1972Agricultural Society Building (Auditorium)Building · listed 2023

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Weeping Water

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
R
Roy W. JohnsonAmerican politician · b. 1882
F
F. P. ReedAmerican football coach and physician · b. 1870
A
Arthur Garfield KennedyAmerican philologist · b. 1880
Orville RalstonAmerican flying ace · b. 1894

Questions about Weeping Water’s history

What year was Weeping Water founded?

The Weeping Water post office opened in 1857, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1867.

How does Weeping Water rank for history?

Weeping Water is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Weeping Water?

Three places: the Gibson House (listed 1986), the Weeping Water Historic District (1972) and the Agricultural Society Building (Auditorium) (2023).

How old are the homes in Weeping Water?

36% of Weeping Water’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.6 points), against a typical 18% for a Nebraska town; the median home was built in 1962.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.