Valentine, Nebraska was an early frontier town set among lush grasslands just north of the Niobrara River. "America's Heart City" (as it's nicknamed today) was originally populated by frontiersmen, ranchers, the occasional outlaw and nearby Native Americans from the Sioux and Pawnee tribes. In the early years, buffalo, deer and antelope in the nearby Sandhills of Nebraska helped draw settlers and cowboys to the area.

Origin of its name
Valentine was named for Edward Kimball Valentine (1843-1916), a prominent Nebraska lawyer, judge and three-term U.S. Congressman. After representing the area from 1879-1885, the Republican Congressman returned to private practice.

Nearby towns:
Crookston, Nebraska (to the northwest)
Sparks, Nebraska (to the northeast)
Olsonville, South Dakota (to the north)
Brownlee, Nebraska (to the south)
Wood Lake, Nebraska (to the southeast)

Over the years, points of interest in the region have included:
* Centennial Hall
* Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge
* Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area
* Niobrara Valley Preserve
* Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
* Rosebud Indian Reservation
* Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest
* Sandhills Museum
* Smith Falls State Park
* Valentine National Wildlife Refuge

A sampling of wildlife found in the Sandhills region of north-central Nebraska
Badger, bighorn sheep, bobcat, coyote, eastern cottontail rabbit, fox, jackrabbit, mule deer, prairie dogs, pronghorn, squirrel, weasel, and white-tailed deer. The western box turtle and the snapping turtle have also been known to call the Sandhills home.

A sampling of birds and waterfowl who spend time in the Sandhills region of Nebraska
Blue jay, chickadee, crow, duck, eagle, falcon, finch, geese, grouse, gull, hawk, heron, killdeer, loon, meadowlark, mourning dove, nuthatch, oriole, owl, pelican, red-winged blackbird, ring-necked pheasant, sandpiper, sparrow, swallow, swift, thrush, turkey, vireo, warbler, western kingbird, and the woodpecker.

A sampling of native and introduced flora / vegetation / trees / grasses in the region
Trees and shrubs: Ash, boxelder, chokecherry, cottonwood, elm, hackberry, jack pine, ponderosa pine, red cedar, sand sagebrush and willow.
Grasses: Big bluestem, blowout grass, Blue grama, bluegrass, hairy grama, indiangrass, little bluestem, needle-and-thread grass, porcupine grass, prairie cordgrass, prairie sandreed, sand bluestem, sand dropseed, sandhill muhly, sideoats grama, smooth brome, switchgrass, and western wheatgrass.

U.S. map showing the location of Valentine, Nebraska

For an extensive list of other fun town names in the United States, visit our page of unusual, bizarre or humorous names of towns. Also check out our page of U.S. towns with names associated with Valentine's Day or romance.

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