Cass County was named in honor of General Lewis Cass (1782-1866), the American statesman and patriot. Its boundaries were defined by an act of the legislature approved March 7, 1855, redefined January 26, 1856.

AIvo

This town was named by the post office department in Washington, D. C., and apparently without reference to any person or place.

Avoca

The site of Avoca was platted in 1857. It was located in Avoca precinct and the town was named after the precinct. The name is probably derived from Thomas Moore's poem, "Sweet Vale of Avoca." A river of Ireland and many towns in the United States have this name.

Cedar Creek

In the early days the creek just west of this town had many cedar trees along its banks and so it was called Cedar creek. When the town was laid out in 1865 it was named after the creek.

Eagle

Shortly after 1872 a conference of the settlers was held at the home of Mr. Edwin Post, three and a half miles northeast of the present site of Eagle. This meeting drew up a petition for the establishment of a post office and chose the name Eagle.  When the post office was established Mr. Edwin Post became the
first postmaster. A few years later the office was moved a few miles farther northeast and the name changed to Sunlight. Three or four changes of location followed with an occasional change of name. Later the post office was moved to a country store located at the cross-roads just east of the present site of Eagle and the former name of Eagle restored. Mr. J. A. Blanchard, the proprietor of the store, was the postmaster and he continued in that capacity for several years after the village of Eagle came into existence. The
town of Eagle was founded in 1886 on the advent of the Missouri Pacific railroad and took its name from the post office in the vicinity. The name was probably adopted because of the presence of the eagle (bird) in the vicinity during the pioneer period.

Elmwood

This post office was established in Stove Creek township in 1866 and located two and a half miles north and one mile east of the present site, near a grove of large elm trees. The first postmaster, David McCaig, named the place Elmwood after the local grove of trees.

Greenwood

This town received its name from Greenwood creek, a small stream emptying into Salt creek about two miles northeast of the town. Greenwood creek was named in honor of a Mr. Greenwood, an early settler, who lived near the creek a short distance from its mouth. A neighboring precinct has the same name.
Gannett's work on place names states that the village received its name from J. S. Green, an early settler.

Louisville

There are several current reports as to the naming of Louisville. A man whose father owned the land now occupied by Louisville before the town was platted believes that it was named for Louisville, Kentucky, which seems its most probable origin. Another old settler thinks the town was named in honor of the American explorer, Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809). Still another old settler says that the town received its name from a man named Louis who operated a little one-burr grist-mill on the bank of Mill creek which runs through the town. Louisville was laid out in January and platted in February, 1857. It was incorporated by an act of the legislature approved February 10, 1857.

Manley

This town was first called Summit and later its name was changed to Manley. About forty years ago there were three ranchmen living in the vicinity and it is thought that the town was named for them.

Murdock

Murdock takes its name from one of the members of the town-site company. This company owned the town sites of several of the small stations along the Rock Island railroad in Nebraska.

Murray

This town was first called Fairview, but when it was found that there was another Fairview in the state, the name was changed to Murray. The present name was given the town in honor of the Reverend George L. Murray who was pastor of the United Presbyterian church and a very influential man in the town.

Mynard

Mynard was named for Mynard Lewis, a former civil engineer on the Missouri Pacific railroad.

Nehawka

This town received its name in a peculiar way.  When the government granted a post office to the farmers along the north branch of the Weeping Water creek, Isaac Pollard, one of the settlers, stopped at the post office department in Washington, during a trip to the east, to select a name for the new office. He wanted
to use the Indian name for "Weeping Water", but the only one he could find was too hard to pronounce. Finally he came across the word "Nehawka" which meant something else, but which he thought sounded well, and so this name was agreed upon. Nehawka is a white man's approximation to the Omaha and Otoe Indian name of the creek, Nigahe, which does not mean "weeping water" but means the sound of water as it runs over low falls, that is "rustling water."  See Weeping Water.

Plattsmouth

Plattsmouth, the county seat of Cass county, was so named because of its location at the mouth of the Platte river.  It was laid out and platted by O. N. Tyson, surveyor for the Plattsmouth Town Company, in November, 1854.   It was incorporated by an act of the legislature approved March 14, 1855.

Rockbluff

A locally descriptive name for a village on the Missouri river in Rock Bluff precinct.

South Bend

South Bend was so named because of its geographical location on the south bend of the Platte river. It was
laid out in 1857.

Union

Soon after this vicinity was settled a post office was established and named Union in harmony with sentiments prevalent during that decade of the Civil War. Later the town was founded and named after the local post office.

Wabash

Some of the early settlers in the community came from Indiana and at the time the town was platted named it after Wabash, Indiana.

Weeping Water

This town is situated on the creek called by the French "L'Eau qui Pleure", or "The Water that Weeps", and
is named for the creek. There is an interesting Indian tradition concerning the origin of this stream. It is said that near the source of the river once lived a powerful and peaceful tribe governed by a mild and valorous chief. The warriors of the tribe were strong and fleet. The maidens were lithe and lovely and their beauty exceeded that possessed by the maidens of any of the neighboring tribes. The chief's daughter was the fairest of all and so beautiful, indeed, that the chief of a powerful tribe in the west fell in love with
her and asked her father for her hand in marriage. He was refused, but one day succeeded in abducting her while she was bathing with her companions in a lake near the village. Pursuit immediately followed with disastrous results, for all of the pursuers were killed in the fight. After three days waiting, the women who had been left in charge of the camp started out in search of the warriors and found them dead on the battlefield. This caused them to weep so long that their tears formed the river "Weeping Water", which still
exists. The town was incorporated February 13, 1857.  The Omaha and Otoe Indian name of the creek is Nigah°e, from ni, water, and gah°e> the rustling, swishing sound of water running over low falls, or "rustling water." The ho is an h with a guttural sound. The name was confused by white men with Nih°age which means "weeping water" from ni, water, and h°age, weeping. The legend of "weeping water" is a white man's tradition or invention to account for the word "weeping water", a mistranslation as stated
above.

 Nebraska Place-Names by Lillian Linder Fitzpatrick, A. M. - 1925

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