Minnehaha facts for kids
Minnehaha is a Native American woman from a famous poem. She appears in The Song of Hiawatha, an epic poem written in 1855 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In the poem, she is the love interest of the main character, Hiawatha. Her story in the poem has a sad ending.
The name Minnehaha is often said to mean "laughing water." However, in the Dakota language, it actually means "waterfall" or "rapid water."
Minnehaha's character has inspired many artists. She has been featured in paintings, sculptures, and music. For example, The Death of Minnehaha is a common subject for paintings. The famous composer Antonín Dvořák was inspired by Minnehaha Falls and her story when he wrote themes for his New World Symphony.
An African-English composer named Samuel Coleridge-Taylor created a cantata trilogy called The Song of Hiawatha between 1898 and 1900. This music was based on Longfellow's poem. Hugo Kaun also composed two symphonic poems, "Minnehaha" and "Hiawatha," in 1901, inspired by the poem.
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Places Named After Minnehaha
The character's name has been given to many places and things, especially in the Great Lakes region of the United States.
- A ship named Minnehaha sank off the western shore of Lake Michigan in 1893. This was only 38 years after Longfellow's poem was published.
- A bay called Minnehaha Bay is next to the small town of Sturgeon Falls in Ontario, Canada.
Minnehaha in Minnesota
The state of Minnesota has many places named after Minnehaha:
- Minnehaha Falls and Minnehaha Park are famous spots in Minneapolis.
- Minnehaha Creek is a waterway.
- Minnehaha Academy is a school.
- A boat named Minnehaha used to operate on Lake Minnetonka. It has been restored and is now run by the Museum of Lake Minnetonka.
- Minnehaha Avenue and Hiawatha Avenue run side-by-side in downtown Minneapolis. Another Minnehaha Avenue is in Saint Paul.
Minnehaha in Other US States
Moving west, Minnehaha, Washington is a place near Vancouver. Her name is also linked to Minnehaha County in South Dakota. You can find Minnehaha Covenant Church and Minnehaha Park in Spokane, Washington. Lake Minnehaha is in Holliday Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In Arizona's Bradshaw Mountains, there is a place called Minnehaha Flat.
Near the Atlantic coast:
- Minnehaha Island is in the Potomac River in Montgomery County, Maryland.
- A creek called Minnehaha Branch flows into the Potomac River in Glen Echo, Maryland.
- The town of Minnehaha Springs is in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
- Farther south, Minnehaha Falls in Lakemont, Georgia, near Lake Rabun, is a beautiful 100-foot waterfall.
- Florida has two lakes named Minnehaha. One is in the Clermont Chain of lakes and is considered an important Florida waterway. The other is in Maitland, Florida, connected to the Winter Park lake chain.
Minnehaha Around the World
Minnehaha's name has even traveled beyond North America:
- Roca Minnehaha is an island near Easter Island and Sala y Gómez Island in Chile.
- Two avenues in suburbs of Auckland, New Zealand, in Titirangi and Takapuna, are named after her.
- Minnehaha Falls can be found in Katoomba, Australia.
- The "Minne Ha Ha" is also the name of a working steamboat on Lake George, New York. It is operated by the Lake George Steamboat Company.
See also
In Spanish: Minnehaha para niños
