Statehood The 37th state Mar. 1, 1867 Captial Lincoln State Motto Equality before the law Origin of State Name Nebrathka, meaning flat water, was the Oto name for the Platte River, which runs through the state. State Nickname The Cornhusker State Nebraska's nickname refers to its chief agricultural crop. Interesting Facts One of the greatest American novelists, Willa Cather, grew up on a farm near Red Cloud and later attended the University of Nebraska. The Sand Hills in central and north central Nebraska consist of grass-covered sand dunes and cover one-quarter of the state. The Ogallala aquifer, which stretches as far south as Texas, is Nebraska's primary source of irrigation water.