Why does Creve Coeur have a broken heart?
CREVE COEUR, Mo. -- Throughout Creve Coeur, residents can spot a broken heart popping up along roadways and city buildings. The broken heart may leave some wondering what its connection is to the city of Creve Coeur.
The city's name means 'broken heart' in French and, according to the Creve Coeur website, comes from a legend connected to Creve Coeur Lake.
Allegedly an Indian princess fell in love with a fur trapper from France, but the love was not reciprocated. According to the legend, the princess jumped from a ledge overlooking Creve Coeur Lake, which caused the lake to form itself into a broken heart.
Though there is some contradiction to this tale.
According to the St. Louis County website, Creve Coeur Lake formed several thousand years ago when a loop of the Missouri River was cut off. Despite the legend, European settlers in the area never learned why earlier French settlers had coined this expression.
So whether an Indian princess had her heart broken or the city's name hints at the broken relationship of the Creve Coeur Lake to the Missouri River, there's still uncertainty about the origin of the city's name.
