Neligh's Rainbow Fountain was patterned after the Tanner Fountain at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Boston. The Tanner Fountain was created by noted designer Peter Walker and received the 2008 Landmark Award by the American Society of Landscape Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Neligh's fountain was named for the rainbows visible in its mist on sunny days. Its construction was authorized by the Neligh City Council and the Neligh Park Board, reflecting their belief that municipal leadership involves more than providing water, sewer, and street services. The fountain and adjacent parks embody continuing efforts to provide beautiful places for recreation and leisure. Funds for the rocks, electrical and mechanical apparatus, concrete, and rubber mulch were supplied by the Richard Kalvelage Gift Trust. Planning was done by city superintendent Lyle Juracek without professional assistance, the fountain was created by Juracek and city employees, and the landscaping was designed by Shamrock Nursery of O'Neill, Nebraska, with support from a grant by the Nebraska State Arboretum Society and gifts from Shamrock Nursery and the Kalvelage Trust.