The Tale of Indian Leap at Yantic Falls in Norwich

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Long before English settlers purchased the 9-mile square of land upon which the City of Norwich, Connecticut sits, the land was owned and occupied by the Mohegan Tribe of Indians. They made their homes near the Great Falls of the City of Kings and were led by the great sachem, Uncas.

One of the more popular and famous stories of Chief Uncas involves The Battle of the Great Plain that took place on September 17th, 1643 between the Mohegan Tribe and the Narragansett Tribe from neighboring Rhode Island, some of which took place near what is now known as "Indian Leap".


As the story goes, Miantonomo, Sachem of the Narragansetts, led 900 of his warriors in what was to be a surprise attack on the Mohegans at Shetucket, the Mohegan capital near the City of Kings. The night before the battle, Mohegan scouts in the area observed the advancing enemy and carried the intelligence back to Uncas who formed a plan.

Uncas knew he didn't have enough warriors to battle Miantonomo but he was a brave chief and would die for his people if need be; if one man could save many then he was willing to make that sacrifice. He told his braves that he would ask Miantonomo to fight one-on-one and if Miantonomo refused, he would drop to the ground as a signal for them to fire arrows into the enemy and then charge them hoping that the surprise would give them the advantage against the higher numbers.

Chief Uncas met the Narragansett chief between the lines of battle in the area that is now known as East Great Plain and appealed to him to prevent blood loss between both tribes by a single combat between the two leaders instead. When Miantonomo contemptuously rejected Uncas' proposal, the Mohegan chief immediately dropped to the ground and the Narragansetts were met with a hail of arrows before Chief Uncas jumped to his feet and led his brave warriors in a charge.


Caught totally off-guard, the Narragansetts ran from the charging Mohegans with some fleeing along their familiar route while others, unfamiliar with the territory, unknowingly reached the high treacherous cliffs of Yantic Falls. Rather than surrender to the Mohegans, Miantonomo leapt across the gorge and managed to land on the other side, injuring his leg in the process. Others of his tribe attempted to leap the chasm but were unsuccessful and plunged to their death onto the rocks in the abyss below while others simply surrendered and became prisoners of the Mohegans.

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When the pursuing Uncas arrived at the top of the gorge and saw his enemy hobbling away on the other side, he took a running start, flew over the rapids, and landed safely on the other side. It was an astounding leap that gave the area above the falls its future name and allowed Uncas to catch up to the injured Miantonomo who was then easily overcome and taken as prisoner.

Chief Uncas brought Miantonomo to the Colonial Commissioners in Hartford where he willingly gave the prisoner over to the English government and agreed to abide by their decision on how to handle him. It was agreed by the ecclesiastical counselors that it would be best for the public if Miantonomo were executed and the Narragansett chief was returned to Uncas with orders to execute him in Mohegan country.


After Miantonomo was executed, Uncas thought it would be appropriate to bury him near the place where he was originally captured and that a small pile of rocks be placed as a marker on the gravesite. To that effect, the Mohegans buried their fallen foe near the western bank of the Shetucket River, north of the present village of Greenville , and marked the spot with a pile of stones. Over the years the pile of stones grew as it was visited by warriors from many tribes as they passed by on the heavily traveled route. Sometime in the 18th century, though, a farmer who had bought the land found a mound of rocks on his property and, not knowing what it was for, used the stones to build a foundation for his house and barn.

On July 4th, 1841 a few citizens of Norwich erected a granite monument where the mound of stones once stood and dedicated it to Miantonomo in a solemn ceremony to honor the former warrior and chief.


Due to the fact that there weren't a lot of records kept about these sorts of things back then, a lot of this story has been pieced together through research from various legends and tales passed down throughout the years. I hope that I have told the story with as much accuracy as possible and that it gives you a bit of a glimpse into the history of the town in which I live and the area that I call home.  Should you ever be visiting Norwich and wish to visit Miantonomo's Marker, it is located on the eastern side of Norwich off of Boswell Avenue on Elijah Street, a small dead-end.  There's a marker on Boswell Avenue indicating where the monument is located.

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Meanwhile back at Indian Leap, which is also known as Yantic Falls, visitors can find it located on Yantic Street near the center of town.  The area is beautiful to visit regardless of the time of year.


A walkway has been built over the site which was dammed for use as power as early as the 1600s when John Elderkin developed a grist mill in the area. Over time, the Yantic River became the genesis for industrial development in Norwich as it continued to grow until the early 1900s with later industries including paper making, cotton and nails.  Textile mills utilized the power of the Yantic River at both the Lower Falls and the Upper Falls which are within site of Indian Leap on the other side of the train trestle that now crosses over the Yantic River.

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In addition to viewing the falls from a distance at Indian Leap, the Upper Falls can be visited by accessing Upper Heritage Falls Park off of Sherman Street where parking is available and it's an easy stroll to view the dam and the former powerhouse that unfortunately seems to be more a canvas for graffiti artists than anything else these days.  I believe that at one time there was talk of turning the building into a museum but that has yet to come to fruition.

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Downriver at the Lower Falls, there is a footbridge for visitors to use when viewing the falls and the gorge at Indian Leap.  If you continue along the footbridge, you'll find a path that leads to another footbridge  over the New England Central Railroad tracks which connects Yantic Street to Asylum Street via Monroe Street. People crossing that bridge may very well be taking the very same route that brought Miantonomo's warriors to their death when attempting to leap the gorge over the Yantic River as it leads to the west side of town.

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It should be noted that when visiting either the Upper or Lower Falls of the Yantic River that caution should be used as both sets of falls can be quite dangerous.  Sadly, people have died at both sites over the years and anyone going over the Lower Falls is sure to meet their death on the rocks below while many have been sucked under by the currents at the Upper Falls and drowned. The falls are best viewed from a distance as the areas around them can become slippery from mist that forms when the falls are running fast and no one should even think about swimming in the Yantic nearby either of these locations regardless of how fast or slow the river may be running. Sadly though there always seems to be some foolhardy souls that think the warnings don't apply to them and put both themselves and rescuers in danger.

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As Indian Leap and the Yantic Falls are an easy walk from where I live, I find myself returning there fairly regularly to take photos as the area is beautiful regardless of the season.

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That said, I'd like to think that some of my best photos are shot during the winter, though, when ice formations make the Lower Falls even prettier and the area exudes even more solitude than at other times.

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Even though the battle between the Mohegans and the Narragansetts took place in this area way back in 1643 and the souls of those who leapt or fell to their death are sure to have departed long ago, sometimes if you close your eyes and just listen, over the roar of the falls you might hear the war cries as the braves approached the precipice and, determined to keep on fighting, made their leaps of faith.

And who knows?  Maybe one or two of those souls may actually still be in the area ...


Indian Leap - or Uncas Leap as it's also known - is located on the upper end of the Norwich Heritage River Walkway which begins in the harbor area of downtown Norwich and follows the path of the Yantic River to the falls. For a map of the Walkway, click here

Comments

  1. I know you're going to get a chuckle out of my comment, but now I know how the tiny town of Uncasville got it's name.

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  2. I used to live at 21 Sherman St. 50 years ago.
    Beautiful pictures. I used to cross the bridge and sit atop and look over for hours.

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    1. I use to live there also, moved in 1976 to Waterford Ct. are we related maybe, Mary Ann is my name, went to NFA, had 8 brothers and sisters. I sure am curious who you are!

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    2. I lived on 21 Sherman St. also, Mary Ann is my name, I have 8 brothers and sisters, are we related? I hope you see this I am so curious who you are.

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    3. That was my address, we moved in 1976 to Waterford, are we related? I hope you see this I am so curious who you are.

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    4. My name was Nancy Wilmot and my mom and I moved back in 1970-71. I'm 60 now :-)

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    5. We just missed one another!! Lol :-)

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    6. Lol I saved this page in my favorites to see if you would come back here :-)

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    7. I believe I'm from the family that moved into 21 Sherman St in 1970 - 1971. I know Mary Ann she dated my older brother and the name Nancy Wilmont sounds very familiar. I was about 8 or so when we moved there from MA. My younger brother had to be 4 because he couldn't start kindergarten until he was 5 and he had to wait a year after we moved in, he was born in 1965, myself in 1962. I believe we moved out of that house around the early 2000's

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  3. when i was a child my father brought me there. i didnt know anything about the history and when i looked down i seen a ghost in the water i could even see the stone hatchet. you should look at the history of how many have fallen of that cliff too.

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    1. I think it was around 1961-2 a little boy who lived down at the end of Sherman st fell off. He was 5-6 His name was Elmer

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  4. Good work and wonderful pictures. The long history of Norwich is very interesting, no matter what period one focuses on. Keep up the good work = a Norwich native living in Maryland

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  5. I am trying to comment to person that said they lived at 21 Sherman St. 50 years ago, I lived there for several years and moved to Waterford in 1976. small world.

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    1. I am seeing it now in 2017!!!!!! OMG Now I wonder if you'll see this? hahaha Made posts above who I am.

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  6. I recently accidentally stumbled upon the Yantic Falls. I took some pictures with my cell phone but had wished I had my good photography equipment with me.

    Thank you for the background about this area and how the falls got their name. Beautiful photo's as well.

    Jay

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  7. Love this area~~! Three generations of my family lived here, & worked in the big mill~~my mother says it is "Genetic Memory" that brings me here so often~~

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    Replies
    1. All these years later, it's still in my blood. I showed my children back in the 90s where i grew up.

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  8. I love to go there and just think and clear my head. Majestic and a powerful testament to the miraculous creations of God.
    Michele Koji

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  9. As a teenager my brothers and I would go there when we lived on London Ave., about 4 decades ago. At the time I didn't know the history of the falls, I wasn't much into history. I believe everything has a history, and it's good to know how things came about. I really enjoyed reading your article and enjoyed your amazing photos. I must return other sometime. It looks more beautiful than ever.

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    1. We lived on tyler ave and use to fish of the falls. Beautiful site in the winter..

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  10. My cousin 11 generations removed was one of the founders of Norwich CT. I have been absolutely amazed at the history of the colonists. What a stunning place, one day I will make the journey from England and visit.

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  11. Replies
    1. My dad worked at Backus Hosp. in the boiler rm. :-)

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  12. I walked across the bridge just about very day on way to school Norwich Free Academy

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    1. I also crossed the bridge many days on the way to NFA (Class of ‘76)

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  13. The old powerhouse was transformed into a museum. Volunteers including myself donated our time and labor to clean the area and renovate the building. There was a curator there for a few years, but don't know what happened. I helped to clear the land and did the electrical work and find it very disheartening the state of the site.

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  14. The old powerhouse was transformed into a museum. Volunteers including myself donated our time and labor to clean the area and renovate the building. There was a curator there for a few years, but don't know what happened. I helped to clear the land and did the electrical work and find it very disheartening the state of the site.

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  15. Awesome lets post some pictures of where the Mohegan lived like Fort shantock and the uncasville montville area

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  16. Yes i was born and raised in Norwich and wish i could go back in time to see it all happen

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  17. I lived in Norwich for many years... Used to walk through Indian Leap every day to go to school... NFA Class of 76. Still have lifelong friends there and visit occasionally. One lived in the mill that was transformed to apartments at the end of the street. Love Norwich!

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    1. I moved back in 1970. The Falls was part of my playground too. It was a lot safer in those days! I had a great childhood there. No ties to it sadly anymore though. Good memories!!

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    2. I grew up in Norwich on Asylum St. My best friend lived on Monroe St. just above the falls. As two young boys we romped all through that area. Moved out of the area in 1977. Haven't been back to the falls in years. I get in a reminiscing mood sometimes. It was nice to see these pictures. I was wondering if anyone had any pictures of the old Falls Elementary School. It was torn down decades ago. When we were old enough, we walked across the foot bridges at the falls every day to go to school. Sometimes the foot bridge going across the falls would be missing one or two boards. That was pretty scary when we were that age. I know the foot bridge going over the railroad tracks and over the falls have been improved over the years. Alot of fond memories

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  18. In December 19, 1986, I asked my wife to be my girlfriend on the bridge. We got married Jan 30, 198 7. We are still together.

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  19. Lived in Norwich for many years and while I was in 6th grade at Stanton was chosen to give tours to 2nd graders from schools all over the city. Was told by those who knew what happened , is that Uncas and Miantanomo both leaped in the falls and that's where the Narragansett leader died. Also from what I remember, the Miantanomo marker was more than what is there now.

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  20. My Dad grew up in Norwich on Starr Street not far from the river...I lived in that house as a youngster until we moved to Surry Ln in east great plains. My grandparents ran a bar and grill where the indian leap cafe is/was...Ive lived in Tucson Az for the last 30 yrs and love to see these stories about my home town...Thx

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  21. Just found out that Uncus is my wife’s 9th great-grandfather.

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  22. I walked over the footbridge many times on my way home from NFA back in the early 1960's. It's a beautiful place and i still go there every once in a while.

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