[wzslider autoplay=”true” interval=”6000″ height=”800″ info=”true” lightbox=”true”]First let me apologize for the very poor quality of these photographs. I happened upon this very cool site and only had my cell phone with me. Because light was streaming in through the tree tops it just couldn’t handle the high dynamic range so I did the best I could in post processing.
I wanted to publish the shots however because this a cool place to visit if you’re ever in Norwich, CT. In addition there is some rich history connected to this waterfall known as “Indian Leap/Yantic Falls (named after the Yantic River which flows through it”. The Yantic Falls is where industrial development first occurred in Norwich. Industry and the use of waterpower in this area dates back to the development of a grist mill in the 1600s by John Elderkin. Industry developed through the early 1900’s. Chief goods produced were paper, cotton and nails.
The backstory here is that the Mohegan Tribe, which we know for a fact occupied this area, had a clash with the neighboring Narragansett Tribe. Chief Uncas lead the Mohegan Tribe against Chief Miantonomo of the Narragansett Tribe. I don’t have the date but Chief Uncas lived c. 1588 – c. 1683. It also occurred after the Dutch colonists began settling in 1614 so I’d estimate early 1600’s for the conflict. It should also be noted that Chief Uncas aligned his tribe with the Dutch colonists and fought alongside them against other Indian Tribes including the Pequot Tribe in CT.
As the story goes Uncas’s scouts saw the Narragansett tribe advancing and warned Uncas. There were around 1100 Narragansett Indians to the considerably smaller number of the Mohegan’s. However, this gave Uncas time to prepare a counter attack. In so doing the Narragansett were completely taken off guard and retreated. It is believed that Chief Uncase chased Chief Miantonomo at the location of the Indian Leap waterfall causing Miantonomo to leap from one side of the river to the other where it presses through a tight gorge. Miantonomo injured his leg in the process and Uncas leaped across and captured him. Hence where the name “Indian Leap” comes from.
Photographed with Samsung Galaxy Note II, 8 mp, camera phone.
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