Learn how to create your own. They intended to set out from the foot of whats now known as Issaqueena Falls and steal off to safety. For full functionality please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. The falls are named for a Creek maiden who hid on one of the falls ledges to avoid capture during an Indian attack. for links to all of the resources for todays episode. Thats it for today! Fant's Grove. There she hid from her tribe in the recessed area below where hikers are still able to enter today. She and the baby emerged from a ledge behind the falls and made their getaway with Allan back to the town of Cambridge (now known as Ninety Six). Some time later, the two decided to return to her home near Issaqueena Falls. A 12-year-old child was rescued after falling near Issaqueena Falls in Oconee County on Saturday, according to the Walhalla Fire Department. Legend states that Stumphouse Mountain received its name from moonshiners who hid and dropped off their illegal wares. The One Takeaway I hope you get from this story is: Dont believe everything you hear. The story goes that Issaqueena, described on the South Carolina tourism website as an "Indian maiden," rode to a fort close by to "warn of a pending. The stream leading to the falls was shallow and was suitable for soaking you feet. Not that we know of. The park offers family-friendly activities and amenities, including a covered bridge over a creek, an eerie Civil War-era tunnel, dual-use hiking/mountain biking trails, picnic areas, and plenty of nature! The 40-room house was built between 1919 and 1924 by Walter L. Gassaway, a banker and textile mill owner; his wife, Minnie Quinn Gassaway, designed the structure after taking a correspondence course in architecture. Thanks to her warning, the settlers where able to repel the attack, and afterwards she and Allen Francis where married. The legend surrounding Issaqueena Falls tells of a Cherokee maiden who jumped from the top of the waterfall with her lover, an Oconee warrior. Allan, one of the Captains sons, fell in love with a beautiful Choctaw slave named Cateechee. Oconee County Emergency Services officials said they respond to at least one call a week in the park areas during the summer, and most are difficult to reach. Casey was able to film overhead and really captured the splashing water and lush green forest surrounding the waterfall. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WYFF-TV. Issaqueena Falls is a beautiful waterfall located in Stumphouse Tunnel Park. Sarena Romriell, The Legend of Issaqueena Falls,, This work is licensed by Upcountry Historical under a. The falls are named after the legend of Issaqueena, a Native American woman who pretended to go over the falls to escape persecution after she warned a nearby fort of an impending attack from her tribe. Feature/Archival Maps. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Bring your flash lights or head lamps for the tunnel. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. It is tempting to want to get a better view, and there is a well-traveled dirt path, but it is quite steep, difficult, and dangerous! Coroner Karl Addis said Sprouse apparently fell along a trail adjacent to the Thompson River near Lake Jocassee while on a family outing. . Does a fifth of a mile count as a hike? You will also be closer to the entrance to Stumphouse Tunnel, which is up the hill from the picnic pavilion. A primary resource for this episode is a long poem entitled. Nearby is a picnic area and the Stumphouse Tunnel. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WYFF-TV. The following year his widow abandoned Isaqueena for a smaller home (which she also designed) closer to downtown Greenville. Addis said Sprouse was found unresponsive by another family member with an apparent head injury. Two legends surround this mysterious falls; both involve a Native American named Issaqueena who was chased to this spot. Unfortunately it does display permanently closed if you search on Apple Mapsbut that is not correct. Plenty of picnic tables are available and the path to the lookout is short ant well maintained. Duke University Libraries. ), and can then picnic or hike down an easy 0.3 mile trail to view the gorgeous Issaqueena Falls. But its not a full on view, and it really depends on the season. Issaqueena Falls. On Saturday, a woman was critically injured after slipping at Issaqueena Falls. On Saturday, a woman was critically injured after slipping at Issaqueena Falls. In Reverend Daniels popular story, the real Captain James Francis. She hid on the ledge below the top of the waterfall where she remained until it was safe to rejoin her family. Issaqueena Falls is a beautiful 100 feet tall waterfall located on Cane Creek in Sumter National Forest and also in the Walhalla town of Oconee County, South Carolina. Her dramatic escape began the legend of Issaqueena Falls. Click Here to Take the Quiz Now! This legend takes place during the very real Anglo-Cherokee War that occurred in the Carolinas and Tennessee from 1758-1761. [3], As the National Register nomination notes, the three-story house is "an unusual example of eclecticism", blending neo-Gothic and neoclassical elements that include six Doric columns, a Palladian window, a castellated tower, two rooftop patios, and a massive porte-cochre. However, also according to history, Cateechee could not have named these places in 1760 because they were, already documented on maps by George Hunter. A 12-year-old child was rescued after falling near Issaqueena Falls in Oconee County on Saturday, according to the Walhalla Fire Department.Fire officials said that the child has a possible leg fracture and that it took 15 rescuers from 6 agencies about an hour to bring the child up by the waterfall using a rope system.Fire officials did not have an update on the child's condition Saturday night.They urged anyone enjoying trails or spending time near water to use caution, especially as the Fourth of July holiday approaches.This is a developing story. Luckily, this weekend we were able to get there relatively quickly by an off-duty paramedic who was close.. Your email address will not be published. The natural setting is likely similar to what maiden Issqueena experienced centuries ago. 97.5 WCOS - is #1 for Country and known as South Carolina's Country Station and home to Jonathon Rush in the Morning. Generally considered an easy route. The trail down the bottom of the falls is steep and a bit rugged, but the view is lovely. Issaqueena Falls Marker capture. This is a popular trail for hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Reverend Daniels popular legend of Cateechee/Issaqueena is considered to be just thata work of fiction. You will see signs (pictured here) and need to turn again to reach parking areas. A great resource that gives historical facts behind the legends is Cherokee Myths and Legends: Thirty Tales Retold by Terry L. Norton. Lake Issaqueena. Daniels that was published in 1898. It is located Stumphouse Mountain Park and it is one of the best waterfalls in South Carolina. General questions and FAM tours: rjarvis@onlyinyourstate.com. The trail to reach the top of these falls involves only a simple 15-minute stroll. Beginning from the parking area for the Stumphouse Tunnel, this 15-minute hike to Issaqueena Falls is an easy excursion for even the beginning hiker, and its rich in lore and history. Menu. Work on the tunnel first started in 1856, and continued off and on well into the 1940s until the challenging work was finally abandoned. According to substantiated facts, the trading post at Ninety Six, guarded by Captain James Francis, warded off two attacks by Native Americans in February and March of 1760. Issaqueena Falls is named for a local legend about a young Native American woman who fell head over heels for a white settler. Travel Tips Archives & Manuscripts Collection Guides Search within However, the PATH IS QUITE DANGEROUS and visitors are not encouraged to try it. that she lived with the Cherokees but may have been a slave or an adopted daughter. If you can park in the parking area to the right, you will be close to the falls, but there arent many spaces. Up the path, you'll find the fascinating, but unfinished, Stumphouse Tunnel. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. The first 911 call was made at 1:19 pm., Addis said, about 30 to 45 minutes after Sprouse fell. [5], Walter Gassaway died of a heart attack on June 4, 1930. Issaqueena Falls resides in the Sumter National Forest near Walhalla, South Carolina. Sometimes it takes a boat. Shortly thereafter, in the 1970s, it was designated a local historic landmark and conservation area, with picnic tables and trails added for the public. They all lived happily ever after. For those who spend the majority of their time in the midland or coastal regions of South Carolina, it may come as a surprise to learn that the Palmetto State is home to hundreds of waterfalls. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Like all legends, its hard to tell whats real and whats fiction. After the final failed attempt, a professor in the dairy department at nearby Clemson University (known as Clemson A&M College at the time) proposed using the tunnel to cure blue cheese, due to its stable and ideal temperature and humidity properties. Issaqueena Falls is a gem, and if you're ever near Walhalla, you owe it to yourself to pop in and see the falls here. 3.) Box 1099, Walhalla, SC 29691| (864) 638-4346| Email. The signs giving the area's history history about the falls and the native peoples were super informative. Other versions of the story introduced Issaqueenas lover as a silversmith named David Francis, who took shelter with Issaqueena in a hollow tree near the present-day Stumphouse Mountain to escape the Cherokee after her betrayal. After leaping off of the falls, Issaqueena and David relocated together to Alabama. Issaqueena is her Choctaw or true name, while Cateechee or Kitichee is considered to be her name while living with the Cherokee. The drive up was nice . A short 0.3 mile hike from Walhalla's famous Tunnel Park leads to a 100-foot-tall cascading waterfall that has a secret cave ledge under the water veil. The Stumphouse Tunnel is the result of many failed attempts to connect a simpler railroad route from Charleston, South Carolina, to the nations interior through the formidable Stumphouse Mountain. Please note that this source is the most popular version of the legend in South Carolina, but is a highly romanticized and anglicized tale. In Cateechee of Keowee by Reverend Daniel, Captain James Francis and his sons, Allan and Henry, created a trading post with the Cherokee in 1750 in the area of todays town of Ninety Six, located in Greenwood County, South Carolina. It was a pleasant fall day, very peaceful and quiet. OCONEE CO., S.C. (WSPA) - A 12-year-old was injured after falling near the falls at Issaqueena Falls Saturday, according to Walhalla Fire Department. So although its still unclear how the numbering landmarks were named exactly, it seems unlikely that Issaqueena (or Cateechee) originated the naming during her legendary ride. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. The falls are named for a legendary Cherokee girl who is said to have leaped from the top of the falls with her lover, either an Oconee brave, a white trader named Allan Francis, or a white silversmith named David Francis. Park admission is $5.00 and can be paid via a drop box near the park entrance. TripAdvisor/oceanbound81 The trail to the top of the falls is a mere .03 mile from the parking area and is well maintained. Upstate Outdoor Adventurer. A short easy walking trail leads from Stumphouse Mountain Park to Issaqueena Falls, a beautiful 200-ft. cascade. But when the leaves return in spring and summer, you wont be able to see as well. Stumphouse Tunnel Park and Issaqueena Falls Located about 7 miles northwest of Walhalla on Hyw 28, the 1,617 foot long Stumphouse Tunnel is an oddity. This easy hike will take you to the top of the falls, but a short . into the face of Stumphouse Mountain, and is the result of many failed attempts to make a railway tunnel through the mountain. A legend has grown up around this elegant hundred foot waterfall near Walhalla in Oconee County South Carolina. Required fields are marked *, Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Clemson University no longer cures cheese in the tunnel, but you can view some brown bats andaccording to someghosts. Not only are many trails, churches, neighborhoods, and natural landmarks named either "Issaqueena" or "Cateechee.". The settlers were able to prepare and ward off the attack due to Cateechees bravery, and she and her lover, Allan Francis, were able to marry. On Sunday, Oconee County Emergency Services said a man, later identified as Kelly Scott Sprouse, 47, of Elloree, fell a considerable distance at Devils Fork State Park at Lake Jocassee. Isaqueena, also known as the Gassaway Mansion, is a historic house in Greenville, South Carolina, and the largest private residence in the Upstate. Cateechee and the baby dodged arrows and outran the Cherokee warriors until they were backed up against the edge of the falls with nowhere else to go. However, none of them has the same eerie legend behind it as the 100-foot Issaqueena Falls found just north of Walhalla in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Thats why it is no stretch to lump this 100-foot cascade among the most popular in Oconee County, and among the most beautiful. Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter. He died at GHS at 6:15 p.m. from a closed head injury, Addis said.On Saturday, a woman was critically injured after slipping at Issaqueena Falls.Oconee County Emergency Services officials said the woman fell about 20 feet at the falls trailhead around 5 p.m.Officials said rescuers were able to airlift the woman to Greenville Memorial Hospital a little more than an hour after she fell.She was in critical but stable condition at the trauma center Sunday night. Addis said it is believed Sprouse was walking up the trail to join other family members who were ahead of him. She pretended to leap to hear death, hiding on the ledge below the top of the waterfall until they left and rejoined her family. Issaqueena Falls: the hike The adventure begins at a trailhead at Stumphouse Mountain Park just northwest of Walhalla, SC ( view maps and driving directions ). See all photos from Jamarcus T. for Issaqueena Falls Richard R. Elite 2022 Suwanee, GA 5000 1503 24670 2/3/2019 10 photos Beautiful waterfall and super short hike! We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Addis said there were no witnesses to Sprouses fall and it is unknown what height he may have fallen from. All of the legends differ slightly in their renditions but agree on the detail that although Issaqueena was a Native American, she was not a member of the Cherokee tribe. It is possible to walk down to the bottom of the waterfall. You can see the falls from the viewing platform. The landmarks of Mile Creek, Six Mile town (and mountain), Twelve Mile River, Eighteen Mile Creek, Three and Twenty Creek, Six and Twenty Creek, and Ninety Six were supposedly named for their proximity from the area of a trading post (perhaps the same post as the Cherokee settlement of Keowee that was located near present-day Clemson University) and later location of Fort Prince George. Oconee County Emergency Services officials said the woman fell about 20 feet at the falls trailhead around 5 p.m. Officials said rescuers were able to airlift the woman to Greenville Memorial Hospital a little more than an hour after she fell. Issaqueena's tribesmen, still seeking revenge for their spoiled attack plan, finally track down Issaqueena and chase her through the woods. Luckily, this weekend we were able to get there relatively quickly by an off-duty paramedic who was close.The three "hotspots" as county officials called them where the most calls originate from in Oconee County are Issaqueena Falls, Jocassee waterfalls and Whitewater Falls.In order to stay safe, officials say you should remember three things: hike in pairs, know the area and tell someone when you'll be in the woods and when they can expect you back out again. 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