Over the Falls

Written by John Curry

Many times (I should imagine), you’ve seen me mention the amazing, history-rich, Falls of the Cumberland in some article or another. At nearly seventy feet high and more than two hundred feet in width – the second largest, single drop waterfalls east of the Mississippi. Bested only by the legendary Niagara herself… Visited, employed, surveyed and explored at a very early point in our great nation’s fascinating colonial era. Prominent authority in the annals of Kentucky, Richard Henry Collins mentions several parties of mid-eighteenth century “Long Hunters” temporarily camped in the area of the falls during their numerous forays into that section of the Cumberland drainage. Dr. Thomas Walker told John Brown; “the extent of his April 1749, Cumberland River, reconnoitering trip was probably the southern bank of Laurel River in Whitley Co. Kentucky”.1 Laurel River of course, lying slightly beyond the Cumberland Falls and further downstream or due north.  A journey I have made a number of times via the Sheltowee Trace, from the very same falls to the very same river. Most unfortunately there are a few missing pages from Walker’s handwritten journal, which were penned immediately before and during his Laurel River excursion so we have no written mention of the falls itself or anything else he might have seen or done within that specific timeframe. Notwithstanding, as the Hon. Brown’s conversations with Mann Butler very plainly show - Dr. Walker, per his own words, definitely informed Brown that “he went as far as Laurel River.”2 A mere hop, skip and a jump from the falls.

In recounting the wild, pre-revolutionary war period of our country’s southwestern borderlands, Harriet Simpson Arnow points out: “…1769, was a notable one in the history of Tennessee and Kentucky.  In that year Thomas Hutchins finished charting the course of the Cumberland…”3 A line or two later, Arnow goes on to mention; “It was also in 1769 that… men in Virginia first petitioned for land on the Cumberland.  Some, in January, asked for land on the lower river, others, for a boundary beginning at ‘The Falls’.” 4 This interesting request is likewise mentioned in the Virginia Calendar of State Papers. Extremely peculiar, as absolutely nobody was settling anywhere near the falls in 1769. In the summer of that year, James Knox and Henry Skaggs led a huge, longhunting party of twenty men down the Cumberland and right by the falls on a rather profitable venture lasting for more than two years. The upshot being everything we see here; when taken together, sort of helps us to realize that despite being so very far out in the middle of no-where, Cumberland Falls was an appreciably well-known and important geographic location…

While on the wide-ranging subject of Cumberland Falls, Arnow gives us this additional, exceptionally intriguing anecdote: “Another famous hunter Zachariah Green was out with his brother and two other men… (Their little company) went up the Cumberland toward the three forks to hunt and trap for beaver.” 5 FYI, this was in 1779 – the beginning of what was called the hard winter. A non-stop, brutally cold, mini-ice age, lasting from the latter part of November into the first few weeks of March.  Early on in their endeavor… at a time when the weather was still relatively good, we’re made to understand the lion’s share of their hunting and beaver trapping along the lower Cumberland River wasn’t all that financially rewarding. Ar-now continues: “The Green brothers had better luck hunting far up the Cumberland…” Indeed the beaver population is as a matter of fact, very impressive yet today - all along the Cumberland’s upper regions. Towards the end of their extensive (and now somewhat lucra-tive) hunt into the more eastern reaches of that great river; “They made the usual poplar dugout… and started on their swift journey down the swollen Cumberland.” 6 Hmmm, okay.  Sounds like a plan to me… the lads did fairly well for themselves. Chopped out a canoe. Now they’re a goin’ home. So far, so good, huh?

Without belaboring you too much further, I’ll just say the conclusion of Arnow’s account has the men somehow stop-ping their craft shortly before reaching the falls and getting safely to an adjacent, rocky embank-ment located conveniently nearby.  From here they unload their dugout… with one, particularly brave man paddling that big ‘ol empty canoe back out toward the middle of the river; just above its ominous drop-off, to be abandoned squarely into the raging current. The other three work their way down to the river beneath them, carrying all their goods and supplies to that rad-ically lower expanse while a second, very brave man swims out into the foaming, undulating, boulder strewn labyrinth below which comprises the treacherous base of the falls; neatly retrieving their unwieldy craft.

Judge John Haywood gives us a more elementary account:  “On February 12, 1780 Zachariah Green and four compan-ions were forced to abandon their canoe when the rushing waters of the Cumberland River carried it over the falls.” 7 Per Haywood’s narrative, they all got safely out of their canoe before it went over…  Canoeing enthusiasts Whitewater. com give us a bit more detailed explanation of the same story: “In 1780 Zachariah Green and his party were floating down the river, having no knowledge of the great falls ahead. They managed to abandon the boat and swim ashore, allowing the craft to go over the falls.  The boat was recovered still intact.” 8 In this version they had no idea the falls were even there but simply swam for their lives to gain that up- per shoreline. I have also from time to time read accounts wherein Green and his hunting party were actually forced to take the sixty-nine plus, foot plunge over the falls in their canoe but amazingly enough, lived to tell the tale.  (Who knows?) Any way you slice it… However they did it… This drop-ping over the dagone Cumberland Falls business had to be an exceedingly memorable occasion for ‘ol Zack and the boys. Believe me, I’ve been there enough times to under-stand the deadly-perilous Falls of the Cumberland River is not some sort of trivial, unimportant bump in the road to be taken lightly. No, no, no!

---o0o---

Living little more than one hour away from Cumber-land Falls State Park, my wife and I decided to take a little, mini-holiday down there last February - the same month Green and his friends had their little row with that daunting, geological landmark.  In truth, we never need much of an excuse to stay at the esteemed park’s rustic

“DuPont Inn” - that massive, elegant, log cabin looking affair they call their guest resort lodge.  And regardless of your individual, culinary tastes, the food served at their wonderful restaurant overlooking the ancient river, as well as their never to be forgotten view of those exquisite, towering, heavily forested bluffs and hills which surround it are undeniably second to none.  Nevertheless, my main reason for this visit was to capture for the Muzzle Blasts readership, a chronologically arranged, pictorial account of what Zach Green together with his brother and their vari-ous hunting associates would have seen as they attempted to negotiate the mighty Falls of the Cumberland River.  At the same time of year in which it really happened! The results of which I now present to you…

So.  Are ya ready? Here we go!  Ride along with ‘ol Zach-ariah and his trail pardners in February of 1780 as they drop over the falls…  Then be sure to say a little prayer (and try not to pee your pants) on the way down.

References 

1 Draper, Lyman C., Life of Boone, edited by T. F. Belue, p. 89. 2 Ibid.

3 Arnow, Harriette Simpson, Seedtime on the Cumberland, p.158.

4 Ibid., Virginia Calendar of State Papers, p.260.

5 Arnow, Harriette Simpson, Seedtime on the Cumberland, p.218.

6 Ibid, p.235.

7 Haywood, John, Civil and Political History of the State of Tennessee, p.423.

8 Whitewater.com/Cumberland Falls State Park, KY.