Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-09-02
tBY c p WILLIAMS)

With the opening of the new Kim
eyy Mountain Highway across thu
LITTLE Frog Mountain, it is fast be
coming the most talked of mountain
III Polk County.
We have been asked many times
wky these mountains were called the
Frog Mountains and that will be oui
excuse for these rambling remarks.
There is an Indian legend of {
Cherokee Chief, Big Frog, who ruled
in the mountain south of the Ocoee
River and his son, Little Frog, who
ruled in the mountains on the north
side of the Ocoee That was before
The time of Duck, the Cherokee Chief
who built his "town house" on top OF
small hill in a bend of Tumblir
River. This ''town house" of Duck
Creek about two miles from where
this creek emptes into the Ocoee
was built of logs and had eight
sides. The roof had large hole in
the center to let out the smoke from
he fire that was built on the
cfQund in the center of the house.
Neal Hyde pointed the location of
this house to us several years apo
and gave the description of the house
70 us as his father had given it to
him. 1t was in this house that Duck
held his pow-wows and gave dances
n celebration of the coming in of
green corn and like occasions. 1t
w3s there that "Uncle" George Green
when q lad Of twelve, attended an
Indian dance with an uncle of his that
was an "old time fiddler" and a veter-
an of the Revolutionary War. This
uncle made "Uncle" George dance the
first dance to the great amusement
of the Indians He was followed by
Granny Bird, who was then a beaut-
full young Indian girl. She was clad
in bright colored blankets, trimmed
with feathers and beads. She wore
Eaoccasins of rawhide and around her
trim ankles were tied small terrapin
shells containing a few pebbles pick
ed up from Tumblin> creek. These
l'att led as she danced qn the earthean.
sSor We aomatinies wonder what
'sho would think If she could meet
belle Of the present Ducktown dressed
IN the fashionable dancing costume of
today. We wonder too what Duck
would think of Ducktown and what
Ducktown would think of Duck.
Granny Bird in her old age moved
ITO The little cove on the top of the
Little Frog Mountain just east of the
I, cd that now bears her name. The
Eirlsev Mountain Highway crosses
TIN on- Ii this gap and just below the
road in sight of the passing automo-
bles, there is little mound of
stone that marks the site of her
cabin home end somewhere in that
little cove her body lies in an un-
marked grave.
Did you know "Uncle" George
Green? If you did not you have
missed a pleasure, for he was man
loved and honored by all who knew
hm. We will never forget the last
visit we paid him. when he told us of
the dance al Ducks "town house"
It was in early spring and we ar
rived at his home just before noon.
Gcon dinner was announced and we
went into the dining room and were
seated at the table loaded with good
things to eat. The meal was just be-
gun when little bird flew in at the
open window and lighted on "Uncle"
GEORGES shoulder. He carefully
spread some crumbs Of bread by his
plate and the bird ate and flew away.
Several others came and were fed by
him in the same way before the meal
wss over. When dinner was over we
went out hy his spring and sat in
fhc shade of the trees and he told
much about the early history of the
Aiaculsy Valley and its early set
'jers. lie was q great hunter IN
those early days and perhaps Killed
wore bear than any other man who
lived in Polk County unless. 1T was
"Uncle" Dan Goforth. He told us OF
he time taht he was hunting ana
c1ning suddenly upon a large bear
shot too quickly and only wounded it.
The bear reared on its hind legs and
Yan at him and he had only time to
drop his gun and catch it's right paw
in his left hand and with his right
grasp it's throat. He showed the
scars on his RIGHT shoulder where it
struck him with its free paw. lie
tlippea the bear and they fell to-
;hpr in the rocks, and he slowly
etfangled it to death while with it's
claws it stripped the clothing from
his body and cut great gashes
through his flesh When the bear
was finally dead his hand was SO
tightly gripped on its throat he could
hardly let go
This was "Uncle" GEORGE Green,
n great powerful rugged man of the
mountains. The undisputed champ
ion at the 'log rollings' and barn and
house "raisings" of the Alaculsy Val
lev for many years, man who knew
no fear of man or wild beast and yet
was so kind and gentle that the little
birds came and ate from his hand
But why Frog Mountain? Many
think these mountains were so nam
ed because of the many frogs found
upon them. But that is not true for
they are no more numerous there
than on any other mountains in Polk
County.
The Indian legend of the Cherokee