Lovers' Leap, Tahoe - Fact or Legend?
Some talk about the story's origin, as fact while other's say there is no substantial proof. Story goes, two lovers plunging into space from the cliff face, after the Indian maiden's father, the chief of her tribe, has disapproved of the relationship.Seems believable enough. Suicide. Star crossed lovers. Tragedy. Love. Disaster.
Why doubt it? I've definitely read stranger things in my time. Seems perfectly plausible to me.
I decided to look into it.
Daily Alta California, Volume 23, Number 7820, 20 August 1871 -
LOVERS' LEAP.
A Romantic Indian Story.
From the Petroleum Centre Record.
It is said, according to an old Indian tradition, that many, many moons ago, an Indian brave, young in years, but old in the use of the bow and arrow, tomahawk, and "sich" implements of aboriginal warfare, and scienced in woodcraft, who had taken many scalps and was a terror to the enemies of his tribe, while scouting through the forests in the vicinity of Jerusalem Four Corners, espied a maiden of another tribe, whose charms he became enamored with. His passion was returned by the lovely maiden ; many stolen interviews beneath the starlight and boughs of the old oak trees around Wageforth City, before it was a city, and before the curses of profane oil-teamsters, passing over the Pitbole and Miller Farm plank road, were heard or known by the dusky sons of the forest, took place. They also "paddled their light canoes" on Oil Creek, between the ports of Bull Bun, Cow Hun, Calf Run and Pioneer, on moonlight nights, oft-times resting on their oars or enfolded in a loving embrace, pledging vows of eternal constancy and singing the simple Indian love songs. Many other foolisms were indulged in by these dusky lovers, the upshot of the whole affair being an elopement (we forget the Indian name for it) to the favored land in the neighborhood of Benninghoff Hill and Funkville Flats. Accordingly, one dark and stormy night, the beauteous maiden slipped from her couch of buffalo robes and beech boughs, gently pulled a slab of birch from the side of the old chief's hut, and "slid" for the "wild woods free," at the head waters of West Pithole Creek, meeting her "brave" near the Rattlesnake school-house. The sun had hardly dawned above the western horizon ere the alarm was sounded in the Indian camp, and the "old man" and his followers started in pursuit. Following the trail, they discovered the fleeing lovers near the Sam Boyd farm, who, finding themselves discovered, made for the Espey farm, arriving at the edge of the hill at Lovers' Leap, and finding that the old man did not let up in the pursuit, the devoted lovers concluded to "slip their cables" and die together, and, with a last, long, loving embrace, clasped in each other's arms, they jumped over the bank, and were reduced to minute fragments. Hence the name — Lovers' Leap,
The historic Pony Express trail roughly parallels Route 50, and runs directly beneath Lover's Leap."
From The Strawberry Lodge website, which is nestled right at the foot of Lover's Leap, Tahoe.
The Legend of Lover's Leap
"A legend lives of long ago,
When natives liked to roam,
Of an Indian maid of the Miwok shade,
Who was far away from home.
She met a brave. They fell in love
In the alpine regions high,
‘Neath a Tahoe moon they’d often spoon
By the lake of the azure sky.
The Medicine Man, who much alarmed,
Strolled alone to his own teepee,
He rattled bones, and turquoise stones,
Then shared the Gods’ decree.
Their troth was plighted beneath the stars.
(Both happy it is said)
Came a tribal voice: “I forbid the choice!
These two shall never Wed!”
So the Washoe buck took the Miwok maid
Far away o’er hill and dell,
They stood where it’s steep, by the Lover’s Leap
And they bade the world farewell.
They went to the happy hunting ground,
And left behind earth’s trial and woe,
The beautiful maid of the Miwok shade,
And her brave of the high Washoe."
- W. F. Skyhawk
What I found-
While researching information on this story, I found many other places had similar "Lover's Leap" Stories. I found a few.......but then I found A LOT!
This one in Hannibal, Missouri
Another here in Pere Marquette State Park in Illinois:
Another in Bangor Maine:
Fonte dos Amores, Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Elora Gorge, Elora, Ontario, Canada
La piedra feliz, Valparaíso, Chile
Đulin Ponor, Ogulin, Croatia
Green Valley View aka Suicide Point, Kodaikanal, India
Lovers' Leap Rock, Dargle Valley, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland
Lovers' Leap, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica
Lovers Leap, Otago Peninsula, Dunedin, New Zealand
Lovers' Rock (la Peña de los Enamorados), Antequera, Andalusia, Spain
Lovers' Leap, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
Lovers' Leap, Blaise castle estate, Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Lovers' Leap, Dovedale, Peak District, England, United Kingdom
Why doubt it? I've definitely read stranger things in my time. Seems perfectly plausible to me.
I decided to look into it.
 |
| Tahoe site via Wikipedia |
Daily Alta California, Volume 23, Number 7820, 20 August 1871 -
LOVERS' LEAP.
A Romantic Indian Story.
From the Petroleum Centre Record.
It is said, according to an old Indian tradition, that many, many moons ago, an Indian brave, young in years, but old in the use of the bow and arrow, tomahawk, and "sich" implements of aboriginal warfare, and scienced in woodcraft, who had taken many scalps and was a terror to the enemies of his tribe, while scouting through the forests in the vicinity of Jerusalem Four Corners, espied a maiden of another tribe, whose charms he became enamored with. His passion was returned by the lovely maiden ; many stolen interviews beneath the starlight and boughs of the old oak trees around Wageforth City, before it was a city, and before the curses of profane oil-teamsters, passing over the Pitbole and Miller Farm plank road, were heard or known by the dusky sons of the forest, took place. They also "paddled their light canoes" on Oil Creek, between the ports of Bull Bun, Cow Hun, Calf Run and Pioneer, on moonlight nights, oft-times resting on their oars or enfolded in a loving embrace, pledging vows of eternal constancy and singing the simple Indian love songs. Many other foolisms were indulged in by these dusky lovers, the upshot of the whole affair being an elopement (we forget the Indian name for it) to the favored land in the neighborhood of Benninghoff Hill and Funkville Flats. Accordingly, one dark and stormy night, the beauteous maiden slipped from her couch of buffalo robes and beech boughs, gently pulled a slab of birch from the side of the old chief's hut, and "slid" for the "wild woods free," at the head waters of West Pithole Creek, meeting her "brave" near the Rattlesnake school-house. The sun had hardly dawned above the western horizon ere the alarm was sounded in the Indian camp, and the "old man" and his followers started in pursuit. Following the trail, they discovered the fleeing lovers near the Sam Boyd farm, who, finding themselves discovered, made for the Espey farm, arriving at the edge of the hill at Lovers' Leap, and finding that the old man did not let up in the pursuit, the devoted lovers concluded to "slip their cables" and die together, and, with a last, long, loving embrace, clasped in each other's arms, they jumped over the bank, and were reduced to minute fragments. Hence the name — Lovers' Leap,
Seems legit to me? After all, it IS publicized in the papers for the time period?
About the site.
Per Wikipedia - "Lover's Leap is a steep granite cliff band in El Dorado County, California, United States, a landmark which catches the eye as one travels by, and a popular destination for climbers. The origin of its name is unknown, but common to most Lover's Leaps, one version from local folklore says two Native Americans lovers leapt to their deaths from the summit.About the site.
The historic Pony Express trail roughly parallels Route 50, and runs directly beneath Lover's Leap."
 |
| Via - 50cabins.com |
From The Strawberry Lodge website, which is nestled right at the foot of Lover's Leap, Tahoe.
The Legend of Lover's Leap
"A legend lives of long ago,
When natives liked to roam,
Of an Indian maid of the Miwok shade,
Who was far away from home.
She met a brave. They fell in love
In the alpine regions high,
‘Neath a Tahoe moon they’d often spoon
By the lake of the azure sky.
The Medicine Man, who much alarmed,
Strolled alone to his own teepee,
He rattled bones, and turquoise stones,
Then shared the Gods’ decree.
Their troth was plighted beneath the stars.
(Both happy it is said)
Came a tribal voice: “I forbid the choice!
These two shall never Wed!”
So the Washoe buck took the Miwok maid
Far away o’er hill and dell,
They stood where it’s steep, by the Lover’s Leap
And they bade the world farewell.
They went to the happy hunting ground,
And left behind earth’s trial and woe,
The beautiful maid of the Miwok shade,
And her brave of the high Washoe."
- W. F. Skyhawk
What I found-
While researching information on this story, I found many other places had similar "Lover's Leap" Stories. I found a few.......but then I found A LOT!
This one in Hannibal, Missouri
 |
| Courtesy of Tammie Dickerson's Artistic Journey |
Another here in Pere Marquette State Park in Illinois:
 |
| Illustration by Britt Spencer at St Louis Mag |
Another in Bangor Maine:
 |
| Courtesy of Bangor Daily News |
In fact- According to Wikipedia:
List of locations
- In the United States
Bluff Park, Hoover, Alabama
Lovers Leap, DeSoto Caverns, Childersburg, Alabama
Lovers' Leap, Tombigbee River Mile 96, Jackson, Alabama
Noccalula Falls Park, Gadsden, Alabama
Lovers Leap, Green Forest, Arkansas
Lovers' Leap, Greenwood, Arkansas
Lovers Leap, Knights Ferry, California, alongside California Highway 120
Lovers' Leap, Lake Tahoe, California
Quincy, California, off Buck's Lake Road
Vail, Colorado, name of a run on Blue Sky Basin
Lovers' Leap Bridge and State Park, New Milford, Connecticut
Lover's Leap, Yonah Mountain, Georgia
Rock City, a roadside attraction in Lookout Mountain, Georgia
Two Lover's Point (Puntan dos Amantes) in Tumon, Guam
Starved Rock State Park, Illinois
Lovers' Leap, Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Slade, Kentucky
Lovers' Leap Park, Bangor, Maine
Cumberland Narrows, Maryland
Purgatory Chasm State Reservation, Massachusetts
Lovers Leap, Hannibal, Missouri
Lover's Leap, The Palisades, Weehawken, New Jersey
Philmont Scout Ranch, outside Cimarron, New Mexico
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Lover's Leap, located along Oklahoma State Highway 10 and the Illinois River in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania
Lovers' Leap, in Cameron Park, Waco, Texas
Lover's Leap, in Washington County, Utah
Lovers' Leap in Patrick County, Virginia, about 10 miles (16 km) west of Stuart on U.S. Highway 58
Natural Tunnel State Park, Duffield, Virginia
Lovers' Leap, Turn Point, Stuart Island, Washington
Maiden Rock, Wisconsin
-Elsewhere (In the world)
List of locations
- In the United States
Bluff Park, Hoover, Alabama
Lovers Leap, DeSoto Caverns, Childersburg, Alabama
Lovers' Leap, Tombigbee River Mile 96, Jackson, Alabama
Noccalula Falls Park, Gadsden, Alabama
Lovers Leap, Green Forest, Arkansas
Lovers' Leap, Greenwood, Arkansas
Lovers Leap, Knights Ferry, California, alongside California Highway 120
Lovers' Leap, Lake Tahoe, California
Quincy, California, off Buck's Lake Road
Vail, Colorado, name of a run on Blue Sky Basin
Lovers' Leap Bridge and State Park, New Milford, Connecticut
Lover's Leap, Yonah Mountain, Georgia
Rock City, a roadside attraction in Lookout Mountain, Georgia
Two Lover's Point (Puntan dos Amantes) in Tumon, Guam
Starved Rock State Park, Illinois
Lovers' Leap, Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Slade, Kentucky
Lovers' Leap Park, Bangor, Maine
Cumberland Narrows, Maryland
Purgatory Chasm State Reservation, Massachusetts
Lovers Leap, Hannibal, Missouri
Lover's Leap, The Palisades, Weehawken, New Jersey
Philmont Scout Ranch, outside Cimarron, New Mexico
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Lover's Leap, located along Oklahoma State Highway 10 and the Illinois River in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania
Lovers' Leap, in Cameron Park, Waco, Texas
Lover's Leap, in Washington County, Utah
Lovers' Leap in Patrick County, Virginia, about 10 miles (16 km) west of Stuart on U.S. Highway 58
Natural Tunnel State Park, Duffield, Virginia
Lovers' Leap, Turn Point, Stuart Island, Washington
Maiden Rock, Wisconsin
-Elsewhere (In the world)
Fonte dos Amores, Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Elora Gorge, Elora, Ontario, Canada
La piedra feliz, Valparaíso, Chile
Đulin Ponor, Ogulin, Croatia
Green Valley View aka Suicide Point, Kodaikanal, India
Lovers' Leap Rock, Dargle Valley, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland
Lovers' Leap, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica
Lovers Leap, Otago Peninsula, Dunedin, New Zealand
Lovers' Rock (la Peña de los Enamorados), Antequera, Andalusia, Spain
Lovers' Leap, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
Lovers' Leap, Blaise castle estate, Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Lovers' Leap, Dovedale, Peak District, England, United Kingdom
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