Toccoa Falls facts for kids
Toccoa Falls is a tall and amazing waterfall located in Stephens County, Georgia. It's right on the campus of Toccoa Falls College. The water drops a long way down, about 186 feet (57 m)! That's like falling from a 15-story building.
The name Toccoa comes from the Cherokee language. The Cherokee word "Tagwâ′hĭ" means "Catawba place." It's a name with a lot of history!
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Stories and Legends of Toccoa Falls
People have told many stories about Toccoa Falls for a very long time. The land around the falls became part of the United States in 1783. After that, people started writing down what they saw and heard about the falls.
Old Tales from Settlers
Some early stories were written by people like Elizabeth F. Ellet and Charles Montgomery Skinner. These tales often talked about the early settlers and the Native American people living there. The stories sometimes showed the settlers as being in danger from the Native Americans.
One common idea in these old stories was about women tricking groups of men near the falls. In some versions, the men were Native American. In others, a White woman was forced to trick her own people. These stories were often just folk tales, not real events.
Cherokee Spirit Stories
A researcher named James Mooney lived with the Cherokee people in the 1890s. He wrote down many of their myths and legends. One story he heard about Toccoa Falls was very special.
His assistant, who was half-Cherokee, told him a tale. When White newcomers first saw Toccoa Falls, they saw a Cherokee woman walking right under the water! Then, in a flash, she appeared on top of the falls. Mooney's assistant believed this woman must have been one of the Nûñnë'hï. The Nûñnë'hï are spirit people in Cherokee mythology. They are said to live in secret places and can appear and disappear quickly.
The Dam Break Event
Toccoa Falls College is located below a lake called Kelly Barnes Lake. This lake was held back by a dam.
What Happened in 1977
In the early morning of November 6, 1977, something very sad happened. It had been raining for five days almost without stopping. The dam holding back Kelly Barnes Lake could not hold the water anymore. It broke!
A huge amount of water, about 176 million gallons, rushed down towards the college campus. This happened in just a few minutes. Many people who lived on campus were sleeping when the flood hit. Sadly, 39 people were caught in the fast-moving water of Toccoa Creek.
After the Flood
The dam was never rebuilt after this event. Today, Toccoa Falls remains a beautiful natural wonder. It reminds us of both its power and its history.
