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Frogs and thread! Everyone is talking about the frogs
sitting on top of spools of thread. What are the frogs sitting on
top of spools of thread on the bridge?
This is because of Windham’s Frog Legend and the fact that Willimantic
is the “Thread City”
It all started in June of 1754. The villagers of Windham were awakened in the
middle of the night by terrible sounds coming from up the road. The settlers
prepared for battle fearing it was an Indian attack. When morning came, the villagers
grabbed their guns and marched towards the direction of the noise. When they
arrived at the nearby pond the villagers were shocked to find the bodies of hundreds
of dead bullfrogs. Those frogs that were still alive were heading towards the
Willimantic River.
The reason for the Bullfrog Battle was unclear. Some say there
had been a drought and the Bullfrogs were fighting for territory. Others say
it was not a particularly dry summer and there had been no drought. Another version
is that the Miller had opened the dam’s gate leaving the water level quite
low. The pond was named Frog Pond from that time on. The villagers took the frogs
as their mascot. To this day, you can see frogs all over Windham. The town seal
has a bullfrog on it as you can see on their site.
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