Legends

    A legend is a story that is handed down from generation to generation and is popular with its audience. Rich Mountain has had almost 150 years to create such legends. Some of these legends have been proven correct, while others have been proven to be just tales. Whichever category these legends fall into, they are still a part of history because they show a deeper meaning.  These legends are mainly from the book  Mountain Memories.

Lover's Leap

    After learning that her beloved husband would never return from his long departure on the warpath, an Indian maiden traveled the long way up the mountain to visit a bluff, which was one of the couple's favorite places. She jumped to her death in order to join her husband. Legend says that if a couple can stand together near the place where the Indian maiden jumped, they will soon be married.

    In 1928 Jennie Stilwell leaped to her death off her New York apartment building after her husband, Arthur Stilwell, passed away. She left a note saying, "I must go to Arthur." Some people believe that the legend of Lover's Leap affected Jennie Stilwell's choice to die.

The First Grave

    All of the members of one of the families living on top of Rich Mountain, except for a small girl, fell sick during one of the coldest seasons ever remembered. The girl who was the only one able to get up out of bed went out to gather firewood in order to keep the rest of her family warm. While outside wolves surrounded her, and she climbed a tree in order to escape. The next morning her frozen body was found in the tree. Some neighbors buried her near the church building where the graveyard was later created.

The Inn's Failure

    Some people believe that the first Wilhelmina Inn's failure was because a tourist, who was the wife a well-known businessman, wanted to feed her dog from one of the Inn's plates in the dining room. She was refused and was not allowed to feed the dog while in the living room. In retaliation she telegraphed her husband. He returned her telegraph with a message telling the hotel workers to follow her wishes. The staff was horrified by this, so they declared they would quit before they allowed the dog to eat in the dining room. Since there was no staff to run the hotel, it closed.

Plants

    A group of scientist visited Rich Mountain and conducted a biological study. They said that more types of fruits, vegetables, timber, flower, medicinal plants, ferns, mosses, grass, weeds and other plants than any other place in the entire world. They discovered 129 types of timber, twenty-seven types of fruit, seventeen medicinal plants, and hundreds of flowers.

The Queen's Visit

    The Mena Star reported an article in 1927 saying that Queen Wilhelmina who the inn was named after, had visited the inn. Witnesses were quoted, and some claimed to have accompanied the Queen up the mountain. For their assistance these people were rewarded with a painting. Another article said that the Queen rode a donkey up the trail to the inn.

    Another story is that the Queen planned to come to the inn but became ill and was not able to come.

Slaves

    A slave master came to Rich Mountain at the beginning of the Civil War. With him he brought approximately one hundred slaves. He thought that in bringing them to the mountain they would be prevented from gaining their freedom and would preserve his way of life. It is believed that the slaves built the first road on the mountain.

Healing Water

    Many people believe that the springs located on top of Rich Mountain contained special healing powers. Many people came to the mountain to escape typhoid and other disease common at that time. The healing powers are contributed to the belief that the springs travel from the Rocky Mountains and go through an aquifer before they reach Rich Mountain.

The Largest Rattlesnake Ever

    One of the residents in 1948 reported that he had killed an enormous rattlesnake in his yard. He said he managed to cut the snake's head off in order to kill it. Later he and another man measured the snake. It ended up being nine feet and three inches long. This would make it the largest rattlesnake ever found, but due to the mysterious disappearance of the snake's body, it was never documented.

The Lost Gold

    When the first railroad was constructed a shipment of gold was carried to Rich Mountain. While the train staff was resting in the Wilhelmina Inn the gold was stolen by a group of thieves. Some people from the Inn saw them and attacked the group. Some of the thieves and tourists were killed, but some of the thieves escaped with the gold and buried it on Rich Mountain. They left secret symbols in order to remember where the gold was buried. Some of the symbols are believed to include the tracks of a doe and a rattlesnake that are carved into trees.