The great «RIBIT» frog fight The city of Willimantic has a very unusual bridge. Officially called The Thread City Crossing, it’s more popular moniker is The Frog Bridge. A very nice and useful bridge with some nice views, it was completed in 2000 and has both lanes for motor vehicles and pedestians. However, what makes this bridge so unique and cool aren’t the views or function, it’s the four eleven foot high bronze frogs sitting on each corner. Actually if you look closely you will see that the colossal amphibians are sitting on huge spools of thread. These critters have dropped the jaws of many unsuspecting motorists that happen to be passing through the town. Years ago Willimantic had many cotton mills that produced thread of exceptional quality, hence the name The Thread City. That explains the spools of thread on the bridge but many inhabitants of the the city aren’t even sure what the hell the giant frogs symbolize. The answer is far more curious and interesting than most folks even imagine. Way back in 1754 the good people of the town were roused from their beds during the deep hours of a dark night by a strange, mysterious and increasing loud noise. The disquietude kept increasing until it became a virtually cacophony of raspy and clangorous sound. Most of the people were terrified and fell down on their knees to pray while other more intrepid souls grabbed guns and rocks to fend off the invaders. Many thought it had to be the end of the world, or at the very least this part of the world. Stories tell that it was absolute bedlam. People firing guns at the woods, sky or each other while others were begging their maker for forgiveness. Nobody knew exactly what to do or what the cause of the tumultuous rumpus was. The chaos lasted all night. At the first light the cause became obvious; thousands of dead frogs were seen everywhere. Apparently a severe drought caused the last ponds to dry up and the green ruffians were all desperately seeking the last bits of water and fighting each other in a sort of froggy turf battle. No wonder the poor people couldn’t figure out what was going on. Nothing in life prepared them for this. So now the bridge sits in mute testimony to the great frog fight of 1754. Quietly doing it’s job of getting people across the river and shocking the hell out of unsuspecting motorists going by. I love things like this and I think this bridge is strange, bizarre and so very, very cool. I give the bridge with the huge frogs five big stars, how could I give it anything else?
