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In the northeastern corner of Alabama on Lookout Mountain, near the town of Mentone, you find the most magnificent waterfall in Alabama, DeSoto Falls. Dropping 104 feet into the west fork of Little River, these pristine headwaters meander a few miles downstream to find their way into Little River Canyon. Just above the falls stands a twenty-foot high dam, built in the 1920's by a brilliant, self-educated electrical engineer, Arthur Abernathy Miller. It was created to help supply power for his hydroelectric generator which was constructed below the falls. Today, if you cross the dam and take the trail down to the site, you find remnants of the concrete base where power was generated to supply the towns of Fort Payne, Mentone, Valley Head, Collinsville and Menlo, Georgia. Miller and a partner also bought 300 acres surrounding the falls to divide into building lots with plans for a community. Included in the plans was a park at an old fortress below the falls. The great depression, no doubt, played a big part in the demise of the project. Today DeSoto Falls is open to the public with minimal barriers. If you want a picture of the falls at the crack of day, there is no gate to bar your entrance. Except for a couple of warning signs and some old railings, you are free to enjoy the area in its natural state. I have seen young kids scamper across the narrow dam and I've seen a teenager in need of attention, disappear over the edge of the falls to stand on a narrow rock ledge. It is a dangerous place for those who abandon caution. Occasionally someone jumps from the falls and is seriously injured and I've heard of one recent death. I can't commend the park service enough for preserving the natural beauty of the area instead of installing chain length fence or some other atrocity for the sake of safety, like they have at other parks in Alabama. DeSoto Falls remains a landmark of Alabama's natural beauty. When Hernando DeSoto explored the nearby Coosa valley in 1540, he never visited the falls which was later named after him. As recorded by federal troops in 1863, they were originally known as Indian Falls. Such a beautiful place was cherished by American Indians long before Europeans knew the continent existed. Not far from Mentone, across the Georgia line, artifacts have been found that date back about 2000 years. Thirty miles away at Russell Cave, Indians artifacts have been dated back to around 8,000 BC. Ruins of three cave dwellings used by the Indians still remain below DeSoto Falls. An interesting first hand account of the area, including the ruins, was written by Albert James Pickett in his book, History of Alabama, in October, 1850. (Pickett's account) The caves are sometimes referred to as the Welsh caves. There has been serious speculation by historians that the caves were built by Prince Madoc, a Welsh explorer who may have landed in Mobile Bay in 1170. Some, however, totally disregard the idea. Although the possibility can't be ruled out, much of the speculation has been driven by folklore and wishful thinking.

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