Nearly 300 years ago, Cherokee Indians gathered each summer at Kanasta, now known as Connestee. As the braves prepared for war against other Indian tribes, a young Cherokee chieftain spent time on the mountain paths with a maiden of his tribe, and one of their favorite meeting places was the rock cliff at Jump Off Mountain. When the warriors departed, they promised to meet again there, but as evening after evening passed, the young woman climbed to the cliff, watched for her lover, prayed to the “Long Person” for his return, and sent out the notes of an Indian love call without hearing any answer. The returning warriors eventually brought news that the young chief had been killed in battle. In grief, she climbed to the edge of the cliff, stepped forward, and later hunters found her broken body below. Tradition holds that on some moonlit nights the ghost of the Indian maid can still be seen there, and such legends remain part of the heritage the native tribes contributed to the Southern Appalachian region.