Everywhere you go in Willimantic, it seems like you run into frogs. They adorn businesses, the local bridge, and even the city seal has a croaker on it. Frogs have been associated with Willimantic for centuries, all the way back to the mid-1700s. But do you know the story of why frogs became the symbol of this Connecticut town?

This is one of our favorite tidbits of Connecticut history! The American bullfrog is a species commonly found in the state. They typically inhabit areas near ponds or lakes.
Carl D. Howe/Wikimedia Commons
What's now known as the "Battle of the Frogs" occurred in Windham, a town that has a pond that makes a great sanctuary for bullfrogs.
JJBers/Wikimedia Commons
Back in 1754, the French and Indian War broke out. The French colonies and British colonies fought against one another, helped by local Native American tribes.
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Needless to say, residents of Connecticut were nervous. Attacks from French settlers and Native tribes from Canada could come at virtually any time. The area was suffering from a prolonged drought and tensions were quite high.
One quiet June night, citizens of Windham were awakened by what they believed to be war drums and the chaos of an enemy attack. The colonists awakened, many fleeing outside in their nightclothes armed with weapons.
Wayne Schulz/Google Maps

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Come morning, it was discovered that the "enemy attack" was actually the sounds of frogs battling. Their territory had been diminished by the drought and males were competing for females.
Gregory Bidwell/Google Maps
Reportedly, there were hundreds of dead frogs lying on either side of the small pond.
Tongue-in-cheek tales of the great Battle of the Frogs spread far and wide. Frogs ended up becoming a symbol of the area, and even appear on a bridge connecting the two sides of the Willimantic River.
Jacob Blanck/Google Maps
A visit to Willimantic today will show you plenty of frogs on local shop and restaurant logos, like this one from the Willimantic Brewing Company.
mutualexcrement/Google Maps
There were even ballads composed about the mighty frog fight, and an 1891 operetta.
The Windham Bank, chartered in 1832, (more than 80 years after the Battle of the Frogs), released banknotes with the town symbol. In the right corner, the victorious frog lies atop his dead foe.
Windham Bank/Mansfield Numismatic Society/Wikimedia Commons

Did you know about this interesting story from Connecticut history? What other Connecticut stories would you like to see featured? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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