Folks say that when Sam Patch was born, he jumped right into his mother's arms. That was just the beginning! As a young boy working at a cotton mill, he jumped off the mill roof into the river below. When he was older, he jumped off cliffs and a ship, earning a reputation as a true daredevil. Then on October 17, 1829, Sam jumped into Niagara Falls! News of his death-defying leaps swept the nation-and Sam Patch jumped right into American legend.