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To: Chad Fairbanks
No, I'm not. I'm Welsh and Irish; a dirty, coal mining, potato farming, cracker!

But, I used to live south of Rochester NY, which was until (let me see if I can get these facts correct) 1687, a 20,000 strong Seneca village. There was also a Jesuit mission there from 1668 - 1683. It has been noted that the Senecas let the Algonkins use the ponds and lakes around here for fishing and lived in harmony with them.

The neighborhood I lived in was called Sibleyville, or Rochester Junction, however before that, it was Totiakton, or "In The Great Bend", of the Honeoye Creek. The area is rich in history. In fact, at this time, the Senecas controled a rather large area of the frontier, from Syracuse NY to mid-Ohio. This makes it interesting that with an area as large as that, they would have chosen this site for such a large village.

In July 1687 a French and Indian war party led by Denonville moved across the frontier and slaughtered almost all of the Senecas who lived there. They claimed Totiakton for Louis XIV. This was on my street, a half mile from my house.

There is a Seneca leader, Peter Jemison, who knows all the details of this area in relation to the Senecas and the Haudenosaunee in general. I would like to chat with this guy because I think this stuff is fascinating!

An excellent map of the Seneca land and early interaction with the French on the Seneca frontier is located at http://www.bikexprt.com/map/bwmap.htm. I'm located at "Rochster Junction" at the bottom of the map, at Totiakton 1 and Totiakton 2. The village is now called Honeoye Falls (inside the Town of Mendon).

There is some info about the Totiakton preservation project in my old neighborhood at http://www.mendonfoundationinc.org/mendonpages/sibleyville.html

sorry about the history lesson if you are not interested, but I find the history of this region fascinating.

138 posted on 09/23/2003 9:59:26 AM PDT by bc2 (http://www.thinkforyourself.us)
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To: bc2
Well, I'm not one of the peaceful Seneca - I'm one of the war-mongering kick-butt and take names Mohawks ;0)

It IS a fascinating region, with an awesome history :0) Thanks for the links!
148 posted on 09/23/2003 10:15:54 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks ("People never grow up, they just learn how to act in public." - Bryan White)
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To: bc2
Well, I'm not one of the peaceful Seneca - I'm one of the war-mongering kick-butt and take names Mohawks ;0)

It IS a fascinating region, with an awesome history :0) Thanks for the links!
151 posted on 09/23/2003 10:19:09 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks ("People never grow up, they just learn how to act in public." - Bryan White)
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