Catherine's Town facts for kids

Catherine's Town was an important village of the Seneca Nation. It was also known by other names like Queanettquaga or Sheoquago. The village got its informal name from a very important Seneca woman, Catherine Montour.

Catherine's Town was located at the southern end of Seneca Lake. This area is near what we call Watkins Glen today. You can also find towns and villages like Catharine, Montour, and Montour Falls nearby. These places are all named after Catherine Montour. The area is now part of Schuyler County, New York.

A Famous Seneca Leader

A well-known Seneca leader named Red Jacket was connected to this area. People say he used to practice his powerful speeches at Shequaga Falls. This beautiful waterfall is located close by, in the area of Montour Falls. Some historical accounts even suggest that Red Jacket was buried there.

The Village's Destruction

Catherine's Town faced a terrible event in 1779. It was destroyed by American soldiers during the Sullivan Expedition. This expedition was part of the American Revolutionary War. American forces attacked more than 40 Iroquois villages. They did this because British and Iroquois groups had raided settlements in the eastern Mohawk Valley.

When Catherine's Town was attacked, it had about 30 houses. There were also large fields of corn and fruit orchards. All of these were burned down by the soldiers. The Seneca people also lost their important food supplies for winter, like their stored corn.

Changing Names of the Area

During the time of the first European settlements, Catherine's Town had a few different names. These included French Catherine Town, Catherine's Landing, and Catherinestown. All of these names honored Catherine Montour.

Later, in the late 1700s, new settlers from Europe and America began to develop the area. The village then became known as Havana. Eventually, it was renamed Montour Falls, New York. Today, Montour Falls is both a village and a larger town.