Goiogouen facts for kids
Goiogouen (also known as Cayuga Castle) was a very important village for the Cayuga people. The Cayuga are part of the larger Iroquois group of Native Americans. This village was located in the western part of New York State, on the eastern side of Cayuga Lake. It was near a place called Great Gully Brook. Goiogouen was about 10 miles (16 km) south of another large Cayuga town called Tiohero. Today, it's near the southern border of Springport, New York. The village was also about four miles (6 km) north of Aurora, New York and two miles (3 km) south of Union Springs, New York.
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A Look at Goiogouen's History
Goiogouen was built a long time ago, at least by 1656. This was when a French mission called St. Joseph was started nearby. The village was lived in for many years, through the late 1600s and most of the 1700s. It was destroyed by American soldiers in 1779 during the American Revolution. However, people moved back and lived there again until 1784.
Early Visits by Missionaries
In 1656, two Jesuit missionaries, Joseph Chaumanot and René Menard, came to the area. They were invited by a Cayuga chief named Saonchiogwa. Later, other missionaries like Étienne de Carheil and Pierre Raffeix also visited. These Jesuits built what was likely the first Christian church west of the Onondaga territory. Their mission in Goiogouen was named St. Joseph.
What Goiogouen Looked Like
When the Jesuits first visited, Goiogouen was described as a village with many longhouses. These houses had roofs shaped like ridges and were covered with bark from elm trees. The village was surrounded by large fields of corn that stretched all the way to the forest.
In 1671, Pierre Raffeix wrote about the land around Goiogouen. He said it was the most beautiful country he had seen in America. He described it as a flat area between two lakes, not very wide, with lovely woods. More than a thousand deer were hunted near Goiogouen every year. There was also plenty of fish, like salmon and eels. He even saw ten very good salt springs about four leagues away, next to a river.
Goiogouen During the American Revolution
During the American Revolution, Goiogouen was still a thriving village. It had "fifteen very large square log houses," which were actually longhouses. Soldiers from the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign said these houses were very well built.
Near the village, there were about 110 acres (45 hectares) of cornfields. The people also grew many other foods. These included apples, peaches, potatoes, turnips, onions, pumpkins, and squashes. All these vegetables were grown in large amounts.
The Village is Destroyed
On September 23, 1779, American troops from the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign attacked Goiogouen. They destroyed the village and its crops. This event was part of a larger effort to weaken the Iroquois nations who were allied with the British during the war.
Goiogouen's Legacy Today
Even though Goiogouen was destroyed, its history is remembered. In 1929, New York State put up a monument near where the village once stood. This monument helps people remember the important history of Goiogouen and the Cayuga people.
