Indian Falls, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Indian Falls
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 Indian Falls
Location in New York
Indian Falls
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| County | Genesee |
| Population
(2000)
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| • Total | 795 |
Indian Falls is a small community called a hamlet in western New York. It's located in Genesee County, near the town of Pembroke. This area was once home to the Seneca nation, a Native American group. The hamlet gets its name from a beautiful waterfall where Tonawanda Creek flows over a big rock formation.
Contents
History of Indian Falls
The Seneca Nation's Land
For hundreds of years, the land where Indian Falls is now was home to the Seneca Nation. The Seneca were a powerful Native American group. They were known as the "Keeper of the Western Door" among the Haudenosaunee, also called the Iroquois League. This group of nations lived across much of upstate and western New York for centuries.
During the American Revolutionary War, the Seneca Nation sided with the British. After the United States won its independence, the Seneca had to give up most of their land. Many Seneca people moved to Canada. Their descendants still live there on the Six Nations Reserve. Some Seneca people stayed in New York on the Tonawanda Reservation.
Ely Parker: A Local Hero
Ely Parker was born in 1828 in a log cabin near the waterfalls. His parents were Seneca. At that time, this area was part of the Tonawanda Reservation. Ely Parker grew up to be an amazing person. He became an engineer and a military officer.
He worked closely with General Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil War. Ely Parker even wrote the final draft of the surrender terms for the Confederate army. This happened at Appomattox, which ended the Civil War. Later, when Grant became president, he chose Parker to be the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1870. Ely Parker was the first Native American to hold this important position.
Indian Falls as a Village
In 1868, Indian Falls officially became a village. However, the community later decided to give up this village status.
Geography of Indian Falls
The Big Falls and Tonawanda Creek
Indian Falls is known for its beautiful "Big Falls." You can see these waterfalls when you turn onto Gilmore Road. This road is also close to where Ely Parker used to live.
Route 77 is a main road that runs north and south through the hamlet. The Tonawanda Creek flows through Indian Falls in a westerly direction. In the year 2000, about 795 people lived in this community.
Notable Person from Indian Falls
- Ely S. Parker, a former lieutenant colonel during the Civil War and the first Native American Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
