Tionondogen facts for kids

Tionondogen (also called Tionondogue or Tionontoguen) was a very important town for the Mohawk Nation, a group of Iroquois people. It was the farthest west of their three main towns. Europeans often called these towns "castles" because they were protected by strong wooden walls called palisades. Because Tionondogen was located furthest up the Mohawk River, it was often known as the "Upper Castle."

This historic town was found at a place now called the "White Orchard" archaeological site. It's located in the town of Palatine, New York, on the north side of the Mohawk River. The site covers about 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres). Experts believe that between 700 and 900 people lived there.

History of Tionondogen

Building the Town

Tionondogen was first built after a big attack in 1666. Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy, a leader from New France (which is now Canada), led a raid that destroyed other major Mohawk towns. These towns were located south of the Mohawk River. After this attack, the Mohawks built Tionondogen.

Jesuit Missionaries Arrive

Following a peace agreement with the French, the Mohawks allowed Jesuit missionaries to live among them. In 1668, a priest named Father Jacques Bruyas started a mission called St. Marys' in Tionondogen. While living there, he wrote important books in the Mohawk language. These included a grammar guide, a dictionary, a catechism (a book of religious teachings), and a prayer-book.

A Visitor's Description

In 1677, an English visitor named Wentworth Greenhalgh wrote about Tionondogen. He said the town had two layers of wooden walls around it. It had four gates, each about four feet wide. He noted that the town contained about thirty houses. Greenhalgh also mentioned that Tionondogen was on a hill, "a Bow shott" (meaning a short distance) from the Mohawk River.

Mohawks Move On

In 1679, the Jesuit missionaries left the Mohawk Valley. Many Mohawk people who had become Christian converts went with them. They moved to Kahnawake, a new community near Montreal.

In 1689, the Mohawks started building a new "castle" (town) nearby. Records from the City of Albany show that the Mohawks asked for help. They needed two or three pairs of horses and five or six men. This help was for moving the heaviest wooden posts for their new town. They were moving it about an English mile further up the river. The Albany government sent the help to show their friendship. It seems this new town was not fully finished by 1693.

Attack by the French

In 1693, Count Frontenac, another French leader, led a large attack against the Mohawks. The French captured and burned two other Mohawk towns, Caughnawaga and Canajoharie, without a fight. Tionondogen was attacked by surprise. About 20 to 30 people were killed, and 300 were taken captive. After this attack, the town was left empty. The Mohawks then moved back to the south side of the river.

Archaeological Discoveries

In the late 1800s, an amateur archaeologist named Adelbert G. Richmond did some digging at the Tionondogen site. He collected many items, and some of these are now in the "Richmond/Frey Collection." This collection is kept at the Montgomery County Historical Society in Old Fort Johnson at Fort Johnson, New York.

Since then, people have occasionally found artifacts at the site. A team from the University at Albany has walked over the area to study it. However, as of 1995, no official large-scale digging (excavation) had taken place. At that time, the site was on private land used for farming.