The Finger Lakes
Historic New York
The Finger Lakes of central New York occupy deep north-south valleys bordered by beautiful sloping shore lines which are occasionally cut by picturesque glens and gorges. From west to east these sparkling lakes are Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco and Skaneateles. Seneca, the longest, is one of the deepest bodies of water in the United States.
A main village of the Seneca Indians was Kanadasaga, now Geneva, while Cayugas occupied the region to the east. In retaliation for raids by Iroquois Indians on the New York frontier during the American Revolution, the Sullivan Clinton Expedition of 1779 devastated these Indian villages. Veterans of the campaign returned to the area, and the eastern portion was included in the Military Tract, land set aside as a bounty to former soldiers. The western Finger Lakes area was part of the Phelps-Gorham Purchase. Settlement started in 1787 and increased rapidly after 1790.
The construction of feeder canals linking the lakes to the Erie Canal after 1830 stimulated agricultural and industrial development. The advantages of soil and climate make the region of the central Finger Lakes ideal for growing grapes for champagne and other fine wines.
Marker can be reached from NYS Thruway - Junius Ponds Rest Area.
Courtesy hmdb.org
