Chonodote
Encyclopedia
Chonodote was an 18th-century village of the Cayuga nation of Iroquois
Indians in what is now upstate New York
, USA. It was located about four and a half miles south of Goiogouen
, on the east side of Cayuga Lake
. Earlier, during the 17th century, this village was known as Deawendote, or Village of the Constant Dawn.
Chonodote was known as Peachtown to the American army because of its orchard of over a thousand peach trees. It consisted of about fourteen longhouses
and stood very near the site of the present-day village of Aurora, New York
.
On September 26, 1779, the village became the last one to be destroyed by the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign
, under the command of William Butler
:
Following the war, many Cayuga relocated to the Seneca
reservation at Tonawanda
.
Archaeological digging has pinpointed the likely location of Chonodote on the northern end of Aurora. Potsherds have been found and evidence of the use of coal in the 1770s was discovered. A historical marker denoting the location of Chonodote (Peachtown) can be found in front of the Aurora Inn, at N 42° 45.282 W 076° 42.164.
In September 2000, Wells College
in Aurora held a festival, Return to Chonodote, honoring the area's Haudenosaunee past and present. The event was co-sponsored by SHARE (Strengthening Haudenosaunee and American Relations through Education), members of the Cayuga Nation and Onondaga Nation, and Ithaca College
.
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
Indians in what is now upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
, USA. It was located about four and a half miles south of Goiogouen
Goiogouen
Goiogouen , was a major village of the Cayuga nation of Iroquois Indians in west-central New York State...
, on the east side of Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake
Cayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
. Earlier, during the 17th century, this village was known as Deawendote, or Village of the Constant Dawn.
Chonodote was known as Peachtown to the American army because of its orchard of over a thousand peach trees. It consisted of about fourteen longhouses
Native American long house
Longhouses were built by native peoples in various parts of North America, sometimes reaching over but generally around wide. The dominant theory is that walls were made of sharpened and fire-hardened poles driven into the ground and the roof consisted of leaves and grass...
and stood very near the site of the present-day village of Aurora, New York
Aurora, Cayuga County, New York
Aurora is a village and college town in Cayuga County, in the Town of Ledyard, north of Ithaca, New York, United States. The village had a population of 720 at the 2000 census, of which more than 400 were college students....
.
On September 26, 1779, the village became the last one to be destroyed by the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign
Sullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
, under the command of William Butler
William Butler
William Butler may refer to:* William Butler , American Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania, one of five Butler brothers in the war...
:
As remorseless as a cannon shot, the axe levelled every tree though burdened with its loads of luscious fruit, and the freshly ripened corn was gathered only to be destroyed. At 10 o'clock A. M., the torch was applied to the dwellings, and as the crackling flames lifted their fiery heads over this scene of havoc and destruction.
Following the war, many Cayuga relocated to the Seneca
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
reservation at Tonawanda
Tonawanda Reservation
The Tonawanda Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation of the Tonawanda Band of Seneca Indians located in western New York, USA. The band is a federally recognized tribe and, in the 2000 census, had 543 people living on the reservation...
.
Archaeological digging has pinpointed the likely location of Chonodote on the northern end of Aurora. Potsherds have been found and evidence of the use of coal in the 1770s was discovered. A historical marker denoting the location of Chonodote (Peachtown) can be found in front of the Aurora Inn, at N 42° 45.282 W 076° 42.164.
In September 2000, Wells College
Wells College
Wells College is a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. Initially an all-women's institution, Wells became a co-ed college in Fall 2005....
in Aurora held a festival, Return to Chonodote, honoring the area's Haudenosaunee past and present. The event was co-sponsored by SHARE (Strengthening Haudenosaunee and American Relations through Education), members of the Cayuga Nation and Onondaga Nation, and Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
.