Greenwood Before It was Greenwood

Before Greenwood officially became its own township in 1827, the area was part of the larger Tioga, later called Canisteo, Valley region of Steuben County, New York. The first European settlers arrived in the early 1820s, but long before their arrival, Native American communities traveled, hunted, farmed, and lived throughout this land.

Much of the written history of Steuben County was recorded from the perspective of early white settlers. As a result, Native American life in the region is often only briefly mentioned. However, careful study of early travel journals, land surveys, and historical accounts reveals that Native Americans had a deep and lasting influence on the land that would later become Greenwood.

Travelers passing through the Tioga and Canisteo Valleys during the 1790s described visible signs of Native American settlements and farming. Old cornfields remained along the Tioga River near the mouths of Bennett’s Creek and Col. Bill’s Creek. Bennett’s Creek flowed through what is now Greenwood.

At that time, nearly all of Steuben County was covered by dense forests filled with beech, maple, hemlock, white pine, and oak trees. Native Americans carefully managed these forests. Hunters regularly burned sections of woodland to improve grazing areas for deer and to clear travel routes through the thick forest. Over time, repeated burning changed the landscape. By 1800, large areas were covered with scrub oak and yellow pine.

A Dangerous Borderland

During the seventeenth century, the Greenwood region was part of a contested frontier.

The Seneca Nation, members of the Haudenosaunee [hoe-dee-noh-SHOW-nee], or Iroquois Confederacy, fought against the Andaste [an-DASS-tee], contemporarily known as the Susquehannock [suss-kweh-HAN-ock]*, people who lived south of the Finger Lakes region. The hills and valleys surrounding present-day Greenwood became dangerous territory traveled mainly by hunting and war parties.

By 1675, the Iroquois Confederacy defeated the Andastes during a series of conflicts connected to control of the North American fur trade. Although the Canisteo Valley became safer from attack, permanent settlements remained limited for many years.

As conflicts continued between the Iroquois and Delaware peoples, some Delaware refugees settled in Passigachkunk [pass-ih-GATCH-kunk], later known as Canisteo. Visitors from Pennsylvania described Native cabins and cornfields along the Tioga (Canisteo) River.

The region later came under the influence of the Geneseo Seneca, who strongly opposed English settlement. During the French and Indian War, Seneca and Munsee [MUN-see] Delaware warriors joined French-allied forces in raids against frontier settlements in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Captives were sometimes brought to towns like Passigachkunk along the Tioga River, where some were later sold to the French at Fort Niagara.

Andaste is a European historical term used in 17^th and 18^th century writings to refer to a Siouan-speaking (a group of related languages such as Dakota, Lakota, Crow, Hidatsa, and others of the Great Plains, Ohio Valley, and Eastern Woodlands of North America, along with the cultures of the people who speak them) indigenous people living in the Susquehanna [suss-kewh-HAN-ah] River region. In contemporary usage, the group is more commonly identified as Susquehannock, the standard term used in history, archaeology, and indigenous studies.  

Clouds of War

When rebellion broke out between the American colonies and Great Britain, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy faced a terrible question: whether to remain neutral or take sides in a war that was not of their making.

The Confederacy attempted neutrality at first. But unity fractured under pressure.

Most of the Seneca, including those living in and around the Canisteo Valley, ultimately allied with the British. This decision was not driven by loyalty to the Crown so much as by self-preservation. British officials—unlike many colonial settlers—had at least formally recognized Native land boundaries. American expansion, by contrast, pressed relentlessly westward.

As war intensified, Seneca warriors joined British-led and Loyalist campaigns along the frontier. Raids and reprisals scarred the borderlands of New York and Pennsylvania. Settler communities burned—and so did Native villages in retaliation. Violence spread like fire through dry leaves.

The Canisteo Valley, once a place of seasonal rhythm, became a corridor of fear and movement. Families fled temporarily to safer villages. Warriors traveled through familiar trails now shadowed by danger. The land itself felt the strain.

The Year the World Burned: 1779

In the summer of 1779, General George Washington ordered a decisive strike against the Haudenosaunee nations allied with the British. The goal was explicit: destroy villages, crops, and food stores to break Native resistance.

The Sullivan–Clinton Campaign moved systematically through Seneca country.

Although the most famous destruction occurred at places like Little Beard’s Town (near present-day Cuylerville) and the Genesee Valley, the shockwaves reached far beyond. Villages throughout western and southern New York were abandoned or destroyed. Cornfields were cut down. Orchards—some planted generations earlier—were felled.

In the Canisteo Valley, Seneca families fled ahead of the advancing forces. Those who escaped traveled west and north, many eventually reaching British-held Fort Niagara. The journey was brutal. Hunger, exposure, and disease followed them.

What had been a lived-in landscape for centuries fell suddenly silent.

Aftermath: A Land Reclaimed, A People Displaced

When the war ended, the Seneca did not regain their Canisteo homeland.

Despite their alliance with Britain, they were excluded from peace negotiations. In the decades that followed, a series of treaties—many coercive or dishonestly executed—stripped the Seneca of vast tracts of land. By the time Greenwood was formally named in 1827, the original inhabitants of the valley had been pushed onto small reservations far to the west.

Yet the land remembers.

The river still follows its ancient course. The hills still rise where Seneca hunters once watched the valleys below. Arrowheads, traces of fields, and oral traditions all whisper of a time when Greenwood was not a town but part of a much larger Seneca world—one shaped by diplomacy, agriculture, kinship, and profound connection to place.

Wampum of New York

Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of North America. The term first referred to white and purple beads made from the quahog [KOE-hawg], also known as the Western North Atlantic hard-shelled clam, but has expanded to include white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell.

During the attempts to travel the Forbidden Trail (see Part 2), Wampum was presented as a formal affirmation of cooperation or friendship between groups, or as an invitation to a meeting.

In New York, wampum beads have been discovered dating from before 1510. Before European contact, strings of wampum were used for storytelling, ceremonial gifts, and recording important treaties and historical events.

Northeastern Indigenous tribes also used wampum as a means of exchange, strung together in lengths for convenience. The process to make wampum was labor-intensive with stone tools. The coastal tribes had sufficient access to the basic shells to make wampum. These factors increased their scarcity and consequent value among the early European traders, who understood it as a currency and adopted it as such in trading with them.

Famous Use Of Wampum

Following Native protocol, George Washington had a wampum belt made to ratify the Treaty of Canandaigua [kan-an-DAY-gwuh]. The thirteen figures holding hands represent the thirteen states. The longhouse symbolizes the Haudenosaunee [hoe-dee-noh-SHOW-nee]. The figures on either side are the Mohawk (Keepers of the Eastern Door) and the Seneca (Keepers of the Western Door).

George Washington Wampum Belt (replica), 2014

Anthony Gonyea (Onondaga [on-un-DAW-guh] Nation, b. 1961) New York

Ceramic beads, leather, sinew.

Hidden Trails Through the Forest

One of the clearest signs of indigenous people presence was the network of trails that crossed the region. These footpaths became essential routes for early explorers and settlers.

From Indian Paths of Steuben County by James Folts,

 published by the Steuben County Historical Society in 1974

For generations, Native hunters, traders, and warriors selected the easiest and most efficient ways through the wilderness. Historians studying Native American trails often describe them with three important words: dry, level, and direct. These routes worked well for people traveling on foot, even though many later proved unsuitable for wagons or automobiles.

Some modern highways in the Canisteo Valley still follow portions of these early Native trails. Other connecting paths disappeared over time and no longer match today’s roads.

Because detailed maps rarely existed, many Native American paths became known as “Hidden Trails.” Most information about them comes from travel diaries and scattered survey notes written during the late eighteenth century.

Mapping the Hidden Trails

Historical evidence suggests several Native American paths crossed the Greenwood region.

One trail followed the west bank of Col. Bill’s Creek through present-day Jasper before continuing south into Pennsylvania.

Another trail traveled along the west side of Bennett’s Creek through the towns of Canisteo and Greenwood before heading southwest along Cryder Creek in West Union and into Allegany County.

A connecting trail ran along Red Spring Run near present-day South Canisteo and crossed into the northeast corner of Greenwood.

These trails linked Native communities, hunting grounds, and trading routes across western New York and northern Pennsylvania.

Preserving the Trail Today

Interest in Greenwood’s Hidden Trails continued into the twentieth century.

In the early 1960s, a section of the trail between Greenwood and Andover was marked by local Boy Scouts of Troop 62 led by Ed Mullen. During the mid-1970s, Mike Holt restored the markings on the trail as his Eagle Scout* project.

Today, the Historical Society hopes to once again remark and preserve the trail for future generations.

For additional research, visitors may consult Indian Paths of Steuben County by James Folts, available in the Historical Society Research Center.

* The Eagle Scout Award is the highest rank achievable in Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America). It is earned by scouts who demonstrate leadership, character, citizenship, and outdoor skills through years of advancement and service.

The Eagle Scout Service Project is a planned, organized service effort that benefits a community organization or public place (such as a park, school, church, or historical site).

The People of the Western Door

The Seneca were the westernmost nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy—the Keepers of the Western Door. Their role was both symbolic and practical. They stood as guardians of the Confederacy’s frontier, mediating trade, diplomacy, and war between the Haudenosaunee and neighboring peoples, as well as with Europeans.

By the mid-18th century, Seneca villages dotted the Finger Lakes, the Genesee Valley, and the river systems flowing south and east—including the Canisteo. These were not always large, permanent towns. Many sites were seasonal or semi-permanent settlements, shifting as soil fertility, hunting patterns, or political needs changed. What is now Greenwood likely lay between such villages: a traveled landscape used for farming, hunting, and passage rather than a single concentrated town.

Cornfields, tended primarily by women, lined the river flats. Longhouses rose in clusters where families gathered, their bark walls sheltering generations under one roof. Trails crossed the hills—some of which would later become settler roads—linking Canisteo to Dansville, the Genesee towns, and the Chemung Valley.

The Forbidden Trail: Beyond the Western Door of the Iroquois Confederacy

One route became known as the “Forbidden Trail.” In 1760, travelers attempting to journey west through Passigachkunk [pass-ih-GATCH-kunk] (Canisteo) were warned not to continue beyond the “Western Door” of the Haudenosaunee [hoe-dee-noh-SHOW-nee], or Iroquois Confederacy.

Attempt #1 — 1760

In 1760, Pennsylvania’s royal governor sent a Delaware leader named Teedyuscung [TEE-dee-uh-skung] as an ambassador to an Indian council on the Ohio River. Traveling with him were a missionary and a young frontiersman named John Hays.

Their route followed the Tioga and Canisteo Rivers westward toward the Allegheny River and eventually the Ohio Country. Teedyuscung already knew the route because he had lived in Passigachkunk during earlier conflicts.

John Hays later recorded the journey in his diary, creating one of the earliest written descriptions of white travelers attempting to follow what became known as the “Forbidden Trail.”

On May 23, 1760, messengers carrying strings of wampum (see below for more details) traveled to Passigachkunk to invite Seneca leaders to discuss whether the white travelers would be allowed to continue westward.

While waiting for a response at Assinisink [ASS-in-ih-sink], tensions rose. Hays described Native ceremonies involving dancing, chanting, and ritual celebrations. Some participants had obtained rum and threatened the travelers, though Teedyuscung protected the group.

After several days, a messenger arrived from Canisteo with a warning: the travelers were welcome to remain where they were, but if they traveled farther west, they would be killed.

Despite the warning, the group continued upriver to Passigachkunk. After another council meeting and several more days of waiting, the final answer came from Seneca leader Kineruntie [KIN-er-un-tee] of Kanuskago [kan-USK-uh-go], known as the “Western Door” of the Iroquois Confederacy.

The white travelers would not be permitted to continue.

Recognizing the danger, the party abandoned the journey and returned home.

Attempt #2 — 1767

Violence continued in the region during the years after the first expedition. During Pontiac’s Rebellion, Native resistance spread throughout the frontier.

In 1764, British forces and allied Mohawk warriors attacked settlements along the Tioga River, burning towns and crops, including Kanisteo Castle.

Three years later, missionary David Zeisberger traveled through the region on his way to establish a mission in Ohio. Zeisberger, a lifelong missionary to the Delaware people and a member of the Moravian Brethren, carefully described the difficult route.

He wrote about traveling past ruined villages and crossing “a very wild and rugged road” near the west branch of the Tioga River. The journey led through the abandoned settlement of Passigachkunk before continuing westward toward the Genesee and Allegheny River systems.

Although Zeisberger’s diary does not provide exact directions, historians believe the trail likely followed the Canisteo River toward present-day Hornell, then continued along Canacadea [kan-uh-KUH-dee-uh] Creek before crossing into present-day Andover.

Additional evidence supporting this route appears on maps provided during General George Washington’s planning for the 1779 Sullivan-Clinton Expedition against the Six Nations.

From History of Greenwood, New York; Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers by

Prof. W. F. Clayton 1879, Philadelphia, Lewis, Peck & Co.

“A spring of salt water was discovered by Ezekiel Burger, a native of Delaware County, while hunting, before the settlement of the town. The spring was a resort for dear and elk, and was well known by the Indians, who watched for them as they came to drink its waters.” 

First Visitors to the Salt Spring

Long before settlers arrived, the salt spring drew wildlife from the surrounding forests. Deer, elk, and smaller animals traveled well-worn paths to reach the mineral-rich water. These natural salt licks were rare and valuable in the wilderness, providing animals with nutrients not easily found elsewhere. Over time, the area around the spring became a gathering place for game and one of the liveliest spots in the forest.

Then Came the Hunters

Native Americans knew the salt spring well and understood the habits of the animals that visited it. To encourage healthy grazing areas, they periodically burned sections of the forest and cleared travel paths through the wilderness. Sunlight reaching the forest floor allowed fresh grasses, shrubs, and other undergrowth to flourish, which in turn attracted more game.

Using hidden trails that crossed the hills and valleys of what is now Greenwood, Native hunters traveled quietly through the region with bows and arrows, watching the spring and surrounding clearings for deer and elk. For generations, the area served as an important hunting ground and stopping place.

Followed by the Settlers

In the early 1820s, Ezekiel Burger and Elias Matthews built two small cabins near the spring as they attempted to make use of the salt water. One cabin was roofed with sheets of elm bark, while the other used a “stake and ridered” roof. This style was made by laying rough-split wooden shingles in overlapping rows and securing them with long poles held in place by wooden stakes or pins.

Because the spring lay close to the creek, the men attempted to improve production by drilling a deeper well by hand. They reached a depth of sixty-four feet before the drill broke off in the shaft, ending further excavation. Salt water was then boiled in large kettles to produce usable salt, a valuable commodity on the frontier where supplies were difficult to obtain.

After Elias Matthews died, Levi Davis purchased the property, but the salt-making operation was eventually abandoned. Even after the business ended, settlers still visited the site, pumping out salt water and boiling small batches of salt in Burger’s kettles for household use. Since salt was scarce and expensive during those years, the spring remained an important local resource.

In 1870, another attempt was made to develop the site when a well was drilled to a depth of 600 feet in search of oil. The drilling produced natural gas, which reportedly burned freely for several minutes, along with small amounts of salt water and traces of oil. When the drilling contract expired, the project was abandoned once again.

What Happened Next

In the 1960s, members of Boy Scout Troop 62 cleared the overgrown area around the creek and historic salt spring. The flat ground where the early cabins once stood seemed like the perfect place for a campsite, and before long the scouts had created a community gathering spot along the water.

With help from the Scout Committee—made up of local fathers and community volunteers—the boys built a rustic bridge across the creek using four old utility poles donated by the electric company and heavy guy wire provided by the electric or telephone company. On the opposite bank, they established their camp complete with tents, a flagpole flying both the troop and American flags, a stone-ringed campfire circle, and hillside seating built into the slope for spectators.

Weekend campouts quickly became a tradition. The scouts would arrive on Friday evenings, camp through the weekend, and spend Saturdays working on merit badges and camp projects before hosting public campfire programs for their families and neighbors. On Sunday mornings they held a Scouts’ Own church service before breaking camp and heading home.

The campfire gatherings became popular community events, often drawing as many as seventy people from Greenwood. Residents gathered for skits, sing-alongs, and toasted marshmallows for s’mores while local reporter Grace Young faithfully attended to cover the events for the Greenwood News.

Meals were simple frontier-style camp cooking. One favorite was the “hobo dinner,” later more commonly called a tinfoil dinner seasoned by the salt processed from the water of the Salt Spring. Each scout prepared his own foil packet filled with a hamburger surrounded by layers of sliced potatoes, onions, carrots, and a little butter before placing it in the fire to cook—about ten minutes on each side. Part of the fun was tending your own meal over the coals.

The evening campfires always began with ceremony. The scouts used a special “spirit fire” lighting method involving a coiled wire and wooden matches connected to a battery. After asking the “Scout spirit” to light the fire, the wire touched the battery terminals and sparks ignited the kindling to the delight of the crowd. Sometimes the wood had been soaked in chemicals beforehand so the flames would glow in brilliant colors.

Entertainment around the fire included favorite comedy skits such as The Viper Is Coming, which usually ended with a scout racing through the crowd trailing toilet paper, and The Telephone Call, where scouts stood in a line pretending to be telephone poles helping carry a fishing report down the “line.” The punchline came when the caller proudly announced, “Not good, but I got four suckers on the line!”

Songs were another important tradition. Scouts and audience members alike joined in favorites such as Going on a Bear Hunt and Mountain Dew. The evenings often closed with everyone standing together to sing God Bless America.

The troop was led by Scoutmaster Ed Mullen, who camped with the boys on weekends whenever work allowed. Assistant leaders John Murray and David Manion helped oversee the campouts. John Murray often arrived with his young sons—Robbie, Joey, and Jeff—in tow, along with a well-stocked diaper bag. The scouts jokingly became babysitters for the weekend, while Robbie and Joey learned camp skills of their own, including how to make Kool-Aid and sleep in their father’s tent alongside the troop.