Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-10-13
THE PAINTED POST.
A HUMBLE MONUMENT IN NEW YORK
OF THE OLD INDIAN WARS.

How n Town In the Empire State Came by
Its Peculiar Name-rhe Legend of the
Origin Of tho Post-soms Conflicting
Stories of the Indians.
The first perm anent white settlement In
steuben county was made at the Painted
Post in 1885 by Samuel Harris. an Indian
trader, There was ut that une an impor
tant village OF Seneca Indians established
on the banks Of the CONNECTION river, neal
the junction Of the waters OF the Tiogh,
Canisteo and Conhocton rivers, which hero
form the Chemung and pass on TO the Sus
quehanna Beyond doubt the Six NJ
tions appreciated the strategic importance
of the Painted Post, where three long val
leys came together, bringing water, which
leaves no trail. Through this gateway til.
war cloud from the Geneshago, or Shining
valley, descended in July, i77S, upon an
errAnd Of savage vengeance to the Wyom.
ing, BY the same route, ~ well as by the
waters of the Conhocton, the former lords
Of the soil retreRted from the battlefield Of
Newtewn, where General Sullivan and his
yeomanry on Aug. -, l779, dealt death.
blow to the power OF the great Indian con.
federacy.
The flrst white man found name made
to order for the place. and that name still
remains the most interesting feature Of the
locality. The advantages OF river and val.
ley have dwindled away before the superior
enterprise and courage Of men who many
years later settled In the narrow bottoms
at Corning, two miles distant. The latter
is now a city Of l2,ooo inhabitants, while
Painted Post has been incorporated vii.
lage with population OF 800 persons.
The present painted post stands at the
southeast corner Of the cross roads. 1t ia
about Is feet high and octagonal in shape
painted red. II Is y inches In diameter,
tRpers Al the top and Is surmounted by a
sheet iron Indian chief grasping toma-
hawk and bow and dressed in a red Jacket
and buckskin trousers. The original post
stood near the center OF the present high
way leading from Painted Post to Corning
and few rods east Of tho -Four Corners"
and the sight Of the present post. II was
an oak post 10 or l2 feet above the ground
and from 10 to IA iuches in diameter, II
was square to height Of four feet above
the ground and then octagonal to the top.
Samuel Cook OF Lindley thus described
II to the late Charles II. Erwin OF Painted
Post. as detailed by the latter In his manu-.
script "a History Of Painted Post and
Other Towns" now in the hands OF his ex'
ecutors, when In 1852 | saw 1t for the
first time, It had no marks or paint upon it,
and II had the color OF a weather beaten
oaken rail. There was neither mark nor
carving upon IL. / have many a time sat
near IL and with others talked about It and
speculated about Its history" 1t stood on
the banks Of the Conhocton river at the
side Of q we'll beaten trail from the village
to Tioga Point ATHENS, Pa.).
This post remained until 1901 or 1902,
when It is said to have been dug up and
carried down the Chemung river two miles
TO Knoxville, whether for the purpose OF
founding q museum or for the more seTi-
Gus object Of purloining the fame which
encircled the oak post Is not clear 1t was
Afterward returned, but In the meantime
a new oak poEt had been erected BY the
whites in the settlement near the original
ate. What became OF the old post Is not
known for certain. Il is said to have re
maiued IN the garnet OF the first log tavern,
and chips from it were furnished TO relic
hunters until one dAyin = moment OF i'm.
patience Colonel Erwin, the landlord OF
the tavern, ediudged It nuisance and or
dered 1t thrown into the river
In the course OF tue next 30 years the new
noat which was much larger than the old
one. was Clipped to pieces by relic fiends,
and a few years later now post was raised
with 3 sheet Iron Indian at the top
Tbs generally accepted legend concerning
the most makes very pretty story. II i
cad tkat CAPTAIN Roland Montour, halt
breed aud son OF Queen catharine Of Wy
oming fame, was seriously wounded in the
agbt at Newtown and died on the retreat
nn tbe Conhoeton. Hewas buried under a
iarre elm tree, and the "Te-can-nss-to," AS
The post was called by the Delawares, was
sex up AS an imposing monument 70 his
memory. This legend "as oonnI aa ~ ~ ~
! he statement made by the Seneca Chief
cornnlaptsr to Captain Samuel Adams in
IN interyiev had at CorDplanter's eddy on
the Allegheny river IN 1879 ...
Complaints, being asked about the pest
ssid through his interpreter, ~ fslasso BY