The Washington times., 1910-07-02
MunSey Historic Tour Passes
Through Country Made
Famous by Cooper.
HUNTING GROUNDS
OF INDIAN TRIBES
Cavern Which Was "Deerslayer's
Hiding Place, Close TO
Route Selected.

: COOPERSTOWN. y Y, July pass
. ing through the beautiful region which
surrounds this town. once the site OF an
Indian village. and still retaining the
Indian names for MANY of the points OF
interest about IL. the DaJhdndiDE party
for the Hunsey Historic Tour in their
EMF car started this morning for the
southern boundary Of New York State
Throughout all the vicinity Of COOpers-
town. the headIands. the beautiful OF
seEO Lake and the various streets and
drives are associated with I,e name and
fame of Fenfa.5re Cooper. the great
novelist. and The savaEes Of the forest
vl whom he wrote
OtsegO Lake was the 'gIimmer-
glass Of the Leatherstocking tales
The Leatherstocking Falls, two miles
from this place. occupy q prominent
place in the tales and q cave on a
steep Mill TO the east OF the lake is
said TO have been the hiding place
OF the Deerslayer- The lIunsey tour
lists viii also md the place fun Of
Indian traditions 1t was favOrite
resting and hunting ground Tor the
IrOqUOIs and the Mohawks-
Scene OF Indian Massacres-
As a matter Of fact. the entire
route from Saratoga &c this place
country which was the scene Of many
bloody massacres by the savaEes and
OF many heroic defeuses by the early
settlers.
After passing BaIlston and CharI-
ton. the Mohawk valley comes into
view and soon Amsterdam is reach
ed This old Dutch town. first known
as Vedders Mil and later as We'd
dersburg before the name was
changed to its present one, was a
fortified village protected from the
raids Of the Indians By Fort john
S-On on the north
The tourists VIII pass the old stone
fort on the night OF tie road a few miles
beyond the city
Half q mile from the old stone fort
IS Tribes hill AT one time a famous
gathering place for the Mohawk Indians.
Il hen they wished 20 deliberate on war
or peace. but now the suburban sEecLlon
luha blred LE many Of the wealthy fam
lies Of Amsterdam
Running from the vicinity Of Amster-
dam the Muusev tourists viii come 10
Fort Plain IN the town Of lIiudeu and
the surroundings country which was set
tied by the BGlatlue Germans. Through
this country and through the DLS.TGzc-B
and the Cherry raIlers some OF the
most atrU-i0US uassacres Of the early
settlers which have ever been recorded.
took place
Early Fighting Ground
To protect the region, Fort Plain, Fort
Clyde, and Fort Plant we built They
We're block houses TO which the settlers
fed for refuge when the Indians were
sighted There Is also Indian Castle.
sometimes called Indian Rock. a former
stronghold OF the Six NaaiOus-
Old Prospect Hiil, On which one Of
the log houses OF the Northern In
dams was located. Is right IN the vii
iaSe OF Fort Plain and the tourists
win pass IL on their left It was known
as Ia rauSueS" TO the Indians, but
is now called Fort Prospect
Breauza Fort subsequently erected
there when the Indians were beaten,
commanded q Gne view Of the valley.
The road 20 COOperSrOVvu from sara
IOEa VIII bring The tourists through the
settlements Of the Palarine Germans
Many OF The descendants OF these neO-
pie still hold the forest which their an
CeStOrS won from the wilderness Along
the road can be seen Old graveyaT1s
first settlers, whose descendants stiIl
held the farms.
Run From Saratoga
The run from Saratoga VIII be TO
Binghamton, a distance Of about Isl
miles, with q noon stop at CooQerstowr-
Varied road conditions viii Us met.
ranging from Iue maCadam 10 rough
dirt roads There are also a number
OF steep grades tlar viii give q good
test OF the hill-cl1mbiuS qualities Of
the cars.
The noon stop VIII be al the OtsesO
Hotel located on the edge Of lake
Or-e-J. Luncheon viii be served here
.--I Ehe cars viii be reGIIed with gas
l-.n- by the Crisr Motor Car Com
any. which VIII EaEe q tank wagon
on hand TO supply the fuel In any
quantities desired
The people Of COOperSLOWn are
much Interested IN the Zuns=y Tour
and strongly urged the pathfnders TO
make their interesting little town q
night stop This however. IS impCS-
SibIe. owing to the ShOTtueSS Of the
yum from Saratoga TO COopCTSCOvu-
If we can't get the night stop Of
the tour said q prominent citizen.
we viii make the noon stop one long
TO be remembered