Elmira History: Treaty of Painted Post signed in Elmira (original) (raw)

Imagine 1,800 Native Americans, men, women, children, and 40 dogs, camping along the Chemung River from near today’s Baldwin Street to Davis Street for several weeks beginning on June 16, 1791.

Wigwams and tents made with bushes and blankets housed the hundreds that arrived. Even a few log huts were built. Paths led down to the Chemung River for water and washing. On this spring day, the settlement of Newtown was only one-year-old.

After the Battle of Newtown in 1779, it was necessary to amicably settle some real estate situations between the whites and the Native Americans so all could live peacefully. Indian councils met with the white settlers. Using translators, they made known their grievances or demands.

Five treaties were required to settle the land disputes. The Treaty of Fort Stanwix, 1784, Treaty of Buffalo Creek, 1788; Treaty of Canandaigua, 1789; Treaty of Tioga Point, 1790; and the Treaty of Painted Post, 1791. Later in 1894, the Second Treaty of Canandaigua recognized and ratified all former agreements.

Conferences generally took many days. There were transfers of wampum or goods. It was customary to provide gifts to all participants. The sharing of good food, tobacco and alcohol helped to ease the tension.

United States President George Washington sent Col. Timothy Pickering into this region to make the Painted Post Treaty. The gathering was a huge historical event for New York. Iroquois confederacy tribes represented included Cayugas, Oneidas, Onondagas, Tuscaroras, Stockbridge, Mohawks and Mohicans.

Col. Pickering made an agreement with store owner, Matthias Hollenback, to have special goods on hand for the thousands of visitors to Newtown. He ordered 65 barrels of flour, as well as sugar, chocolate, 90 gallons of whiskey, bread, eight kegs of rum, 151/2 quarts of wine, 168 bushels of corn, 31/2 dozen silver brooches, 37 bushels of potatoes, five bushels of salt and more.

Passionate Native American speakers included Red Jacket, Fish Carrier, King Hendrick, Farmer’s Brother, and Cornplanter. Red Jacket said, “Let the white men take what they already have and settle down in peace with the Indian. Each will remain on his own lands.”

The eloquence of Col. Pickering’s speech proved to the Indians that they were wrong in questioning the Fort Stanwix treaty of 1784. The Indians believed that the Stanwix treaty was void because they were given alcohol and had signed under trickery. Some claimed that they had been told to sign for others who were not present. Pickering’s speech surprisingly won over the Indians.

The talks resulted in a better understanding between Washington, D.C., and the Iroquois. The Treaty of Painted Post, signed in Elmira on July 26, 1791 directed the native peoples to accept that much of the land that they thought they owned was now the property of the United States. In return, they should receive the beneficence of the new nation by moving on to lands farther west.

The conference in Elmira spread out over many of today’s city blocks. The central area was the “Council Tree,” a stately oak that stood on today’s northwest corner of Madison Avenue and Market Street.

When the conference was over and the Treaty signed, the thousands that came to Newtown packed their belongings and exited quickly. Some walked east along the Chemung River, past Hollenback’s store, then turned either north or south. Others walked west along the Chemung to the western and northern portions of New York. At this time, they did not realize that millions of white people would eventually arrive and take most of their land.

Some historians write that the treaty ended well, others claim it was disappointing. It helped to shore up differences between the Natives and the newcomers, but the talks ended the plans of Red Jacket, the Seneca chief, who refused to concede any lands to the white people.

In 1800, a house was built on the land next to the Council Tree. Around 1846 it became the property of Hector M. Seward. Seward and his mother, Phoebe, lived in a huge home with two wooden columns. Hector took good care of the tree, for he knew of its importance. After he died in 1877 his mother remained in the home until her death. Subsequently, the tree was cut down. It was always Hector’s wish for a historical marker to be placed on that spot, but instead it was placed two blocks west behind the Chemung County Courthouse complex in 1927.

Diane Janowski is the Elmira city historian.