During the French and Indian War, Mary Jemison was kidnapped from this valley on April 5, 1758 by a band of Frenchmen and Shawnee Indians. Taken to Fort Duquesne, now Pittsburgh, she was adopted by Seneca Indians who named her "Deh-Ge-Wa-Nus." In 1759, they moved to the Genesee River Valley in the state of New York. During her life with the Indians, Mary married and gave birth to eight children. At the age of ninety-one, she returned to her Christian faith and died a few days later on September 19, 1833. Mary, called the "White Woman of the Genesee", grew to love and respect her captors. She is buried at what later became Letchworth State Park, in Northwest New York State.
Comments 0 comments