LOOKING BACK: From Eire to Seneca County … settler George Faussett’s story | Way of life

The primary European American settler within the southern a part of Seneca County was George Faussett. Within the spring of 1789, he established the beginnings of a residence in an space on the japanese shore of Seneca Lake that turned often called Faussett’s Level. His story helps us to know extra totally how adventurous individuals managed to make a profitable new life for themselves in a frontier space.

George Faussett (alternate spellings are Faucett and Fawcett) was born in Kildare County, Eire, in 1760, got here to america within the 1780s and landed in Philadelphia. He made an indentured servant settlement for a time period of three years to pay for his boat passage. He was the one certainly one of a celebration of 5 who stored his settlement. Faussett was positioned with a Quaker household on a farm and was grateful for the remainder of his life for the farming information he gained throughout his indentured servitude.

He heard glowing accounts from the returning troopers of the 1779 Sullivan Expedition — tales of the wonder and wealthy soil of the lands between Cayuga and Seneca lakes — and joined lots of of younger males from Pennsylvania and New England who got here to the Finger Lakes area after the American Revolution.

Within the spring of 1789, Faussett arrived on the southern finish of Seneca Lake with a companion. The companion then separated from Faussett to take land on the west facet of the lake. Faussett put his possessions in a bark canoe and paddled alongside the east shore of Seneca Lake. Largely by hand gestures he made to the Iroquois he encountered, they understood that he needed good land. This group of Iroquois selected to steer Faussett up the east shore of the lake, rousing a big bear on their manner. The Iroquois warned Faussett to maintain away from this and every other bear. Faussett, nevertheless, chased the bear, shot and killed it. It’s simple to invest that Faussett’s actions made an ideal impression.

These Iroquois guides led him to a spot the place there was a spring, and it was there that Faussett selected to settle. Faussett named this chosen spot “Faussett’s Level.” His declare was primarily based on the customary manner of the time of laying “possession” to his land, the “proper” of “tomahawk enhancements.” He constructed a pole cabin that was thatched with bark and cleared a small patch of floor. Legally, these actions had no power, however among the many pioneers of the time they gave a patent to the declare which a purchaser was obligated to respect each on account of native settlement and goodwill of the occupant. Feeling he had completed what was crucial, Faussett returned to Sherman Valley, Pa. for the winter.

In early 1790, Faussett married Mary (“Polly”) Morrison (born Jan. 15, 1766). Within the spring, they — George, Polly and George’s son Jimmy — made the lengthy horseback journey to their new residence at Faussett’s Level. Fausett had been warned by Polly’s foster mom that she wouldn’t make an excellent spouse in a frontier space. Polly, nevertheless, proved in any other case. Working collectively, she and Faussett managed to amass 1,600 acres land, freed from debt, in a short while. Faussett needed to take his grain to Newtown (current Elmira space) to be floor. That was a four-day journey by horseback. At evening he would sleep on the bottom between two fires kindled to maintain wild animals away.

A courageous chief

There are tales that inform of Faussett’s adventures and bravado. As soon as he and Polly had been caught in a storm on the lake, with the boat capsizing. Faussett clung to the boat and held his spouse up for six hours till they drifted to shore. One other story tells of when Iroquois had been about to place a person to demise within the woods close to Faussett’s residence. The Iroquois thought the person had killed a tribe member. A neighbor ran and referred to as Faussett, who arrived simply because the Iroquois had been able to shoot the person with their bows and arrows. Faussett broke by means of the circle and shouted, “He’s my buddy.” Faussett satisfied them that the person was harmless, and so they let him go.

George and Polly’s oldest little one, Fanny, was the primary white little one born within the lands between Seneca and Cayuga lakes. The opposite 4 youngsters had been James, Florence, Mary (“Polly”) and George.

In 1819, Thomas and Matthew Beahan of Kildare County, Eire — the county during which Faussett had been born — had been touring in New York state and visited the Faussett residence. The Beahan brothers fell in love with Florence and younger Polly Faussett. On Sept. 2, 1819, Thomas Beahan married Florence Faussett and Matthew Beahan married Polly Faussett in a double marriage ceremony. Every daughter was given a bit of land for a house. Polly and Matthew Beahan moved to Michigan after their youngsters had been grown.

Faussett was a pacesetter and instance for the neighborhood. In 1818 he contributed $600 towards the erection of the Hector church. He belonged to the Dutch Reformed Church and made massive contributions to each church buildings.

Faussett was married twice. Someday after Polly’s demise on Sept. 8, 1822, a buddy and neighbor who was dying requested Faussett to take care of his spouse and household. He married the widow; there have been no youngsters born to this second spouse.

One other neighbor died in poverty. His land fell into the possession of Faussett, who gave the widow and her son every 100 acres of land.

Sooner or later, Faussett despatched again to Eire for his brother James and paid James’ bills to return to America; he settled close to Bathtub.

When Faussett was about 80 years of age, he met with an accident that left him barely crippled. His thoughts turned considerably clouded after that, and he turned homesick for Eire. He used to sit down and gaze out over the lake for hours. He died in 1840.

The George Faussett homestead turned Camp Seneca of the Boy Scouts of America. This property is presently a part of the Finger Lakes Nationwide Forest and the world is now often called Caywood Level.

In George Faussett we see how this earliest settler of current southern Seneca County overcame the obstacles of building a life on this frontier space, making an excellent life for himself and his household.