The largest local Indian village, when the settlers arrived, was 500 Senecas living on the south shore of Silver Lake and back to Goose Egg Island under Chief Wagmong. The Chief himself lived on the island that butts up behind today’s Waterworks Park and Kelsey’s Creek. The Chief was an good friend of the local settlers and supplied them with food and a general helping hand.
His greatest feat was preventing a massacre of our entire white population of Stow Township (the north east quadrant of the original Cuyahoga Falls) during the War of 1812. The British bribed the Indians to murder all the whites but Chief Wagmong was able to control his braves and moved his entire tribe in one night in order to prevent his white friends from being killed.
My family, the Wilcox’s, literally lived just yards south of the Chief. Stories passed down show lots of wonderful interactions between my family and the Senecas between 1809 and 1812. I personally know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for this brave move by the Chief! ~ Jeri
I grew up in the river estates in the 1950s,I could walk to waterworks park. We would catch crawfish in Kelsey creek and use them as bait. My friends and I would find indian history along the river bank, flint arrowheads etc. The headwater for the creek was a small lake in Munroe falls. In the winter we would ice skate on the frozen lake! I have great memories of growing up on Ruth Avenue.