Seneca Nation Archives/Onöhsagwë:de Cultural Center – Allegany Territory
Submitted by Becki Bowen
1927, July 31 – William “Willie” Clark Hoag, President of the Seneca Nation, died on this date leaving behind a 45-year legacy of leadership in the Seneca Nation. The son of Lucy Taylor and William C. Hoag, a Scotchman, he was born on August 17, 1860 at Bucktooth on the Allegany Territory. The family eventually moved to the Jimersontown community. He was educated first at a local district schoolhouse, but after his father’s death he went to the Quaker School at Tunesassa. He graduated from the Quaker School in 1878. He married Dora Tallchief, daughter of Jesse and Sarah Tallchief, from the Cattaraugus Territory. In 1882 he began his political career when he was elected Seneca Nation Treasurer at the age of 21. His political career spanned 11 terms as president and included one term appointed president following the death of his longtime political ally President Frank Patterson in 1925. Hoag was elected to 9 terms as treasurer, 2 terms as Clerk, and 2 terms as Councillor.
July 27, 1982 – A 6 ½ ton grinding stone was raised out of the Ohi:yo’ during construction of the Southern Tier Expressway (I-86) and installed in front of the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum (pictured above). The corn grinding stone dates back to about 1000 AD and believed to have been used as late as the 1650s. The grinding stone now sits next to the recently constructed longhouse at the Onöhsagwë:de Cultural Center.
1992, July 15 – Following a ruling by the NYS Court of Appeals that the state had the right to collect taxes on the sale of gasoline and cigarettes on sovereign Indian territories, members of the Seneca Nation protested by shutting down the NYS Thruway and the Southern Tier Expressway (I-86). On July 17 a NYS Appeals Court judge issued a temporary injunction barring the state from collecting sales taxes on the sale of products on the territory, but not before 13 Senecas were arrested and many injured in confrontations with NYS Troopers.
