Report respecting Indians in New York

Place Information

,
by Thomas Wells

Person Information

. 1848

No. 1

The Oneidas

residing in Madison County
number about 150 situated on two tracts of
land about 3 miles apart, and their whole
possessions in land is estimated at one mile
square, some eight years since the State
Legislature had their lands surveyed and
divided into individual portions, giving
to each a deed. This division amounted to
about 7 1/2 acres to each, men, women & children.
Since that time, most of them have sold their
possesions and emigrated to Canada,
Green Bay & other Western locations, joining
other tribes, some of those emigrants, mostly
aged women not feeling satisfied with their
new homes, have returned, & are now living
in old, deserted cabins, & are in a destitute
condition, dependant on their neighbors for
a subsistance. The young & industrious
that remain on their reservations are imp-
roving their lands, erecting good buildings,
planting orchards of choice fruits & their
farms may be estimated from 7 1/2 to 75
Acres. They raise wheat & other grain,
also potatoes & all kinds of garden vegetables
for their own consumption & source for sale.
They have some few houses & wagons; but
their farms are bery bare of stock of all kinds.

They have also 6 newly built frame houses
of good size, divided into several apartments,
the inmates of which live very respectably.