At the Big Treaty of 1797, the Seneca People reserved the lands that would be known as the Gardeau Reservation. After the Treaty, while the Council Fire still burned, they issued a grant of land to Mary Jemison who lived with her family at Gardeau.
The following text of the Gardeau Grant is taken from the Appendix to Doty's 1905 History of Livingston County, page XX
The following is the text of the treaty executed at the time of the treaty of Big Tree, by which the Gardeau Reservation was set apart to Mary Jemison:
Know all Men by these Presents that we the Chief Warriors and Cheif Sachems of the Seneca Nation for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar to us in hand paid by Mary Jemison the receipt whereof we do hereby acknowledge and are fully satisfied and contented and paid, have given, granted, bargained, aliened released, conveyed and confired unto her the said Mary Jemison her heirs and assigns forever one certain parcel or tract of land being and lying on the Genesee River beginning at the mouth of the steep hill creek and running a due east line till it strikes the old path; thence south till a due west line will intersect with certain steep rocks on the west side Genesee River, then extending due west, due north, and due east, till it strikes the first mentioned bounds enclosing as much land upon the west side of the river as it does on the east side of said river,. To have and to hold the above granted and bargained premises with all the apputenances and privileges thereunto belonging to her the said Mary Jemoson (sic) her heirs and assigns forever and furthermore, we the said Chief Sachems and Warriors for ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators do by these presents covenant, engage and promise to defend the above granted premises with all the appurtences unto her the said Mary Jemoson her heirs and assigns forever will Warrant and Defend the above granted premises against all the flaims and demands of all persons whatsoever; in confirmation whereof, we have hereunto set our hand and seals this in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety seven.
Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of Horatio Jones, William Johnston, C. Winny, Chars. Williamson, Thomas Morris.
Be it remembered that on the thirtieth day of October in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight personally came before me, Moses Atwaters, one of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Ontario, Thomas Morris, who being duly sworn declared he saw the grantors of the within instructment affix their signatures to the same as an execution thereof. And that he the deponent with Charles Williams in the presence of each other subscribed their names as witness to the same. I being personally acquainted with Thomas Morris and upon inspection of the said instrument finding no material erasures or interlineations do allow the same to be recorded.
Moses Atwater.
I certified the foregoing to be a true copy of the original, instrument examined, compared and recorded this thirtieth day of October, A. D. 1789.
G. B. Porter, Clk.
Also see
A Glimpse of Treaties Relating to Letchworth Park