They Needed a Passport

 

The sources provide several details about the Seneca tribe and their historical connection to the Pendleton County region of West Virginia.

• Historical Presence: The Seneca people have a long history in the area, and the region was known as Seneca territory. The sources also mention the Seneca Trail, which is an old trail associated with the movement of Native Americans.
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• Treaty of 1722: The Treaty of 1722 is significant, as it made it a crime, punishable by death or exile, for a Seneca to be found on the waters of the Potomac without a passport. The Seneca were then forced to alter their road to conform to the act of the treaty.
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• Naming of Seneca: The name "Seneca" is used to describe several geographical features in the region, including Seneca Creek, the Seneca School, and Seneca Rock. Pendleton County was the first to use the word Seneca, and it is important in the name of Seneca Creek. The sources also note the name of Seneca Rock, and that it was called a "natural wonder".
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• Seneca Nation: The Seneca nation was divided into nine tribes: Wolf, Bear, Reaver, Turtle, Hawk, Kildee, Deer, Doe, and Heron. The sources explain that all the names given to the tribes belong to the Indian tongue and means "the place of the stone," or "the people who live near a great stone mountain".
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• The Western Waters: The Western Waters was considered Seneca territory. The Senecas, along with the rest of the Five Nations, conquered the Western Waters in 1656 and amalgamated them into the tribe.
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• Claims to Territory: The last known Indians to claim the territory of Pendleton County were the East Branch of the Shawnees. Most of the Shawnees traveled out of Chillicothe but they did keep and crossed the land and traveled with haste along trailing arms. The sources note that the Seneca watched the Shawnees.
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• Land Use: The sources note that other Indians built towns on the west bank of the Ohio River, with no instances of trespass on the east.

These points illustrate the historical importance of the Seneca tribe to the Pendleton County area, and their interactions with other tribes and the European settlers.