Canandaigua in Ontario County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Sgë:nö’ (Skenoh) Island
Photographed by Susan A. Dalaba, September 7, 2025
1. Sgë:nö’ (Skenoh) Island Marker
Canadaigua Lake is the original homelands of the Seneca (Onondowa’ga:’ “People of the Great Hill”) of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. Sge:no’ (Skenoh) is the Seneca word commonly translated to mean “well-being.” According to legend, Seneca women and children sought refuge on this island in 1779 during the military invasion of their homelands carried out by United States Generals John Sullivan and James Clinton. Sge:no’(Skenoh) Island is a unique wildlife management area, being one of few places worldwide with “water biscuits,” a geological formation where lime is deposited over small objects such as pebbles or twigs. At one time, the island was much larger. Through local efforts led by Canadaigua business and civic leader, Clifford E. Murphy, Jr., the island is now protected against further erosion, with support from the Seneca Nation, and the NYSDEC, the island’s name was changed in 2021
Erected 2021.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical year for this entry is 1779.
Location. 42° 52.308′ N, 77° 16.38′ W. Marker is in Canandaigua, New York, in Ontario County. It is on S Main Street south of Lakeshore Road when traveling south
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York, specifically in Western New York, in the Finger Lakes, and in the Rochester Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Boathouse History (within shouting distance of this marker); Earl Coleates (within shouting distance of this marker); Routes of the Armies of General John Sullivan and General James Clinton 1779 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Haudenosaunee Family (approx. half a mile away); Cobblestone Cottage 1837 (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Business District (approx. one mile away); City of Canandaigua (approx. one mile away); Step Back in Time Mural (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Canandaigua.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Squaw Island (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed).
Also see . . .
1. Skenoh Island (Wikipedia. (Submitted on September 13, 2025, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Seneca people (Wikipedia). (Submitted on September 13, 2025, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
Photographed by Susan A. Dalaba, September 7, 2025
2. Sgë:nö’ (Skenoh) Island
Credits. This page was last revised on September 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 8, 2025, by Susan A. Dalaba of Cortland, New York. This page has been viewed 104 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 8, 2025, by Susan A. Dalaba of Cortland, New York. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
