Ephraim Webster
Encyclopedia
Ephraim Webster was the first white settler in Central New York
when he arrived in 1786 to an area later named Syracuse
. For three decades, the Onondagas trusted and relied on him more than any other white man.
Webster was a translator and acted as agent for the Onondagas on several land treaties with the State of New York and was instrumental in the eventual settlement by white pioneers of Syracuse, New York
, although the Onondagas later felt betrayed by him.
, United States
and was raised in Newbury, Vermont
. He was the son of Ephraim Webster Sr. and Phebe Tucker. He had nine siblings. His mother died when he was a teenager and his father, son of Samuel Webster and Mary Kimball, remarried on January 8, 1778 in Chester, New Hampshire
to Sarah Colby Wells, a widow. Ephraim Webster Sr. was very well-written and left an extensive family diary.
Continental Army
during the American Revolutionary War
. During his time in service, he was called on by the commanders of Fort Ticonderoga
in New York to volunteer with another soldier to swim Lake Champlain
and carry dispatches to General Lincoln near Mount Independence, Vermont
. The trip was a distance of 2 miles (3.2 km) and took place in the late autumn when the water was already quite cold. The two soldiers departed one evening and feared they would not make it alive. Webster completed the duty, however, nearly lost his life and had to be rescued by his companion, Wallace of Thetford.
, Philadelphia and New York City
, but his fortune was not to be found in a city."
Although he could make a decent wage working in the cities, Webster was a frontiersman and complained "he couldn't catch bears, kill deer, or sleep in the open air with the leaves of the forest for a bed, and the heavens for a covering. He went to Albany, New York
, but soon left even more embittered, embarking for the wilderness."
He traveled west from Albany over the old Indian trail and met up with an "Indian hunting party" and thrived in their company. "After the hunt, alone again, he slept contently in the woods on the cold ground, rolled in his blanket, with his gun in his arms."
In his father's words;
He built a trading post on the east bank of Onondaga Creek
, close to where it empties into Onondaga Lake
. According to an old family story told by his father, "He built a shanty and found means of trading rum and ammunition." He also became adept with the Indian language."
A chief named Kahiktoton married Webster to an Onondaga woman named "One-Eyed Nancy" on the banks of the creek in the late 1780s. She had been "robbed of her eyesight" by smallpox. According to Indian custom, he "pledged to be her husband for so many moons, and when that time came, the marriage contract was dissolved and each was at liberty to marry the same or someone else." Together, they had a son.
Although he had the trading post on the south shore of Onondaga Lake
, Webster was afraid of getting swamp fever
, so moved inland to Onondaga Hollow in 1788 and established Onondaga County's first permanent settlement.
In the spring of 1788, Webster used his influence with the Onondagas to get their consent to bring Major Asa Danforth
from Montgomery County
to Onondaga. Danforth was the second white man to settle in the area. While on a hunting trip in Montgomery County
, Webster slept in the barn of Danforth in Johnstown, New York. Webster's praise of the Onondaga
country was so convincing that Danforth, his wife, his son Asa Danforth Jr.
, and Comfort Tyler
emigrated, and on May 22, 1788, erected the "first Christian home" in the county.
during the last period of the American Revolutionary War
when he was stationed at Greenbush, New York
and became acquainted with a Mohawk
Indian named Peter Gain. He went with Gain to his home on West Canada Creek and spent three months there without speaking a word of English during the entire time. By the time he left there he was fluent in the Indian language.
Webster learned to speak or write a total of six Indian languages. Often he served as their interpreter for two dollars a day. One time, he was hired at his standard rate to take a journey 900 miles (1,448.4 km) through the wilderness to help with a treaty between two tribes. "He was sent by Indians on one side of the treaty to go in disguise; he was so adept with language and manner that he was to pass for Indian with all who met him. He selected 45 men to accompany him and then he set off with ceremonial face paint. He wore ear jewels such as only chieftains wore, and donned a belt of rich wampum."
Although the Indians didn't seem to notice he was a white man, "ironically, it was a white man who mistrusted him to be English. A soldier overseeing the treaty negotiations came to him one day and lifted his cap, but made no comment. Soon after, another solder invited him to dinner where he was made to confess whether he was English or Indian after the soldier 'took a sword' to his throat."
According to documents at the Onondaga Historical Association from reports by other pioneers such as Calvin Jackson, interviewed in 1837, who relayed that in 1793 he saw Webster "dressed in an Indian costume and painted (with) a jewel in his nose and ears. Had a squaw with him with one eye and a little boy with them. (They) called the boy William, but (he) has since gone by the name of Harry."
By 1796, Webster was so well liked by the Onondagas, they were able to convince the governor of New York to give them a square mile of land from territory they sold to the state so Webster could build a home. It was the site of the fort built by William Johnson, British
settler, thirty years previously. The state deeded the acreage to Webster as "a free and voluntary gift", a reward for acting as a translator for the Onondagas. The property was located in an area later called the hamlet of Onondaga Hollow, which was located on the future site of the Seneca Turnpike, south of the present center of Syracuse.
For the Onondagas, the gift of land to Webster carried an obligation and meant that the Onondagas believed he would become a permanent member of their community.
Webster did not remain married to his second Onondaga wife. According to tradition, Webster promised her that he would stay with her as long as she kept sober. After many years in the wilderness, Webster, reacting to the influences of the already large white settlement, began to desire a caucasian wife and "set out" to make his Indian spouse drunk. For a long time she resisted his attempts but finally succumbed to the "camouflage of milk punch." The next morning she left without saying a word and soon thereafter died of grief.
Historians have conflicting accounts of what became of his Onondaga wife that include "getting her drunk" so he could divorce her, or the possibility that she died. According to Joel Cornish, who served on a trial in a property dispute filed by Harry Webster in 1837, the woman balked at a divorce, but was finally forced to leave. Several historical accounts maintain Onondaga chiefs accepted divorce in instances where wives were accused of drunken behavior. His Onondaga wife, called "Nance" by white settlers, returned to live among the Onondagas with their son Harry and died not long after.
He married a young white woman named Hannah Danks on November 19, 1795, just months after he received his square mile of land. She was the daughter of Captain Isaac Danks and Lucy Danks. With his caucasian wife, he built a home in the square mile on what are now the banks of Webster's Pond in Syracuse. Together, they had five children.
In a 1962 article for the Onondaga Historical Association, historian Richard Wright said Webster gave up the Indian lifestyle on the urging of his newly arrived brother, Asahel Webster.
Webster eventually sold most of the square mile in small parcels for $9,000 each. The last parcel was purchased by Joseph Forman, a merchant from Troy, New York
who had settled in Onondaga Hollow a few years earlier, for $6,250 on October 18, 1805. Forman was the father of a young lawyer named, Joshua Forman, who later founded the village of Syracuse
.
The original family home Webster built stood for many years at Valley Drive in Syracuse
until it was destroyed by fire in the late 1890s.
Even after he rejoined white society, he "enjoyed a good relationship" with the Onondagas. Governor Daniel Tompkins directed the Assembly in 1811 to appoint an agent to live with the tribe. The legislature appointed Webster to the position.
When the War of 1812
began, Webster wrote to President James Madison
on behalf of the Onondaga chiefs who wanted to know if Madison wanted the Onondaga warriors to fight for America
.
Webster and several hundred Onondagas, including his son, Harry Webster, fought in two battles for the United States
against British
troops and their Indian allies.
The treaty had a clause that required the Onondagas to give Webster 300 acres (1,214,058 m²) of their diminishing territory, which was not viewed favorably by the tribal leaders. Disagreements over the acreage prompted the Onondagas to accuse their friend of betraying them. "We are determined not to have any further dealings with him," Onondaga chiefs wrote New York Governor DeWitt Clinton
in March, 1819, "How can we trust a man as agent when we believe he has very often deceived us?"
Webster had been leasing the 300 acres (1,214,058 m²) from the Onondagas for ten years prior to the treaty. The dispute was settled when Webster surrendered the ownership of a saw mill on the Onondagas' land. In return, the Onondagas agreed not to pursue any land claims against him.
The Onondagas wanted Governor Clinton to appoint a new agent, however that never occurred. In 1822, Webster interpreted at the last treaty with New York State in which the Onondagas sold 800 acres (3,237,488 m²) from the southern end of their reservation for a one-time payment of $1,700.
Chief Leon Shenandoah, who served as tadadaho, the highest position in the Iroquois Confederacy in 1991, said that as a boy, listening to his elders in the longhouse, he heard the old chiefs talk of how Webster would invite Onondaga leaders to his house in an attempt to get them drunk whenever he needed a new piece of land.
The Onondagas refused to part with any more land and were left with 7300 acres (29,542,078 m²), which they still have possession of today.
at the Seneca Indian Reservation
at Tonawanda, New York
. Still involved in Indian trade, he died suddenly 200 miles (321.9 km) from his home, while on expedition to buy ginseng.
His will left all his possessions, including $2,000 worth of personal property, a large fortune for that time, to his second wife, Hannah and to their children despite the Onondagas belief that the land should naturally return to them. Some members of the family lived on the 300 acres (1,214,058 m²), later called the "Half-Mile" until "at least" the late 19th century. He left nothing in his will to his son Harry Webster.
After Webster's wife died, son Harry Webster filed suit in April, 1837 against Webster's family for a share of the land inherited by his white half-siblings, however, he did not win.
Harry Webster went on to become the spiritual leader of the Iroquois Confederacy before he died on January 28, 1864 at the age of 75 at Onondaga Castle.
A lawsuit was filed and the trial began during which time, Orris Webster and family searched in vain for three years "for anyone to swear to their side." Orris Webster did not win the lawsuit and later wrote "they were beaten, lost their money and their case."
region. It is believed that James Fenimore Cooper's
character Natty Bumppo owes much to the historical figure of Ephraim Webster.
Webster's Pond in Syracuse, New York
was named after him.
Central New York
Central New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities:...
when he arrived in 1786 to an area later named Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. For three decades, the Onondagas trusted and relied on him more than any other white man.
Webster was a translator and acted as agent for the Onondagas on several land treaties with the State of New York and was instrumental in the eventual settlement by white pioneers of Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, although the Onondagas later felt betrayed by him.
Biography
Ephraim Webster was born on June 30, 1762 in Hampstead, New HampshireHampstead, New Hampshire
Hampstead is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,523 at the 2010 census. Hampstead, which includes the village of East Hampstead, is home to a portion of the Rockingham Recreational Trail.- History :...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and was raised in Newbury, Vermont
Newbury, Vermont
Newbury could be either of the following places in the U.S. state of Vermont:*Newbury , Vermont*Newbury , Vermont...
. He was the son of Ephraim Webster Sr. and Phebe Tucker. He had nine siblings. His mother died when he was a teenager and his father, son of Samuel Webster and Mary Kimball, remarried on January 8, 1778 in Chester, New Hampshire
Chester, New Hampshire
Chester is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,768 at the 2010 census. It is home to Chester College .-History:Incorporated in 1722, Chester once included Candia, set off in 1763...
to Sarah Colby Wells, a widow. Ephraim Webster Sr. was very well-written and left an extensive family diary.
Revolutionary war
In 1777, at age 15, he served as a private in George Washington'sGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. During his time in service, he was called on by the commanders of Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
in New York to volunteer with another soldier to swim Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
and carry dispatches to General Lincoln near Mount Independence, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. The trip was a distance of 2 miles (3.2 km) and took place in the late autumn when the water was already quite cold. The two soldiers departed one evening and feared they would not make it alive. Webster completed the duty, however, nearly lost his life and had to be rescued by his companion, Wallace of Thetford.
Early life
At age 21, in 1783, he tried his hand at shoemaking, a skill his father, a tailor, insisted he learn, however, he tired of it after a year. According to his father, "He seemingly inherited my dissatisfaction with leaving a destiny to a father's whim, and he left to seek his fortune. He tried his luck in the towns of BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Philadelphia and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, but his fortune was not to be found in a city."
Although he could make a decent wage working in the cities, Webster was a frontiersman and complained "he couldn't catch bears, kill deer, or sleep in the open air with the leaves of the forest for a bed, and the heavens for a covering. He went to Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, but soon left even more embittered, embarking for the wilderness."
He traveled west from Albany over the old Indian trail and met up with an "Indian hunting party" and thrived in their company. "After the hunt, alone again, he slept contently in the woods on the cold ground, rolled in his blanket, with his gun in his arms."
In his father's words;
Settler and trader
In 1786, at age 24, he arrived in Onondaga Hollow to trade with the Onondagas. Webster was the first white person to permanently settle in what later became Onondaga County. "He spoke the Onondaga language, married an Onondaga woman, fathered an Onondaga leader, dressed like an Indian, and made a living trading goods with them."He built a trading post on the east bank of Onondaga Creek
Onondaga Creek
Onondaga Creek is a major tributary of Onondaga Lake which is located in Onondaga County, New York. The headwaters of the creek originate south of the city of Syracuse near the hamlet of Vesper, New York...
, close to where it empties into Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York located northwest of Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern end border a series of parks and museums. Although it is near the Finger...
. According to an old family story told by his father, "He built a shanty and found means of trading rum and ammunition." He also became adept with the Indian language."
A chief named Kahiktoton married Webster to an Onondaga woman named "One-Eyed Nancy" on the banks of the creek in the late 1780s. She had been "robbed of her eyesight" by smallpox. According to Indian custom, he "pledged to be her husband for so many moons, and when that time came, the marriage contract was dissolved and each was at liberty to marry the same or someone else." Together, they had a son.
Although he had the trading post on the south shore of Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York located northwest of Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern end border a series of parks and museums. Although it is near the Finger...
, Webster was afraid of getting swamp fever
Swamp fever
Swamp fever is a term given to a number of diseases that are acquired in wet, swampy environments. Swamp fever may refer to:* Leptospirosis* Malaria* Equine infectious anemia...
, so moved inland to Onondaga Hollow in 1788 and established Onondaga County's first permanent settlement.
In the spring of 1788, Webster used his influence with the Onondagas to get their consent to bring Major Asa Danforth
Asa Danforth
Asa Danforth was an early settler and leading citizen of Onondaga County, New York where he was the second white man to settle upon his arrival in 1788. He was a veteran of the American Revolution and a salt maker in Onondaga Hollow.-Biography:Asa Danforth was born on July 6, 1746 in Worcester,...
from Montgomery County
Montgomery County
Montgomery County may refer to:* Montgomery County, Tasmania or Montgomery Land District, Australia* Montgomery County, Alabama* Montgomery County, Arkansas* Montgomery County, Georgia* Montgomery County, Illinois* Montgomery County, Indiana...
to Onondaga. Danforth was the second white man to settle in the area. While on a hunting trip in Montgomery County
Montgomery County
Montgomery County may refer to:* Montgomery County, Tasmania or Montgomery Land District, Australia* Montgomery County, Alabama* Montgomery County, Arkansas* Montgomery County, Georgia* Montgomery County, Illinois* Montgomery County, Indiana...
, Webster slept in the barn of Danforth in Johnstown, New York. Webster's praise of the Onondaga
Onondaga, New York
Onondaga is a town located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the town had a population of 21,063. The town is named after the native Onondaga tribe, part of the Iroquois Confederacy....
country was so convincing that Danforth, his wife, his son Asa Danforth Jr.
Asa Danforth Jr.
Asa Danforth Jr. was one of the first citizens of Onondaga County, New York, when he arrived there with his father, Asa Danforth in 1788. Danforth incurred heavy debts speculating in land in New York State...
, and Comfort Tyler
Comfort Tyler
Comfort Tyler , one of the original settlers of modern Syracuse, New York, brought his family in the spring of 1788 to what became the hamlet of Onondaga Hollow on the future Seneca Turnpike, south of the city's center today...
emigrated, and on May 22, 1788, erected the "first Christian home" in the county.
Indian interpreter
Webster conceived the idea of locating to Upstate New YorkUpstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
during the last period of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
when he was stationed at Greenbush, New York
Greenbush, New York
Greenbush, New York may refer to a few places in the U.S. state of New York:In Rensselaer County:* East Greenbush, New York, a town** East Greenbush , New York, a hamlet within the town* North Greenbush, New York, a townIn Rockland County:...
and became acquainted with a Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
Indian named Peter Gain. He went with Gain to his home on West Canada Creek and spent three months there without speaking a word of English during the entire time. By the time he left there he was fluent in the Indian language.
Webster learned to speak or write a total of six Indian languages. Often he served as their interpreter for two dollars a day. One time, he was hired at his standard rate to take a journey 900 miles (1,448.4 km) through the wilderness to help with a treaty between two tribes. "He was sent by Indians on one side of the treaty to go in disguise; he was so adept with language and manner that he was to pass for Indian with all who met him. He selected 45 men to accompany him and then he set off with ceremonial face paint. He wore ear jewels such as only chieftains wore, and donned a belt of rich wampum."
Although the Indians didn't seem to notice he was a white man, "ironically, it was a white man who mistrusted him to be English. A soldier overseeing the treaty negotiations came to him one day and lifted his cap, but made no comment. Soon after, another solder invited him to dinner where he was made to confess whether he was English or Indian after the soldier 'took a sword' to his throat."
According to documents at the Onondaga Historical Association from reports by other pioneers such as Calvin Jackson, interviewed in 1837, who relayed that in 1793 he saw Webster "dressed in an Indian costume and painted (with) a jewel in his nose and ears. Had a squaw with him with one eye and a little boy with them. (They) called the boy William, but (he) has since gone by the name of Harry."
Land treaties
Webster was a language interpreter for the Haudenosaunee, Onondaga Indian Iroquoian language. In 1793, he acted as translator at three treaties in which the Onondagas sold New York State an area of land approximately 70000 acres (283,280,200 m²). This amounted to 75 percent of their original, 100 square miles (259 km²) reserve which they traded for a $410 down payment.By 1796, Webster was so well liked by the Onondagas, they were able to convince the governor of New York to give them a square mile of land from territory they sold to the state so Webster could build a home. It was the site of the fort built by William Johnson, British
British in Syracuse, New York
The British began to take an active interest in the land around Onondaga Lake in the early 1700s. They befriended the Onondagas by giving them guns, which were highly prized. A British agent, William Johnson, acquired of land in the Mohawk country near present day Johnstown, New York...
settler, thirty years previously. The state deeded the acreage to Webster as "a free and voluntary gift", a reward for acting as a translator for the Onondagas. The property was located in an area later called the hamlet of Onondaga Hollow, which was located on the future site of the Seneca Turnpike, south of the present center of Syracuse.
Family life
Webster's first Indian wife died shortly after their marriage in 1789 and he married a second time to another Indian woman.For the Onondagas, the gift of land to Webster carried an obligation and meant that the Onondagas believed he would become a permanent member of their community.
Webster did not remain married to his second Onondaga wife. According to tradition, Webster promised her that he would stay with her as long as she kept sober. After many years in the wilderness, Webster, reacting to the influences of the already large white settlement, began to desire a caucasian wife and "set out" to make his Indian spouse drunk. For a long time she resisted his attempts but finally succumbed to the "camouflage of milk punch." The next morning she left without saying a word and soon thereafter died of grief.
Historians have conflicting accounts of what became of his Onondaga wife that include "getting her drunk" so he could divorce her, or the possibility that she died. According to Joel Cornish, who served on a trial in a property dispute filed by Harry Webster in 1837, the woman balked at a divorce, but was finally forced to leave. Several historical accounts maintain Onondaga chiefs accepted divorce in instances where wives were accused of drunken behavior. His Onondaga wife, called "Nance" by white settlers, returned to live among the Onondagas with their son Harry and died not long after.
He married a young white woman named Hannah Danks on November 19, 1795, just months after he received his square mile of land. She was the daughter of Captain Isaac Danks and Lucy Danks. With his caucasian wife, he built a home in the square mile on what are now the banks of Webster's Pond in Syracuse. Together, they had five children.
In a 1962 article for the Onondaga Historical Association, historian Richard Wright said Webster gave up the Indian lifestyle on the urging of his newly arrived brother, Asahel Webster.
Webster eventually sold most of the square mile in small parcels for $9,000 each. The last parcel was purchased by Joseph Forman, a merchant from Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
who had settled in Onondaga Hollow a few years earlier, for $6,250 on October 18, 1805. Forman was the father of a young lawyer named, Joshua Forman, who later founded the village of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
.
The original family home Webster built stood for many years at Valley Drive in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
until it was destroyed by fire in the late 1890s.
Friendly relations
In 1798, Webster was elected the first supervisor of the town of Onondaga and in 1895, he was justice of the peace. He served as a lieutenant and captain in the New York militia and was later appointed inspector of beef and pork.Even after he rejoined white society, he "enjoyed a good relationship" with the Onondagas. Governor Daniel Tompkins directed the Assembly in 1811 to appoint an agent to live with the tribe. The legislature appointed Webster to the position.
When the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
began, Webster wrote to President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
on behalf of the Onondaga chiefs who wanted to know if Madison wanted the Onondaga warriors to fight for America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Webster and several hundred Onondagas, including his son, Harry Webster, fought in two battles for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
against British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
troops and their Indian allies.
Broken trust
The trust the Onondagas held for Ephraim Webster was broken in 1817 after he acted as the state's agent and translator for them. In the treaty dated July 28, 1795, Onondagas sold 4000 acres (16,187,440 m²) on the east side of their reservation to State of New York for $1,000 and annual payments of $430 and 50 bushels of salt.The treaty had a clause that required the Onondagas to give Webster 300 acres (1,214,058 m²) of their diminishing territory, which was not viewed favorably by the tribal leaders. Disagreements over the acreage prompted the Onondagas to accuse their friend of betraying them. "We are determined not to have any further dealings with him," Onondaga chiefs wrote New York Governor DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton was an early American politician and naturalist who served as United States Senator and the sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal...
in March, 1819, "How can we trust a man as agent when we believe he has very often deceived us?"
Webster had been leasing the 300 acres (1,214,058 m²) from the Onondagas for ten years prior to the treaty. The dispute was settled when Webster surrendered the ownership of a saw mill on the Onondagas' land. In return, the Onondagas agreed not to pursue any land claims against him.
The Onondagas wanted Governor Clinton to appoint a new agent, however that never occurred. In 1822, Webster interpreted at the last treaty with New York State in which the Onondagas sold 800 acres (3,237,488 m²) from the southern end of their reservation for a one-time payment of $1,700.
Chief Leon Shenandoah, who served as tadadaho, the highest position in the Iroquois Confederacy in 1991, said that as a boy, listening to his elders in the longhouse, he heard the old chiefs talk of how Webster would invite Onondaga leaders to his house in an attempt to get them drunk whenever he needed a new piece of land.
The Onondagas refused to part with any more land and were left with 7300 acres (29,542,078 m²), which they still have possession of today.
Later life
Webster passed away on October 16, 1824 at age 62 of Typhoid feverTyphoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
at the Seneca Indian Reservation
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
at Tonawanda, New York
Tonawanda, New York
Tonawanda may refer to:*Glacial Lake Tonawanda*North Tonawanda, New York, a city in Niagara County, north across Tonawanda Creek from the City and Town*Tonawanda , New York, consisting of the Town of Tonawanda less the Village of Kenmore...
. Still involved in Indian trade, he died suddenly 200 miles (321.9 km) from his home, while on expedition to buy ginseng.
His will left all his possessions, including $2,000 worth of personal property, a large fortune for that time, to his second wife, Hannah and to their children despite the Onondagas belief that the land should naturally return to them. Some members of the family lived on the 300 acres (1,214,058 m²), later called the "Half-Mile" until "at least" the late 19th century. He left nothing in his will to his son Harry Webster.
After Webster's wife died, son Harry Webster filed suit in April, 1837 against Webster's family for a share of the land inherited by his white half-siblings, however, he did not win.
Harry Webster went on to become the spiritual leader of the Iroquois Confederacy before he died on January 28, 1864 at the age of 75 at Onondaga Castle.
Familial ties disputed
Harry's connection to Ephraim Webster was debated for several years. In a letter to the Syracuse Herald in 1899, Orris D. Webster, a white descendant, insisted Ephraim Webster did not father any Onondaga children and claimed that Harry Webster had filed a "bogus lawsuit financed by his supporters."A lawsuit was filed and the trial began during which time, Orris Webster and family searched in vain for three years "for anyone to swear to their side." Orris Webster did not win the lawsuit and later wrote "they were beaten, lost their money and their case."
Legacy
Stories associated with Webster's life are part of the folklore of the Central New YorkCentral New York
Central New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities:...
region. It is believed that James Fenimore Cooper's
James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo...
character Natty Bumppo owes much to the historical figure of Ephraim Webster.
Webster's Pond in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
was named after him.