SheQuaGa Falls, Montour Falls

MONTOUR FALLS WEATHER

AKA: Havana Falls (historically) and sometimes Montour Falls. Often spelled “Chequaga”
Pronounced: She-kwa-gah

Driving down Genesee Street in Montour Falls can be a surprising experience, as the massive Shequaga Falls suddenly emerges from behind the quaint houses lining the road. It almost feels out of place unless you’re familiar with the stunning natural landscape of the area. On Main Street, you’re treated to one of the most picturesque small-town scenes in the state of New York. Montour Falls, despite its seemingly flat appearance, sits just south of Seneca Lake within a dramatic section of the Portage Escarpment, carved by glaciers 18,000 years ago. This region is a true “waterfall mecca,” with towering cliffs over 300 feet high, channeling countless streams and significant waterways down the escarpment.

The crown jewel of Montour Falls is undoubtedly Shequaga Falls, a powerful cascade that crashes down the cliffside on the western edge of town. The falls seem to originate from the iconic arch bridge above, though they actually begin just before it, fanning out as it tumbles over the rugged gray limestone before reaching a shallow plunge pool below. From there, the creek makes a sharp 90-degree turn, continuing its journey northward toward Catharine Creek and eventually emptying into Seneca Lake.

Nestled between the “At the Falls Bed & Breakfast” and a neighboring residence, a small park invites visitors to experience the falls up close. Open to the public, this peaceful oasis stretches from the road to a chain-link fence overlooking the creek below the falls, which is majestically illuminated after dark. It’s a popular spot for travelers, offering a few moments of serenity and awe without requiring much effort—a quick but memorable detour that perfectly captures the charm and natural beauty of Montour Falls.

Montour Falls, like the village of Watkins Glen, is nestled within the basin of Seneca Lake. The region was once covered by an ancient ocean, which deposited layers upon layers of sand, silt, and clay which formed the characteristic rock layers that define Finger Lakes region geology. The evaporation of the ocean led to the formation of massive deposits of salt crystals, which are harvested by US Salt at a plant north of Watkins Glen. When the last ice age covered much North America with massive glaciers (around 20,000 years ago) they carved out an old river valley, forming the basin here and leading to the jagged and towering cliffs that our modern day waterfalls call home.

Catharine Montour, or Queen Catharine, was a matriarch of the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois during the late 1700’s. The daughter of Peter Quebec, a Mohawk Chief, and Marguerite Fafard Turpin, a daughter of an Oneida chief and French Canadian, her knowledge of English, French and various native languages made her a critical figure in dealing with native tribes, surveyors, traders, and then white settlers as the area became colonized. Catharine married a Seneca chief Telenemut, aka Thomas Hudson, which led to her colloquial title “Queen Catharine.” When the Seneca tribe called this region home, their settlement here was known as Queanettquaga (or sometimes Che-o-quock, Shughquago, or Sheoquago) as well as Catharine’s Town (or Catharinestown and sometimes Catharine’s Landing) to white settlers. It was located on a hill a bit south of the present-day village. The nearby hamlet of Catharine and also Catharines Creek are also named after Queen Catharine.

The Seneca-inhabited Catharine’s Town was destroyed in August of 1779 during the Sullivan Expedition during the Revolutionary War. Some sources tell of the village being completely abandoned by the time Sullivan’s army arrived, yet still, the troops demolished it completely. Along with the departure of the Seneca, and the subsequent destruction of the villages, much of the pre-colonial history of the region vanished.

Rebuilt by non-native settlers, who began arriving as early as 1788, the new settlement was then called Mills Landing after early settler George Mills of Pennsylvania, a Revolutionary War soldier who arrived in 1788, but didn’t establish a permanent residence until 1790, when he constructed a shanty and, in 1805, opened a store and tavern (but not a mill). The name comes from George Mills’ propensity to sail Seneca Lake from the Inlet at his property. Despite the obvious presence of water power from Shequaga Falls, for the first several decades of the early settlement, only a small footpath led to the falls and up the hillside.

The first mill was the Decker Flouring-Mills, erected in 1802 or 1803 on Decker Creek (at Deckertown Falls), by Bowers and Kimball. A linseed oil mill was erected near there in 1836 by William T Jackson, and it was converted to a woolen mill a short time after.  Jackson, a justice of the peace for the village, and later a US congressman, had a house on the property that is now the park at Shequaga Falls.  In 1828, a plaster mill was constructed by David Lee and Nathan Hall at the base of the falls and with that, the next 70 years saw a boom of industry from Mill Street that cuts through the top of Shequaga all the way to what is now Steuben St.

The village was incorporated on May 13, 1838 as Havana, named for the city in Cuba.

From 1827 to 1833 the construction of the Chemung Canal, which connected the Chemung River to Seneca Lake, opened a significant trade route, with Mills Landing being an important stop and trade center. Factories and shops sprung up in the middle of the village and along the canal, including six stoneware manufacturers. Their products became well known in the northeast as “Havana Pottery.”

By 1874 the hillside was packed with mills and factories, including a tannery, saw mill, woolen mill, foundry,  plaster mill, and yeast-works. Many of the prominent business owners had homes in front of the falls along Genesee Street. Many of the businesses didn’t survive through the turn of the century and the great depression.

The village (and town) adopted the name Montour Falls, in honor of Catharine Montour, on March 20, 1895.

A historical marker notes: that around 1820, French royal, Louis Philippe, who would later become the last king of France, toured the Finger Lakes region and made a sketch of the falls which is on display at the Louvre Museum in France. Well, the sign is likely wrong. The sketch was most likely done by his brother, the Duc Monpenier, and that and any relevant artwork created by the family pertaining to Schuyler County was stolen or destroyed when the communists burned down most of the Royal Family’s home in 1971. It’s possible the work still exists today, somewhere, but definitely not hanging in the Louvre. Source: the Louvre.

Another truth to another myth. The name Shequaga is a name given to the falls by Thomas Maxwell (1792-1864) an attorney and US Representative who lived in Geneva, NY. Maxwell, was the son of an Irish-born trader who was “adopted” by the Seneca. Maxwell grew up within Seneca culture. As a hobbyist historian, Maxwell contributed his knowledge of the culture and language to white settler history by naming several natural landmarks with Native American names, usually long after the Seneca were extinguished from the area. The name he chose here was likely borrowed from the Casconchiagon (Seneca village at Lower Falls in Rochester), and likely is not the original Seneca name for the falls here.

Difficulty: Easy.

Markings: None.

Distance: 120 ft from the road.

Description: This falls is easily visible from the road, and a paved walkways will take you to the viewing area at the base. Be mindful of private property on either side of the small park.

There’s more to the falls than what you can see here. If you drive up to the Steuben St bridge where it crosses over the falls, you can see a bit of the upper portion of the falls, but unfortunately there’s no place to park for a longer look.

Maps: Interactive map.

Photographing the Falls

• Shoot from the road-side end of the park to include the sign and scenery and to give scale to the falls. The down-side is that the bottom of the falls will be clipped by the barrier.
• Shoot from the barrier to include the bottom of the falls, but you won’t be able to see the top.

Overcast skies

• This frothy waterfall sparkles in sunlight  which will cause exposure problems. It is best to wait for an overcast sky for this one.

Silky Water Effect

• To get that smooth cotton-candy look to the falls, you need to use a Neutral Density (ND) filter on your lens. The ND filter will block some of the light from entering the lens without altering the color, and thus allow your shutter to stay open longer. This blurs the water and creates a soft white gloss to the foamy areas of the falls.  Check out the article for the all the details.

More tips

• See the Articles for more photography tips.

Shequaga Falls Park
Town of Montour
Havana Glen Road
P.O. Box 57
Montour Falls, NY 14865
Phone: (607) 535-9476
townofmontour.com