THE LEGEND OF OWENAH and NEWAMEE
by Dr. Robert Lyon

Just our in time for the holidays - a new book written by Dr. Robert Lyon (President and founder of the Eldridge Park Carousel Preservation Society) tells about an Eldridge Lake legend that he says was known by his family as the Legend of Minetonka. Here's how he describes it:

I truly believe that the things we do not choose in life make us who we are. Our birth place, our family, our neighborhood, the traditions and the legends of our past, all help to make us unique members of our community.

The stories of Eldridge Lake, also known as Lake Minnetonka, and by certain Native American tribes as Ouela, cannot be forgotten by those of us who grew up in the Southern Tier before the decline of Eldridge Park. We must continue to keep these legends alive so the future generations can also be shaped and that we may share this common bond, this icon of our past, this beacon for our future we call Eldridge Park.

Why is it that we grew up knowing that Eldridge Lake is bottomless, with channels guarded by serpents connecting it to Seneca Lake and that pockets of quicksand along the shoreline kept us from venturing too closely to its dark, mysterious waters? That bodies of certain unfortunate individuals and animals consumed by Eldridge Lake have been recovered at Seneca Lake, some with unexplainable bite marks? (As a forensic dentist, this is of particular interest to me!) Why did Bob Long, the man who brought the Carousel to Eldridge Park in 1924, carve a dragon head to be mounted prominently on the bow of the original "Jasper" boat in the 1930's?

To begin to understand the answers to the above questions, one must first know that the ominous Lake of which I speak has always been there. It was formed by the glaciers many thousands of years ago. It was only enlarged by Dr. Edwin Eldridge in the 1860's. Dr. Eldridge landscaped the two hundred or more acres around the lake, and created one of the finest Victorian walking parks that ever existed. The Picnic mounds which were recently leveled to make way for the athletic fields were another glacial phenomenon known as drumlins.

This relatively small lake has impacted the lives of those who have grown up in the region surrounding it largely because of one legend in particular. The legend originated centuries ago when the lake was known as Minnetonka or Ouwela. Throughout the nineteenth century, the story was printed once a year or so in the local newspaper. Children would gather around the fireplace and pay undivided attention to the story teller much the same as I remember sitting before the television set with great excitement and anticipation to watch "The Wizard of Oz "for the umpteenth time! The legend of the Native Americans called Owenah and Newamee is the story that answers our questions.

It originated before the first white settler came to this region in the late 1780's. My own great, great, great, great, great grand father settled here with Colonel John B.Hendy in 1789 and passed the legend on to his own son Silus B. Lyon, born in1803. Silus's diary reveals that his descendents, my family, have enjoyed this great legend and that it has helped to make us who we are- proud residents of the Finger Lakes Region.

I present this story so we may help to shape future generations. By creating a connection between the generations, we create a bridge to the future. By rebuilding Eldridge Park, we recreate the place where we can reminisce about the past, embrace the present, and plan for the future.

PLEASE NOTE: Dr. Lyon's book is available at the Christmas House in Elmira, NY. You can find out how to get it in time for the holidays by clicking here.