PHANTOM INDIAN
- Program
- Subject
- Location
- Lat/Long
- Grant Recipient
-
Legends & Lore®
-
Folklore
- Long Point Park, Conesus Lake, Geneseo, NY
- 42.780762, -77.721581
-
Friends of Long Point in Livingston County Inc.
PHANTOM INDIAN
Inscription
PHANTOM INDIANOF CONESUS LAKE
PROMOTED BY COLONEL S. TOOEY
APPEARING BY MOONLIGHT IN
CANOE CALLING FOR HELP
TALES STILL SHARED TODAY
NEW YORK FOLKLORE SOCIETY
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2016
After hearing about the nearby Silver Lake Sea Serpent, local business owner Colonel S. Tooey spread the “Conesus Lake Phantom Indian” story as a way to promote tourism to Conesus Lake and grow his boating business. Standing in a brightly painted canoe, the “Phantom” wearing full Native American dress would appear on moonlit nights calling for help, but would mysteriously disappear when help arrived. Each year, the story grew and expanded over time.
