Little Beard's Town

Little Beard's Town, also known as "Genesee Castle", was a powerful Seneca town in the Genesee River Valley near modern Leicester in Livingston County, New York, where Cuylerville stands today. It was named after its founder, Little Beard, a prominent Seneca sachem in the late 18th century, and consisted of about 130 houses, fruit orchards, fields of corn and a large council building, built around a central square. The town was famous for its beautiful surroundings and the productiveness of its vegetable gardens. It was located near three other Seneca towns, all of which were destroyed during the Sullivan Expedition in the American Revolutionary War.

Little Beard fought on the British side during the American Revolutionary War, and participated in the Cherry Valley massacre and the Boyd and Parker ambush. In retaliation, Patriot forces attacked Little Beard's Town and destroyed it, causing the residents to flee. Cuylerville was later built on the site. One famous resident was Mary Jemison, who fled with the natives to more secure villages.