Catherine's Town Catherine's Town Catherine's Town was a Seneca village, ("Queanettquaga," or "Sheoquago") named informally for a prominent Seneca woman, Catherine Montour. It was located at the south end of Seneca Lake, near present-day Watkins Glen (and the towns of Catharine, Montour, and Montour Falls, all named for Catherine Montour) in what is now Schuyler County, New York. The Seneca leader Red Jacket was said to have practiced his speeches at Shequaga Falls, located nearby in the present-day Town of Montour Falls. According to "Historical Sketch of the Chemung Valley, Etc..," he was also buried there. Catherine's Town was destroyed by the
Risør (town) in 1861. A great fire swept across the small town leaving just 85 houses and the 1647 Risør Church. The entire road network was re-worked after the fire to remove the small streets and alleys and have wider roads that are there today. The city was redesigned and rebuilt and today it presents a positive impression of a well kept town with white, wooden houses. White was chosen because it was an expensive paint and they residents wanted to give an expression of prosperity. Still today, most houses have white paint, although some have other colors on the sides and