Kana-Ta-Go-Wah was a large Iroquois-Onondaga village on the east bank of Onondaga Creek extending to this site. Onondaga Indians began to settle here after the burning of Onondaga Village in Frontenac's Invasion in 1696. From 1720 it was known as Lower Onondaga Village and was the seat of the Iroquois Confederacy. Connasatego (Black Prince), Caghs-Wuti-Oni, and Ots-Chini-Chiata lived here. Moravian missionaries visited in 1745.