History
Letchworth State Park was carved by the action of the Genessee River. The river slowly eroded away soft layers of rock, creating a deep gorge with three large waterfalls. The Seneca Indians called the area Sehgahunda, meaning the "Vale of Three Falls," forming several villages within what are now the park boundaries. Many of the trails in the park today are based on actual Seneca trails, which were used for river access.
William Pryor Letchworth, a 19th-century Buffalo industrialist, liked the view and bought the gorge land for use as a Summer home Glen Iris. As his death approached, the elderly Letchworth decided to protect the gorge from hydro-power development by deeding it to the State for use as a park in 1906.
