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 ga, the upper Mohawk castle The Indian name for Utica was Nun-da-da-sis—meaning 'around the hill.' At Utica, the Indian trail from the west crossed the river A little above Utica was a small Indian station called Ole-hisk—'the place of nettles.' This is now Oriskony, one of the famous battle-grounds of the Revolution At the mouth of Wood Creek, on the Oneida Lake, a Royal Blockhouse was built, and at the west end of Oneida Lake, in 1758, Fort Brewerton was built. The Indian name for Wood Creek was Ka-ne-go-dick; for Oneida Lake was Ga-no-a-lo-hole—'head on a pole.' For Syracuse the Indian name was Na-ta-dunk, meaning 'pine-tree broken with top hanging down,' and the Indian name of Fort Brewerton was Ga-do-quat."

The Oneida portage—as the carrying place between the Mohawk and Wood Creek is known in history—was guarded at its Mohawk terminus as early as 1732 by the erection of Fort Williams, and at the Wood Creek terminus as early as 1737 by Fort Bull. Throughout the century of conflict between French and English the Oneida