Name Origin
The origin of Seneca Village's name is not exactly known; however, a number of theories have been advanced.
- One theory suggests the word “Seneca” came from a Roman philosopher named Lucius Annaeus Seneca, whose book was often read by African American activists.
- Another theory is that the village was named after a group of Native Americans, the Seneca nation.
- Sara Cedar Miller, the Central Park Conservancy's historian suggests, "It must have been an ethnic slur," a way to simultaneously denigrate Indians and blacks.
- Some suggest it is a derivative of Senegal, a country in West Africa, where many of the people who lived in the village were from.
- Yet other theories suggest the name could also have been used as a code for the underground railroad.
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