Four Geneseos, one road trip — and the Seneca history behind the name

GENESEO — For years, “beautiful valley” has been the translation most often linked to the village’s name. Seneca language teachers, however, say the word more accurately means “good sand there,” a reference to the sandy banks along the Genesee River.

That history came into focus for James Mead, a 2015 SUNY Geneseo graduate, during a three-week trip this summer to all four U.S. towns named Geneseo — in Kansas, North Dakota, Illinois and back in western New York. What began as a personal journey to trace the name across the Midwest led him to a deeper appreciation of its Seneca origins.