The Finger Lakes Region, as the Heart of New York State and the subject of twelve books by Emerson Klees, is bounded by the I-390 Expressway in the West,The New York State Thruway in the North, the I-81 Expressway and Route 13 in the East, and I-86, the Southern Tier Expressway, in the South.

    Use the links to the left, or click on the lakes on the map for descriptions of the Finger Lakes from Emerson Klees's book, Persons, Places and Things IN the Finger Lakes.

The Hand of the Great Spirit

     It is said that the Finger Lakes were made by the impression of the hand of the Great Spirit on central New York State. However there are six major Finger Lakes. West to east they are; Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco and Skaneateles.

     As told in Iroquois legend, the Great God Manitou wanted to reward the Iroquois Confederacy for their courage in battle and their devotion to the Great Spirit. He decided to bring part of their happy hunting ground down from the heavens.

     According to the legend, there are six Finger Lakes because the hand of Manitou slipped when he was pushing the portion of Indian Paradise down from the heavens, causing six indentations that later became the lakes.

  Excerpt from Legends and Stories of the Finger Lakes Region
 by Emerson Klees