 The town was named after its founder, Little Beard, a prominent Seneca "sachem" in the late 18th century.It was famous for its beautiful surroundings and the productivity of its vegetable gardens, fruit orchards, and fields of corn.It had about 130 houses-- "finely built log cabins with ample furnishings; some even had glass window panes," as well as a large council building, built around a central square.