The story of Waterloo begins with the Cayuga Indian village of Skoi-Yase, established about the year 1500, and located near the rapids of the Seneca River, near the present location of Locust Street in Waterloo. The Cayugas valued Skoi-Yase, meaning "flowing water" because of the abundant supply of fish, especially eels, in the Seneca River. Early Waterloo was a thriving industrial village.