The farm and home known as Gayeta belonged to Charles J. and Nell Finger. It is still a private residence and owned by descendants of the Fingers. It is west of the eponymous Finger Road.
According to family lore, the name comes from a time when Charles Finger was aboard a ship that anchored just off the coast of Argentina’s Patagonia, and native South Americans paddled canoes out to the ship, calling “gayeta, gayeta.” Finger liked the sound of this cordial greeting but didn’t find out till later that they had not been shouting a welcome but rather “galleta,” the Spanish word for biscuit or cookie, because they were seeking food.
Finger, who wrote numerous books for young readers, won the Newberry Award for his book Tales from Silver Lands.