CONNECTICUT PAUGAUSSETT INDIANS

THE HISTORY OF STRATFORD

Golden Hill Indians
The Housatonic
The Wepawaug
Cupheags and Pequannock
Weantinock
Goodyear's Island
Indian Slaves
Indian Remnants
Indian Troubles
New Indian Papers

THE HISTORY OF STRATFORD

Wm. Howard Wilcoxson

Stratford Indians

Trouble with the Indians

Establishing Title to the Land

Indian Deeds and Relics

White Hills Purchase

FORREST MORGAN

Lifestyles, Government, Religion and War

Indian Titles and Mohegan Land Troubles

Sowheag, Uncas, and Miantonomo

Owenoco, the Son of Uncas

THE HOUSATONIC

CHARD POWERS SMITH

The Promised Land
Heathen in the Land
The Lord's Scouts

The Land and The Lord

The Next Seven Tribes

ALEXANDER JOHNSTON

Connecticut Indian History

The Pequot War

Samuel Orcutt- The History of Stratford

Goodyear?s Island

This is a small island in the Housatonic below the Fishing Place now overgrown with alder and other small trees.? It was probably made by the washing out of the gorge through the mountain. In 1642, Mr. Goodyear of New Haven, with Mr. Wakeman, established a trading house on what is bow Birmingham Point, in Derby, Ct., and in addition must have built one about the same time on the island at what was then Metichawon, for there was no other person by that name engaged in trade with the Indians, so far known, before the deed of 1671, which informs us that this was "Goodyear's Island," and he once had a trading house on it. In 1646, the Governor of New York complained to the Governor of New Haven that he or his men had "determined to fasten your foot near Mauritius River in this Province, and there not only to disturb our trade, of no man hitherto questioned, and to draw it to yourselves, but utterly to destroy it," and the New Haven Governor replied a little sharply that his people had established a trading house" upon Paugaussett River. In the suit conducted by Mr. John Read for Mr. Zachariah Ferriss, as given in the first chapter of the English history part of this book, we are told where this Goodyear Island is, and the fact is also revealed in one New Milford deed, if not more. This island being so much nearer the New York line than Paugaussett, we can see why the New York Governor should fear the men were trespassing on the rights of his province, and the Indian name of the place being Metichawon, the Dutch Governor did quite well in writing the name so nearly correct when he called it Mauritius river. In the fact of the trading house on this island so early we find the assurance that the Indians were so numerous here that it was thought advantageous to establish the trading post; that is, as early as 1646, at latest probably in 1642, and if so, then the place must have been an Indian town or village a long time before.

APRIL 25, 1671

STRATFORD DEED

Be it known to all Christian people, Indians and others whom it may concern, that I Pocona and Ringo and Quoconoco and Whimta who are right owners of one Island in the Great river Quantenock where Mr. Goodyear had a trading house and also the lands on both sides of the river, we do by this present writing grant... unto Henry Tomlinson of Stratford the above mentioned island and the land on both sides of the river upward northwest, which amounts to seven miles in length and accordingly of each side the river three miles in breadth which amounts to six miles in breadth; all which tract of land and island, to have.. We confess to have received one peice of cloth and other good pay to our satisfaction. April 25, 1671

Pocono

Ringo

Quoconoco

Cheshushamack, Sachem

Wookpenos

Wesonco

Pomuntock

Mataret, the Sachem's son

Tone, the second son of Mataret

Toto

Mohemat

Chetemhehu

Oshoron

Papiscounos

From 1657 to 1678, or to the close of the Sachem rule of Ockenuck, a space of twenty-one years, there were of the Paugasuck Indians over fifty different signers to those deeds. Sometimes only Ockenuck's name is attached; at other times two, five, seven, and ten are recorded. The fact (which is demonstrated that only a few signed when there were others who might properly have signed), indicates that it was necessary for but a few to sign at a time. Hence, if during that time one in three of the men in the tribe signed, then the tribe consisted of one hundred and fifty men; and making allowance for deaths and removals, the tribe may have numbered one hundred men, or, on a small estimate, between three and four hundred persons at any time during the twenty-one years. It is quite apparent, nay, say almost demonstrable, that the Indians increased in numbers from 1657 to 1700, and afterward. Many of the Paugasucks united with the Potatucks from 1680 to 1730. It is probable that the chief seat of the Potatucks in 1660 was the Old Fort opposite Birmingham Point, on the west side of the Housatonic, and the settlement of the places called Potatuck, twelve miles farther up the river, and the Pomperaug was effected mostly afterwards. In 1671, when the tribe deeded to Henry Tomlinson land on both sides of the river at what is now New Milford. Fifteen names were placed on the deed, and in the next month to a quitclaim deed in confirmation of the territory of the town of Stratford, four others were added, and in 1684, to another deed of the same character eleven more were recorded. Here, then, in the space of thirteen years there are thirty men ascertained; and on the computations as in the case of the Paugasucks as before noted, we estimate, making due allowance, that there were about seventy men in the Potatuck tribe, and from two hundred to two hundred and fifty persons. When, then, this tribe had increased, as most probably it did, of its own numbers and by accessions from the Paugasucks up to 1700, it is very probably numbered over one hundred men. Hence, when President Stiles of Yale College, in his Itinerary in 1760, estimated the number of warriors of this tribe to have been fifty half a century before, he was not far out of the way. The same writer preserves the account of a great powwow, which took place at the village of the Potatucks, somewhere from 1720 to 1725. The ceremonies lasted three days, and were attended by five or six hundred Indians, many of whom came from distant places, as Farmington and Hartford. While the Indians were standing in dense mass, excited by the dancing and other wild rites, a little Indians girl was brought forward, gaily dressed and covered with ornaments. She was led in among them by two squaws, her mother and her aunt; and as she entered the crowd they set up a great yelling and howling, threw themselves into strange postures, and made hideous grimaces. After a while the squaws, stripped of their ornaments, emerged alone from the crowd and walked away, shedding tears and uttering mournful cries. Many white people stood around gazing at the scene, but the savages were so excited that none of them dared to interfere. A little white girl, who afterwards related the incident, ran to the squaws and asked anxiously what they had done with the child, but the only reply was that they should never see her again. It was generally believed by the whites that the Indians had sacrificed her, and that this was an occasional custom.