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Samuel Orcutt- The History of Stratford
The Housatonic
A
careful review of the territory drained by the Housatonic and Naugatuck
rivers will be advantageous both to the Indian as well as the English
history, especially, since in the account of the company which gathered at
Weantinoke, now New Milford, for a time, and then passed westward, it will be
maintained that that settlement consisted of remnants of all the tribes who
originally inhabited the State, westward of the Connecticut River. It is also
important in order to an understanding of the movements of the Indian tribes
within this territory, -- their gradual extinction, and the complete
acquisition of the territory by the incoming English. The chief river of
western Connecticut is the Housatonic (more
properly the Howsatunnuck, and know in former times as the Stratford,
Potatuck, or Great
River). It enters the
State from the north, about seven miles east of its western boundary, and
flows in a direction somewhat west of south for about thirty miles, when,
having almost touched the New York State line, just before entering New
Milford territory, it bends toward the east, and for a distance of
thirty-five miles flows in a southeasterly direction, when it turns again and
flows nearly due south for nine or ten miles, and empties into long island
sound between Stratford and Milford. Between the two bends (in that part of
its course wherein it flows to the southeast) it receives several tributaries; prominent among them from the west
are the Ten Mile Brook, which rises in Sharon, flows southward into New York,
and then eastward into the Housatonic at Bull's Bridge; the Wiminam (old name
Whomesage or Whimsink) runs northeast, and empties into the Housatonic at
Gaylordsville; the Naromiyocknowhunsunkatankshunk brook, which rises in
Sherman runs north, and enters the Housatonic a little distance below
Gaylordsville; the Rocky river, which rises in Sherman, runs south through
New Fairfield into Neversink Pond, in Danbury, then turns directly north,
where for some miles it is called Wood Creek, and empties into Housatonic a
mile above New Milford village, but for a little distance before it empties,
it is again called Rocky river; the Still river which rises in the western
part of Danbury in several ponds, runs easterly to Danbury Village, then
directly north and empties into the Housatonic just above Falls Mountain; and
the Potatuck brook in Newtown that flows north into the Housatonic. Also
prominent among those entering from the north are: The Womenshenuck river,
that flows southerly into the Housatonic, at Gaylordsville; the Aspetuck,
which drains Waramaug lake, flows southward and enters the Housatonic a
little distance above New Milford: The Shapeup river, which drains into
Bantam Lake in Litchfield and smaller lakes in Goshen; the Pomperaug, which
flows through Woodbury and Southbury; and Eight Mile Brook, which drains Lake
Quassapaug. Just at the second bend where it turns to go southward, and nine
or ten miles from the mouth, it receives the Naugatuck
river. Thus constructed the Housatonic becomes a river of considerable dimensions,
and the scenery along its valley is among the most beautiful and picturesque
in the state, while in its valley, thirty-five miles from Bridgeport
on the Sound, is located the village
of New Milford. It is to
the traces of Indian occupancy in the territory thus described, that
attention is directed, in order to a better knowledge of the clans which
dwelt at Milford, Stratford,
and Derby,
from just before the settlement of the English to the final disappearance of
the natives of this whole territory. These traces might be pursued in the
light of three sources of information: The land records, the traditions and
place-names, and the relics discovered, the arrowheads, spearheads and
knives, the larger ground-stone implements and the soapstone dishes; but the
first of these (land records) will afford the largest source of information
in this brief account of the departing footsteps of the Redman.
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THE HISTORY OF
CONNECTICUT
BENJAMIN TRUMBULL
The Perfect Savages
Government
Language
Religion
Marriage
Wampum
Red Ochre
New Haven Colony
ALEXANDER JOHNSTON
Connecticut Indian History
The Pequot War
SOUTHPORT SWAMP
Great Swamp Fight
Incident at Mill River
Colonial History of Pequot Swamp
GUIDE TO PUTNAM MEMORIAL CAMP
COLONIAL INDIAN ARCHIVES
Stratford
Colonial Land Deeds
Fairfield
Colonial Land Deeds
Derby Colonial
Land Deeds
EARLY NEW HAVEN
Sarah
Day Woodward
Winthrop’s
Journal
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