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Introduction

THE HISTORY OF STRATFORD

SAMUEL ORCUTT

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

THE HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT

BENJAMIN TRUMBULL

The Perfect Savages

The Conquerors

Government

Language

Religion

Marriage

Wampum

Red Ochre

New Haven Colony

ALEXANDER JOHNSTON

Connecticut Indian History

The Pequot War

PEQUOT SWAMP

Great Swamp Fight

Incident at Mill River

Colonial History of  Pequot  Swamp

CONNECTICUT INDIAN ARCHIVES

Stratford Colonial Land Deeds

Fairfield Colonial Land Deeds

Derby Colonial Land Deeds

CONNECTICUT

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

WINTHROP’S JOURNAL

HOMEPAGE

Copyright© 2002 sheila sabo.

     The Indians in North western Connecticut were not large populations of Indians and but were small families called bands or clans.   The clans traveled seasonally from the shoreline in the summer, and north to higher grounds in the winter where they lived in rock shelters or small roundhouses. Most excerpts written during the time of the initial Indian encounters with the Dutch and the English tell of the Indians welcoming the protection of the colonists from the deadly Pequot and Mohawks who continually demanded tribute from these lesser clans. The Pequot and the Mohawk considered them conquered subjects from previous wars that occurred before the settling of the white man.  Therefore as conquered subjects tribute in the form of food when there was a shortage or wampum.

     Many of the Indian names we are familiar with today such as Paugaussett, Wepawaug, Pootatuck, and Weantick were not tribal names but were "place-names" the early settlers gave to lands the Indians used as temporary encampments.  Confusion has often arisen in the spelling of these place-names because many of the early settlers did not read or write well and would write the Indian words as they sounded.  Example of this can be found in the original land deeds between the settlers and Indians as well as the books on this website.  It is important to understand that the excerpts from the authors listed below are not taken from primary historical writings (excluding Winthrop’s Journal). Therefore these writings cannot be used as a basis for proving the existence of the Paugaussetts as a tribe or to establish a hereditary relationship between the natives that roamed these lands hundreds of years ago, and any present day people claiming Paugaussett ancestry.

If you have any questions email me at:

shesabo@netzero.net