West of the territory of the Quinnipiacs we enter the country of the Wepawaugs, which tribe was a large one, and at the time of the coming of the English, were settled at those localities, --Milford, Stratford, and Derby, --thus occupying considerable territory on both sides of the Housatonic. It separates New Haven from Orange, all the way to Fairfield.On the west of the Housatonic they claimed all the territory now compromised in the towns of Stratford, Bridgeport, Trumbull, Huntington, and Monroe; and on the east side, as far north as Beacon Hill brook, east of the Naugatuck, including the town of Milford, and the western part of Orange, Woodbridge, and Bethany, and, as we shall see, still further, --overlapping the hunting grounds of the Tunxis ; and north and west of the Housatonic above Birmingham Point, they claimed the territory nearly to the Massachusetts line, certainly into the town of Norfolk, wither their deeds extend.

This large tribe at the coming of the English was under the dominion of the well-known chief Ansantaway, whose big wigwam is said to have been on Charles Island, at Milford, and the wigwams of whose people scarcely extended beyond The Neck above the present village of Birmingham, in Derby.

The first purchase of land at Milford wa made of the Indians, Feb. 12, 1639, and comprehended about two miles of what is now the center of the town. The deed was given to Mr. William Fowler, Edmund Tapp, Zechariah Whitman, and Alexander Bryan, in trust for the body of the planters; the consideration being, six coats, ten blankets, one kettle, besides hoes, knives, hatchets and glasses.?? The instrument was signed by Ansantaway and others.

Afterwards other purchases were made until the Wepawaugs had sold themselves oft of house and home, at Milford, in very deed.The tract lying west of the settlement, on the Housatonic river, was bought in 1656, for the sum of twenty-six pounds to be paid in goods.The Indian Neck, lying between the East River and the Sound, was purchased in 1660. a reservation of twenty acres was made by the Indians in this last tract, for planting ground, which reservation they sold, Dec. 12, 1661, for six coats, two blankets, and two pair of breeches. By this last agreement Ansantaway and wife and is sons Toutonemoe and Ankeanack, in case of danger were granted liberty to sit down for shelter in some place near the town where the townsmen (selectmen) should think fit.? In accordance with this agreement the town sometime afterwards appointed a tract of land on its northern border, adjoining the Derby line and made it a reservation for them.

The place more recently known as Turkey Hill is a little way up the river from the mouth of two mile brook, in which place there was an Indian burying place, a few graves, and where is still the sight of the last home of Molly Hatchet, the last of the tribe there, so far as known.

If at this time there were other remnants of the Wepawaug Indians remaining east of the Housatonic, they were probably, absorbed in this settlement at Turkey Hill.

This reservation was set apart by the town of Milford as the home of the Milford Indians who had remained in the south part of that won when Ansantaway removed into Derby, at or near the Narrows on the east side of the Housatonic.And since Ansantaway removed thither nearly twenty years before Milford appropriated this one hundred acres, it is doubtful if the Indians ever resided on any part of the one hundred acres;--they resided north of it in the town of Derby upon land owned by Maj. Ebenezer Johnson, who appears never to have disturbed them.Upon this land they continued about one hundred and eighty years until the last of Molly Hatchets children disappeared.

If you have any questions email me at:

shesabo@netzero.net