USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Springfield > Historical address delivered before the citizens of Springfield in Massachusetts at the public celebration, May 26, 1911, of the two hundred and seventy-fifth anniversary of the settlement; with five appendices, viz: Meaning of Indian local names, The cartography of Springfield, Old place names in Springfield, Unrecorded deed of Nippumsuit, Unrecorded deed of Paupsunnuck > Part 2
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APPENDIX A
from the Chippewa; in that dialect 'agwaôma' signifies 'bring on the back to shore'. In this form the m is the sign of the animate objective." In explanation of the local meaning it might be suggested that the fish taken at Agawam Falls and Paucatuck Falls were unloaded from the canoes for the purpose of curing on the sunny flats at the mouth of the river.
ASHCANUNSUCK. ASHKANNUNCKSIT. Mr. Hewitt considers this as probably meaning a "a place of small hawks", evidently deriving from quanunon, a hawk, and "aske," "immature". In Eliot's Indian Bible the word "hawk" in Job 39: 26 is rendered masquanon, which, so far as it goes, allows of minimizing the "aske" and thus enlarging the hawk. The suffix sauk commonly refers to an outlet of water. In Trumbull's Indian Names of . Connecticut it appears as sometimes equivalent to brook. It is not easy to determine to what brook or outlet, if any, in the locality, this part of the word refers, unless, indeed, the locality extended as far north as Tawtum Squassick brook in which case the word might refer to the outlet of that stream. Perhaps the true solution is found in the above given second but more unusual spelling adopted by John Pynchon which appears in his own handwriting on the deed of Paupsunnuck (Appendix D): The final syllable thus becomes a mere locative. Lemoine in his Dictionaire Francais-Montag- nais gives Upashkau as meaning "where the water becomes narrower," and if this word is in the composition the reference may be to a narrowing of the Westfield at the rapids or Mitteneague Falls:
CHICOPEE. "Probably from chikee or chekeyeu, 'it rages' or 'is violent', and pe, the root name of 'water' in nearly all Algonquin dialects, 'raging or rushing water.' Chikkup also was the name for a cedar tree, and chikkuppee, an adjective meaning 'of cedar.' Possibly the name is a corruption of Chik- kuppee, auke, and was first applied to the land in the vicinity of the river, 'cedar country'" Kinnicutt.
"Perhaps from chikopi, "a cedar, " but probably from Chekee "violent," and pe, "water." This last would be very applicable, as the river has a fall of seventy feet in the town of Chicopee alone." Wright.
CONNECTICUT. Worn by usage from gunnitukut. The first syllables mean "long", the third "river", and -ut-or -et, as in Wachuset, is a mere suffix generally equivalent to "at"; hence "at the long river". The word is also spelled Quinnecticot.
MANSHCONIS. The first syllable mansh, manshk means a "stronghold" and in Eliot's Bible is made the equivalent of "fort" in Is. 25: 12 and "stronghold" in Lam. 2: 5. In Wright's Deeds, p. 116, it is applied to a mountain; which rather controls the application here, although the neigh- boring ponds and swamps, useful to Indians in defense might perhaps enlarge the idea. The last two syllables exhibit a defiant obscurity. Cuttonus or Cattonis was lord of Agawam and Quana and his name, elided, may possibly be concealed in this word. The Indian Coe was a witness to the deed of Nippumsuit. Wright's Deeds p. 26, 93. A probably corrupt form is Massaconis.
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APPENDIX A
MASSACKSIC. So spelled in the Indian deed to William Pynchon and others. From Massa, "great", and "auksic" the diminutive of auk, land, in the locative case, meaning, "the great land" or "the great meadow". Wright's Deeds, p. 14. The land is very pondy and the true derivation may be from smassek, a marsh, the "-wa" of composition having been elided, Ibid. p. 60, n. 4.
MAUNCHAUGSIC. Occurs in the deed of Paupsunnuck (Appendix D) as descriptive of land probably in Westfield but possibly in West Spring- field. I think it also occurs in a recorded deed the reference to which is mis- laid. It might be composed of manshk "stronghold," and okke "land" and -sauk, "outlet", but is, I suspect, a corrupt form of Minnechaug, q. v.
MEMACHOGUE. Occurring, so far as I find, but once in the records for the first hundred years, and indicating as it does a locality in the valley of the Chicopee some miles east of its mouth, this may be supposed to be only another form for Minnechoag. Mr. Hewitt suggests that it may be equiva- lent to Mumachogue, a kind of small fish. On the coast this is taken to refer to smelts, of which there are none in the Chicopee and the locality seems to be somewhat north of the river.
MINNECHAUG. MINNECHOAG. It has been suggested that this word is equivalent to mumachog, a kind of small fish mentioned but not identified by Roger Williams. A study of the locality, however, would fail to find anything distinctive in the way of fish in the Chicopee river in this region. Moreover tradition, let it count for what it will, applies the word to land and makes it the original name of Wilbraham. Minnechoag mountain is in Ludlow and the range extends south into and through Wilbraham. Berries of various kinds, blackberry, huckleberry, strawberry etc. are plentiful on these hills in decided contrast to the lands on the Connecticut where the aborigines were settled. It is therefore preferable to consider that the word is compounded either of minne, a small fruit or berry, or its plural minneask and the suffix og, (see Wachogue). The meaning may then be the "berry place" or the "berry land". See Trumbull's Indian Names of Conn. p. 30. See Maunchaugsic.
MITTINEAGUE. METTENEGONUCK. MEDNEGONUCK. MED. ANEGANUCK. The third syllable should be pronounced short, but is sel- dom so spoken. Hewitt considers the probable meaning to be "on abandoned fields". Lemoine in his Dictionaire Francais-Montagnais, p. 280, gives Mittinakup as meaning "the remains of the encampment," which is per- haps equivalent.
NAYAS. Nayas, a "point", and the locative et. "At the small point." Hewitt.
PACONEMISK. Meaning and derivation undiscovered.
PATUKET. "At the Falls." See Appendix C.
PAUCATUCK. PAUQUETUCK. The meaning of this word is discussed by Trumbull in his "Indian Names of Connecticut" and also by the authors
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APPENDIX A
of the "Handbook of the American Indians". None of the writers had the. advantage of knowledge of the locality. Trumbull is rather insistent that tuck refers to a tidal river, and admits that while this meaning is applicable to the Paucatuck of Connecticut it does not explain Paucatuck brook in West Springfield. Paucatuck brook, however, is but secondary to the origi- nal locality name. The word must refer either to the land or some character- istic of the Westfield river. If the sense of rise and fall must be kept in tuck, the reference may be to the rapid rise of the mountain stream, which in the spring and fall overflows Paucatuck meadows, fertilizing them greatly. But in his Natick Dictionary Trumbull allows-tuck as a general name for river. At this locality the river shallows and becomes calm and transparent as compared with its aspect at the rapids above and below. The meaning of pauqua is clear, or transparent. If the reference is to the prospect, it may be remarked that in this intervale the view south is open and transparent as compared to the wooded heights on the west and east. It is not impossible that pauqua as here used, is a corrupt form of pegwa, shallow.
PAUHUNGANUCK. The derivation suggested by Lemoine in Wright's Deeds is somewhat forced and assumes the late origin for the name, which however, awaits further study. It is notable that Pauhunganuck, Sconun- ganuck, Ashkanuncksuck and Cappawonganuck seem to point, when applied to their respective localities, to bends in the stream. In the latter wongan, according to Trumbull, means "within the bend". Does a remnant of this word remain in each of the others? Toshconwonganuck is the name of a small pond near the line of Voluntown, Connecticut. Larned's Windham Vol. I p. 240.
PECOWSIC. Mr. Hewitt of the Bureau of Ethnology thinks the meaning is probably "the place of the grey fox", in which case the original, if there is reference to a fox, is either pequas, a red fox, or pequawas, a grey fox, as defined by Roger Williams. The grey fox is not common, but one was secured in Wilbraham a few years ago for the collection which Robert O. Morris gave to the City Library and its rarity as compared with the common red fox would account for the emphasis on the word as a place name. The suffix refers to the mouth of the brook, sauk meaning an outlet of water from a brook or pond. It is worth considering whether this is not the same word as "Pochasuck", and Paugasset, "where the narrows open out", which is certainly descriptive of the land at Pecowsic and the outlet there. Trum- bull's Indian Names of Conn. p. 46. There was a Manepacossick in Deerfield (Wright's Deeds p. 65, 43), and a Lacowsic in Suffield; ibid. p. 99. The spelling in the earliest records is "Pacowsic", or "Pacowsauk".
PETOWAK. From pitahoweag, "the land whence the water flows to us" Wright's Deeds p. 30. North of the Woronoco river probably in the eastern part of Westfield, or it may refer to the headwaters of Paucatuck brook. Deed of Paupsunnuck to John Pynchon, Appendix E.
PISSAK. The proper form is pissagh or pissaghi, meaning "mire" or "dir?". Doubtless in the Chicopee deed it is used as an equivalent for "swamp". Natick Dict: also Trumbull's indian Names of Conn p St.
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APPENDIX A
QUANA. Supposed to be derived from kwanau, "it is sunken down". If equivalent to the two first syllables of Quinnecticot, the word would refer to the length of the meadow, as shown in the map of the Agawam river, 1803, in Wright's Maps.
QUILLICKSQU. Quilikasikau, "it is a mixed land", (with water) that is "marshy land". Wright's Indian Deeds p. 25.
RAMAPOGUE. From namas, fish, and paug, pond. Hewitt. For the interchangeability of n and r see Wright's Deeds p. 29. The Marquis de Chastellux in his Travels mentions a Ramapogue in the eighteenth century in Pompton N. J. Frank R. Parry, township clerk of Pompton, writes: "There is in this section a range of mountains called Ramapogue with about four small lakes among them and also a valley and a river called Ramapogue."
SCANTUCK. Trumbull defines "for peskatuck, a branch of a river", but Hewitt considers this a plain error and says "probably kenhaden, or 'Whiting fish.' "
SCONUNGANUCK. SCANUNGANUCK. SQUANUNGANUCK. The last form occurs also in Map A. The meaning is perhaps undiscoverable. John Pynchon gives Squana Keesh, as the Indian month, partly identical with May, for planting corn. Quana, in the first Indian deed, was a meadow used probably for corn planting, but in order to establish any connection perhaps impossible changes must be assumed. Mr. Hewitt thinks "a place of scour grass" as possible. The syllables ganuck occurring also in Medneganuck, Pohunganuck, Ashkanunksuck, and (in Deerfield) Cappawon- ganuck, are applied to localities in all of which there is a bend in a stream. For Cappawonganuck, see Wright's Deeds p. 39.
SICKCOMPSK. SICKCOMPSQU. SUCKIOMPSK. "Dark colored rock". Wright's Deeds p. 25.
SKIPMUCK. SKIPMAUG. The last syllable means "a fishing place". In Nippumsuit's deed we have "Skep alias Skipnuck" and "Misquis the owner of Skep", in which the "e" must be short. John Pynchon's indorse- ment on the deed has "Wallamansick scape". We also have Wollamansick Seep .- "Seep" is a stream and if "Seep", "Scape", "Skep" and "Skip" are identical Skipmaug would mean simply a river fishing place as distinct from a pond fishery like Ramapogue. The great corruption of Indian names allows of some violent suppositions. Hewitt considers "overflowed fishing place" as the most likely meaning.
TATTOM. TAWTEM, etc. The earliest form occurs in Paupsunnuck's deed (Appendix E). It is clear that squassok is a rock as distinguished from a stone, but the first word has baffled investigation. Hewitt, however, thinks probably "enclosure or pen."
USQUAIOK. "Iskwai-auk"; meaning "the last land" or "the end of lands". Wright's Deeds p. 14. Unfortunately the word occurs but twice. If the spelling were Usquasok, the initial "m", as sometimes happens, hav-
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APPENDIX A
ing dropped off, it would mean "the place of musquash", either the beaver or muskrat, a meaning befitting the location. See "Mooskoupaug" in Kinnicut's Indian Names; p. 29; and Misquitucket ib. p. 47. Hewitt approves the above suggestion of "beaver place."
WALLAMANUMPS. The accent is on the last syllable. Mr. Hewitt defines this as probably "red ochre rock" or "paint clay rock". Trumbull defines "-ompsk," of which the variations are "-mpsk" etc., as a standing or upright rock, a description sufficiently appropriate to the rock walls at the locality. The first three syllables, it is thought, refer to the color of the rock with reference to its uses for decoration and war paint. Wright's Deeds p. 60. The rock at Wallamanumps is of red sandstone.
WAN. The word means "stream." A swamp so called is a swamp by a stream.
WEQUAUSHAUSICK. Mr. Wright either by printer's error or difference of opinion makes the sixth letter an "n", but the original, occurring only in D 237, is open to inspection. I derive the first two syllables from "wequaes" at the end. Shaume is a neck and the last syllable, except when merely a shorter way of writing the locative "-set" refers to a stream at its inlet or simply to the outlet of a pond. An inspection of the locality shows that there was originally a pond shaped like the letter L with the outlet into Three Mile brook at the angle. The northern depression is now a fine meadow with a small brook running through it and discharging near the angle.
WILLIMANSETT. WILLIMANSIT. WOLLAMANSIT. In the unre- corded deed of Nippumsuit of which a fac-simile is in the Springfield City Library, "Willimansitseep". "Wollaman" refers to a reddish ochre color used by the Indians for personal decoration (see Wallamanumps) and pro- cured from the bog-iron in the oozing water in and about Springfield. The locative -et or -set completes the word. Other derivations are not impossible, e. g. Willi-mansh-et, a good stronghold (see Manchconis). Willimantic in Connecticut is defined by Trumbull as "a good lookout" or "where it winds about a hill," all of which agree with the sinuous brook issuing into the plain from the steeps at the east. Hewitt considers the possible meaning to be "a place of fine small berries" probably deriving from Will, "good" and minne- ash, "small fruits." Lemoine in his Dictionarie Francais-Montagnais gives Olimanshipu, as meaning "vermillion river".
WORONOCO. WORRINOKE. WORONOCK. WORONOAK. “The country of windings", "the winding land, " Wright's Deeds p. 43. In the deed of Paupsunnuck John Pynchon spells "Woronoco" and also "Woronoak."
APPENDIX B.
THE CARTOGRAPHY OF OLD SPRINGFIELD.
The following list of maps is believed to include all those of any value in identifying localities other than streets for the towns and cities within the original limits of Springfield, not including, however, Westfield, or the Connecticut towns for a time reckoned in the Springfield jurisdiction. Most of the older maps are reproduced in the valuable atlas of Harry Andrew Wright. Maps in directories, being mainly concerned with streets, are not included in the list. Maps and atlases are listed together as maps. The cartographers are inclined to inaccuracy in delineating brooks, particularly in not tracing them to their sources. In this and other respects reliance should only be placed upon a comparison of several maps and even this may fail and a local examination be necessary. For a very early map of New England showing Springfield see Mass. Hist. Society Collections. 2d series Vol. 6.
A. In compliance with acts of the General Court in 1795 and 1830 there were prepared by the several towns and cities manuscript maps showing their respective boundaries and some topographical features. These are on file in the archives of the Secretary of State. The maps of 1795 are in appen- dix C are referred to as A without designating the particular towns.
B. A very large manuscript map of Springfield, including Chicopee as a part of the town, and inscribed "David Ashley 1827". It is in sections which, properly boxed, are kept in the office of the City Engineer.
C. Wall map of Springfield, including Chicopee; 20 x 16 in. Samuel Bowles & Co. 1827. This is a reduction and abridgment of B and adds scarcely anything to its original. It contains, however, good engravings of Court Square, State Street with the new Town Hall, the Pynchon house and the new Methodist church edifice on the brow of the hill on Union Street. Rare.
D. The maps of 1830-1831. See A.
E. Dr. Peabody's small map. This neat and beautiful manuscript map 10 x 8 in. was executed by Rev. Wm. B. O. Peabody about 1827 and given by him to his parishioner, Eunice L. Edwards to whose aged daughter, Charlotte E. Warner, it belonged until her death, January 11, 1916. Com- parison with the map of 1830 in the archives of the Secretary of State at Boston makes it evident that both maps are from the same hand. The Edwards map has exquisite drawings of the old Town Hall, the Pynchon house, the First church, the old Court House and the dignified mansion of
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APPENDIX B
William Orne on Maple street opposite High Street. Four enlarged photo- graphic copies of this map have been recently made.
F. Map of Longmeadow, including the then precinct of East Longmeadow, by Jonathan H. Goldthwaite, an engraver on metal; 24 x 16 in. This map is based on the survey of 1831. The engraver was a resident of Longmeadow. A map of Massachusetts and of the United States, finely executed by him and the latter bordered by the capitols, is extant. The copper plate of Map F has been recently presented to the Conn. Valley Hist. Soc. by the engraver's son, William Goldthwaite.
G. Map of Springfield, including Chicopee, 2 ft. 10 in. x 2 ft. 6 in. by George Colton, a local engineer; 1835. It contains a view of Court Square, with the . elm which yet stands in the northeast corner and its mate which died a few years ago. It also contains the school districts. Rare; but the plate is in the possession of the writer.
H. Map of the Central Parts of Springfield; 3 ft. square; by Marcus Smith and H. A. Jones; published by M. Dripps, New York; 1851. It contains engravings of Foot's Block on the present site of the building of the Massa- chusetts Life Insurance Company and of the American Machine Works on Tyler, Orleans and Quincy streets. Rare.
I. Large wall map of Hampden County by Henry F. Walling; published by H. A. Haley, Boston; 1855. It contains side maps of the villages and civic centers.
J. Wall map of the villages of Chicopee and Chicopee Falls. Mckinney and Smith; 1859. One of these is hung in the Registry of Deeds.
K. Large wall map of Springfield by Smith and Van Zandt; 1860. It con- tains engravings of the railroad station and various other buildings and shows the ground plan of buildings. Rarer than L.
L. Large wall map of Springfield by Beers, Ellis & Soule, New York; 1870. It shows the ground plan of buildings and gives names of their owners.
M. Atlas of Springfield by Beers, Ellis & Soule; 1870.
N. Atlas of Hampden County by F. W. Beers; published by Beers, Ellis and Soule, New York; 1870.
O. Atlas of Massachusetts by Walling and Gray; published by Stedman, Brown and Lyon, Boston; 1871. Folding maps of the several counties from the same plates were also published separately, showing even the houses on country roads.
P. Birdseye view of Springfield by O. H. Bailey; published by Whitney & Adams, Springfield; 1876. An interesting combination of map and pictures
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APPENDIX B
in lithograph. Taking a plan of the streets the artist went through them and sketched in the buildings with remarkable rapidity. The original belongs to the Connecticut Valley Historical Society.
Q. Atlas of Springfield. George H. Walker & Co. Boston 1882. This firm has published several later editions; those of 1891, 1900 and 1904, using contours etc. from Map R. See S.
R. Map of the U. S. Topographical Commission. Washington. 1886-7.
S. Atlas of Massachusetts. George H. Walker & Co. Boston; 1891 and later editions. Based on R etc. and shows the land elevation.
T. Atlas of Hampden County. L. J. Richards & Co. Springfield; 1894.
U. Atlas of Springfield. L. J. Richards & Co. Springfield 1899.
V. Highway Map of Hampden and Hampshire Counties. L. J. Richards & Son, Springfield, 1908; square miles indicated by cross sections.
W. Atlas of Springfield and Longmeadow. L. J. Richards. Springfield 1910.
X. Atlas of Holyoke. Harold Hazen Richards. 1911.
Y. Atlas of Hampden County. By Harold H. Richards; published by the Richards Map Co. 1912.
Z. Wall map of Springfield. George H. Walker & Co. Boston; 1912. Mainly for streets.
At the headwaters of the North Branch, Wilbraham. From an old print.
APPENDIX C
PLACE-NAMES OF OLD SPRINGFIELD
including therein the present Holyoke, Chicopee, West Springfield, Agawam, Ludlow, Wilbraham, Hampden and the Longmeadows.
Many of the names in this list are found in the valuable transcription of the town records made by Henry M. Burt whose name should be held in grateful remembrance. The publication is in two volumes, but the place- names are not indexed. That work is referred to in the list by volume and page; e. g. I B 216 means page 216 of the first volume. A transcription of the records of layout of roads etc. in that part of the ancient county of Hampshire which is now the county of Hampden may be found in the office of the clerk of the County of Hampden. In the list this book is referred to as Co. Ct. Rec. (County Court Records). Citations by capital letters un- accompanied by numerals refer to the early volumes in the Registry of Deeds, which were lettered instead of numbered as now. One book is lettered A-B. The letters I C refer to the several books of the Inward and Outward Com- mons, all transcribed in one volume in the Registry of Deeds from the originals in the office of the City Clerk and more easily referred to because typewritten. The letters LG refer to the three transcriptions of the Land Grants and Possessions in the Registry of Deeds made from the originals in the office of the City Clerk. For the citations from maps and atlases see Appendix B. The deeds for the first century of the settlement have been personally examined. Facts not cited on authority must rest on the credibility and accuracy of the present writer, who, perhaps, for such purposes, has not spent his life in vain in the city of which his ancestor was the founder. Except for the value of the appendices, perhaps the matter in the volume might not be considered of sufficient importance for publication. By far the most time and labor have been absorbed by Appendix C, and although the writer cannot exactly say with old John Stow, author of the Survey of London, that in this work he has trudged many a weary mile, yet the hours that he has spent on foot and in the saddle in studying localities have been many and agreeable. The places are within the present limits of Springfield unless otherwise indicated.
ACCORD TREE. A pine tree which, in 1685, it was agreed between Springfield and Northampton, should be the point from which to run the line between those towns and by which errors in surveys could be corrected.
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APPENDIX C
It was opposite the Upper Falls about 40 rods from the Connecticut. Unless there had been an accord between the towns such a starting point was called a bound tree. In old Springfield the bound tree on the east was a pine; on the southeast, a white oak; on the south a white oak near the river was an accord with Enfield as was a black oak on the north with Hadley. On the west a pine tree was an accord with Westfield. Perambulation to correct the bounds was had from time to time at an expense to the town of several shil- lings per day per man and, by one town account, of a bottle of rum for the perambulators. 2 B 182.
ADAMS CEMETERY. WILBRAHAM. The old cemetery at Adams Corner.
AGAWAM. John Holyoke, when recording the original Indian. deed to Pynchon and others made the following note on the record book. "Agaam or Agawam It is that medow on the South of Agawam River, where the English did first build a house, which now we commonly call house medow. That peice of ground is it which the Indians do call Agawam and that the English kept the residence, who first came to settle and plant at Springfield now so called; and at the place it was (as is supposed) that this purchase was made of the Indians." The name was subsequently applied to the precinct south of the river whence the name as a separate town. See Wright's Indian Deeds or the original in the Registry of Deeds; also B 150, 173.
AGAWAM FALLS. The rapids of the Agawam extending up the river from a point above the New Bridge Street bridge as far as Ashkanunksuck. I B 198,349
AGAWAM RIVER. Properly, and in accordance with ancient usage, so called from its mouth either to Ashkanunksuck or Paucatuck after which it becomes the Woronoco or, in modern times, the Westfield. 1 B 109; 2 B 190; A 22; AB 54; D 17. Maps AH. For the fishing place see 2 B 324. AGAWAM SWAMP. I 128.
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