The Influence American Indian Pathways had on Connecticut Transportation Systems & Settlements

1. TheInfluence American Indian Pathways had on Connecticut Transportation Systems & Settlements

2. How this all got started… • “For many years before Connecticut was settled, there was a traveled way leading up from the shores of the sound east of the Norwalk River. Passing through Georgetown then heading due North to the land of Pah-quio-que (Danbury) the dwelling place of the southern tribe of the Schaticoke Indians…” ~Wilbur F. Thompson, April 1919 “The Old Indian Trail”

3. The Indians living inland often made excursions to the salt water. The inhabitants of Ridgefield of a century ago have handed down stories of seeing families of Indians passing along, returning from the shores of Long Island Sound, with long strings of clams, dried and cured ready for use. -History of Ridgefield, George L. Rockwell 1869. How this all got started…

6. And these are only the main foot paths!!

7. Laid & developed through ages of Indian use with an eye to the easiest & quickest topographical [route], many of these ancient Indian foot paths were [later] adopted and enlarged into the bridle paths [by] the early pioneers, and eventually [became] the modern highways of today. ~Leaman F. Hallett, “Indian Trails and Their Importance to Early Colonists Indian Foot Paths

8. East-West Path Routes 112, 182, 183, 20, 219, 190 North-South Path Routes 7, 202, 126 East-West Path Routes 6, 317, 67 North-South Path Route 5 Albany Turnpike

9. Access to our State…Englishmen of Boston Asked to Travel to Connecticut via Indian Pathways

10. On April 4, 1631, John Winthrop, Jr. recorded in his Journal that “Wahginnacut, a Podunk Sachem on the River Quonehtacut…came to Boston and said he was very desirous to have some Englishmen come plant (settle) in his country…which is not above 5 days journey from us [Boston] by land.” ~Winthrop Journal, I: 223 Paths to Connecticut

11. Springfield, MA Ludlow’s Route Routes 44, 197, 198 Hartford

12. Indian Paths become modern highways Springfield, MA Route 190 Route 197 Route 5 Route 140 Route 198 I-84 Route 44 384 Route 6 Hartford Route 2

13. Pequot War Results in Coastal Settlements

14. In 1636 trader John Oldham was killed on Block Island. To avenge his death the Bay Colony set out to attack the Narragansetts for the murder and the Pequots for their lands. The Pequots had nothing to do with the murder. By this time there were two settlement areas in CT, Hartford & Saybrook. In response to the Bay Colony’s attack, the Pequots attacked Saybrook & Wethersfield, killing settlers in Wethersfield. Thus began the Pequot War. Pequot War opens Coastal Settlements

15. Pequot retaliation starts a war Wethersfield Saybrook

16. Ludlow declared an “offensive war” on the Pequots & with the help of Uncas’ Mohegans and soldiers from Massachusetts Bay they chased the Pequots all over CT, until they finally cornered them in a swamp at modern day Southport where it all ended horribly for the Pequot tribe. Pequot War opens Coastal Settlements

17. 1639 1639 Coastal Settlements Quickly follow the Pequot War 1639 1649 1650 1641 1640 *Roger Ludlow purchased land in Saugatuck & Norwalk (1640) but it wasn’t settled until later.

18. Indians did not understand land ownership the way the English and their future generations viewed it: in their culture, no tribe nor Indian had exclusive, permanent rights to specific parcels of land, "different groups of people could have different claims on the same tract of land depending on how they used it." By ignoring the Indian’s provisions within the land deeds, the settlers were exceeding the usage rights the Indians were granting them. Land “Sales” Cause Confusion

19. European settlers continually ignored important text in the Indian‘s portion of the deeds: "Reserving in the whole of the same, liberty for myself and my heirs to hunt, fish, and fowl upon the land and in the waters, and further reserving for myself, my children, and grand children…the use of so much land by my present dwelling house or wigwam as the General Assembly of the Colony … shall judge necessary for my or their personal improvement...” Land Sales… Oversight or Misunderstanding?

20. “What the Indians owned or had claim to- was not the land but the things that were on the land during various seasons of the year…In nothing is this more clear than in the names they attached to their landscape, the great bulk of which related to usage not possession.”~William Cronon, Changes in the Land Different Viewpoints

21. Pok-a-no-ket: “at or near the cleared lands.” A-bess-ah: “clam bake place” Mitt-in-eag: “abandoned fields” Eack-honk: “the end of the fishing place” Simpaug: “beaver pond” Aspetuck: “at the high place.” Ousatonic: “land beyond the mountains” Waramaug: “good fishing place” Pequonnock: “a small plantation” Mash-an-tucket: “in the little place of much wood” Meanings of Indian Names

22. Oyster Shell Pile! And down here, by the shore…You can see why coastal tribes would not want to leave their lands!!

23. Indians Pushed Inland as Settlers Take Over Their Coastal Villages

24. As Interior Lands are Purchased Many Connecticut tribes move to the Northwest Corner

25. Wequadnack Displaced Connecticut tribes move to the Northwest Corner Kenunckpacook Scatacook

26. Paugassett Land sales start in 1638, end in 1750’s Pequannock Land sales start in 1638, end in 1714 Potatuck Land sales start in 1668, end in 1730’s Weantinock Lands sales start in 1670’s, end in 1730’s There is evidence that Naugatuck Valley Indians also moved to our area. Relocation after Land Sales

27. From an account written by Robert R. Livingston in 1707. He was surveying his Manor purchased in 1686. With three Indian guides he visits many local areas via the pathways his guides take him on. He mentions Won-on-pa-kook here: “we come by ye way of two lakes called Wan-a-pa-kook, where a great Indian house was, belonging to Corlaer ye Indian, where Pot-cchay lives …” Evidence of Local Indian Settlements

28. Falls Village Hotchkiss

29. They call it Indian Mnt for a reason! x

30. The Question is… are there one group of Indians or several different groups of Indians living here prior to European settlement?

33. In Western Connecticut site digs very few agricultural tools are being found.If that trend continues it would give weight to the theory that these settlements were Hunting and Fishing Camps.We have the ponds, the rivers, the forests and the hunting tool artifacts to back this theory. Was Western Connecticuta Hunting Ground?

34. CT River Hudson River

35. Using controlled fires in the woodlands surrounding their villages Indians encouraged trees and plants that game animals found alluring to become more abundant. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, grasses, and nut bearing trees…attracted both deer and their predators in to these Indian “game farms”.“The now wooded slopes in the narrow Wassaic valley were so bare "that wild deer were clearly seen from the valleys below," according to Newton Reed in his 1875 "Early History of Amenia." Was Western Connecticuta Hunting Ground?

36. According to John DeForest “He (Gideon Mauwehu) beheld the river running through the fertile valley, shut in by mountains …the streams stocked with fish, the wooded hills plentiful with game…” and knew he’d found home.-John DeForest in his "History the Indians of Connecticut." Was Western Connecticuta Hunting Ground?

38. American Indian Pathways & Early Access to the Interior Lands

39. Derby is settled in 1651. Indian Trails and a Ford where the Naugatuck meets the Housatonic. Woodbury is settled in 1672. Indian Trails lead these coastal settlers to the interior. Settlers make their way from Norwalk to Danbury in 1684 to establish a town. Indian Trails lead these coastal settlers to the interior. Early Interior Settlement From 1639 to 1651 there are no English settlements in the Western interior of Connecticut…at least that I am aware of…That changes once Derby, Woodbury & Danbury are settled.

40. 1672 1651 1684 Indian trails used in all these migrations

41. Why Indian Paths were important

42. In finding their way inland, settlers needed Indian guides to find where the Indian paths were and where they went. One writer noted: “they (the English) sadly search up and down for a known way, the Indian paths not being above a one foot road. So that a man may travel many days and never find one.”The use of guides would continue into the 1800’s. i.e. Lewis and Clark Expedition. Indian Guides Were Essential

45. From these Pathways Begins the Progression of our Transportation Systems

46. The simplest early roads were described as “paths cut out” i.e. brush was cut out along the Indian pathways and trees were marked with an ax…

48. Later these paths were made “passable for horses” by cutting tree limbs high enough to permit the passage of a horse and rider. For many years this was the method of travel throughout our state. Pack horses became common and goods were often transported by packhorse trains…

50. The next progression, which proves to be an important one, was the widening of bridle paths to accommodate Ox Carts. Oxen were strong and capable of travel over terrain that would be impassable for a horse-drawn cart…