Lavin, Lucianne. “The Morgan Site, Rocky Hill, Connecticut: A Late Woodland Farming Community in the Connecticut River Valley”. ASC 51 (1988): 7-22
Dr. Lavin does not provide information on Simsbury or the Massacoes in this essay, but does give insight into finds at a comparable site along the Connecticut River. This work is important because Lavin provides comparisons between inland finds and coastal finds.
Stiles, Henry R. The History of Ancient Windsor. Vol. 1. Hartford, CT: Press of the Case, Lockwood, and Brainard, 1891.
Stiles’ lengthy work includes not only the history of Windsor, but also the histories of all areas that surround Windsor in the Connecticut River Valley. Stiles includes important and useful quotes from letters and court decisions related to the settlement of Simsbury, and the natives in that territory.
Speck, Frank G. Native Tribes and Dialects of Connecticut. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1928.
Speck provides a very important explanation on native language in Connecticut. Although the Massacoe are not directly mentioned, they instead are lumped in with the Tunxis. Speck describes that Northwestern Connecticut tribes, such as the Massacoe, would have spoken the r-dialect.
Bradshaw, Harold Clayont. The Indians of Connecticut: The Effect of English Colonization and of Missionary Activity on Indian Life in Connecticut. Deep River, CT: New Era Press 1935.
Bradshaw writes extensively of most tribes that could have been found in Connecticut and how English settlement affected them. What is most intriguing in this work is Bradshaw’s estimate on population for the Podunks, Wangunks, and Windsor and Hartford tribes.
Trumbull, James Hammond. Indian Names of Places, etc., in and on the Borders of Connecticut. Hartford, CT: Brown & Gross, 1881
Trumbull provides a lengthy list of native place names used within Connecticut. The author includes place names such as Congamuch, Massaco, Tunxis, Wheataug and several others whose use he claims was by natives of the Farmington Valley.
Huden, John Charles. Indian Place Names of New England. New York, Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, 1962.
In his work, John Huden compiles an extensive list of native place names that he was able to collect within New England. Huden additionally provides English translations or extensive explanations of the terms, along with general modern day location and what tribe most likely used the term. Included in this list are place names, such as Massaco, Manahanoose, Tunxis, Wepansock, Pautonk and many more.
Lyon, William S. Encyclopedia of Native American Healing. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC CLIO, Inc., 1996.
Lyon’s work gives information about various types of ceremonies, medicines and individuals who had an impact on Native American societies across the United States and Canada. Although Lyon’s work is limited when concerning Connecticut, he does provide some important explanations for certain ceremonies, practices and individuals who played a role in healing.
Hollister, G. H. The History of Connecticut from the First Settlement of the Colony to the Adoption of the Present Constitution. New Haven, CT: Durrie & Peck, 1855.
Hollister’s historical compilation is inclusive of the history of Connecticut from its settlement to about the time of the book’s first publication. Besides providing background history to the Connecticut River Valley, Hollister provides descriptions of the settlements of both Simsbury, and its direct neighbor, Farmington. Hollister mentions the contact between the settlers and the natives.
Burpee, Charles W. Burpee’s The Story of Connecticut. New York, NY: The American History Co., 1939.
Burpee writes a basic history about the history of Connecticut. What is most relevant to the Massacoes in this work is the history of the surrounding western Connecticut tribes. Burpee provides a good historical context to the history of the Massacoes.
Bond, C. Lawrence. Native Names of New England Towns and Villages. Reading, MA: Alan B. Bond, 2000.
Bond’s work is a compilation of native place names that can be found in New England. The author lists a few names concerning parts of Windsor and Simsbury.