Young, William R. Connecticut Valley Indian. Springfield, MA: Museum of Science, 1969.
Young presents important connections between individual tribes/bands and larger native “nations” or loose groups. The Massacoes, and Tunxis, are placed within the Mattabesec-Wappinger group, one of the nine main Algonquian sub-tribes. Young’s conclusions help to imagine the socio-economic relationship these loosely related bands around Simsbury must have had with one another.
Guilette, Mary E. American Indians in Connecticut: Past to Present. Aetna Life and Casualty, 1979.
In her book, Guilette gives an overview of tribes and customs in Connecticut throughout time. The author does a great job at providing information about population estimates in Connecticut at the time of settler-native contact, distinguishes between the different tribes of Connecticut and then describes native ways of life.
DeForest, John W. History of the Indians of Connecticut. Hartford, CT: WM. Jas. Hamersley, 1852.
DeForest tells the history of the natives in Connecticut. Along with giving a greater historical context to the surrounding Farmington Valley region, DeForest includes important facts and speculations about the Tunxis and Massacoe tribes. This includes population and relationship between the two.
Williams, Mark. The Brittle Thread of Life. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2009.
Williams’ book is an important historical work about Salmon Brook, once a part of the original Simsbury. The author gives a history of the settlement of Simsbury, and eventually how the settlement of Salmon Brook came to be. Additionally, the fate of the Massacoes is discussed, with Williams suggesting massive death by disease and departure from the area.
Barber, Lucius M. A Record and Documentary History of Simsbury 1643-1888. Simsbury, CT: Abigail Phelps Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, 1931.
Barber writes a lot of estimates of native population in Connecticut at the time of settler-native contact. Along with this, the author goes into great detail about why and how Simsbury was settled. The deeds to Simsbury are discussed in length.
Devlin, Jane, comp. Simsbury, Conn.; Register of Marriages, Births & Deaths and Town Tax Rates 1694-1701 as Extracted from Noah A. Phelps. Windsor, CT: n.p., n.d.
Devlin successfully records the original Simsbury town members, their births, deaths, marriages and recorded children. The information can be found in works by Phelps, but is fully compiled in this work.
Loomis, Grace Hubbard. Windsor’s Heritage: 1633-1967. Warehouse Point, CT: Woodworth Press, 1967.
Loomis’ book is about the history of Windsor and its settlement. The author, although perhaps incorrectly stating that the natives of this area acted particularly violently, does discuss native population and disease.
Holbrook, Jay Mack. Connecticut Colonists: Windsor 1635-1703. Oxford, MA: Holbrook research Institute, 1986.
Holbrook provides a compilation of names, births, deaths, marriages in Windsor from the period of 1635-1701. This information can be used to look at settler population demographics, and specifically how size of population relates to the settlement of Simsbury.
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.