Category Archives: Massacoe

Dana M. Miller

Miller, Dana M. Images of America: Canton & Collinsville. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2001.

Miller’s booklet gives a quick overview of Canton and Collinsville history and gives photographs of early homes in the towns. Both the Tunxis and the Massacoe are briefly discussed, and Miller asserts that both were extremely peaceful. The author also mentions Cherry, or Waquaheag, a native of Canton.

Lucius M. Barber

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.

Marc Banks and Lucianne Lavin

Banks, Marc and Lucianne Lavin. Archaeological Site Sensitivity Analysis of the Town of Simsbury. Simsbury, CT: Simsbury Planning Department, 2002.

Banks and Lavin write a summary of an archaeological survey of Simsbury. Included are old maps, copies of deeds from the natives, and descriptions of finds based chronologically. What might be extremely useful are maps of Simsbury that indicate what locations had finds, and which locations might have the most finds if excavated. This source might tell us the most specifically about the Massacoes that lived here for thousands of years.

Jeffrey Ashmore

Ashmore, Jeffrey, Steven Betz, Gary Gralton, Barbara Holmes, Paul Roderick & Carmela White. That Part of Simsbury Called the Falls. Tariffville, CT: Tariffville Fire District Committee, 1970.

This small booklet provides a quick overview of Tariffville history in relation to Simsbury.  The authors discuss the land deeded by sachem Manahanoose, and how the Falls at Tariffville played a role in Simsbury history.

“An Archaeological Survery of the Simsbury Waste Water System”

“An Archaeological Survey of the Simsbury Waste Water System”. New Britain: CT: Connecticut Archaeological Survey, Inc., 1977.

Largely, this report is not relevant to the Massacoes, but it does include some background history to Simsbury. The Massacoes, along with the climate, soil, fauna, flora, geology, setting, etc. of Simsbury are explored.

Jim Trocchi

Trocchi, Jim. Connecticut Indians. Windsor Historical Society.

Trocchi writes informatively about the natives of the Farmington Valley, and in Connecticut. Included are details about types of food, housing structure, language, individual tribes and possible sites in the Northwest corner on Connecticut.

Henry R. Stiles

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.

Lyman G. Potter

Potter, Lyman G. A History of First Church of Christ at Massaco, Simsbury, Conn. Simsbury, CT: First Church of Christ, 2002.

This book really focuses on the history of the First Church of Christ located in Simsbury, but also recounts some early history of the town. This includes the names of the first families to move to Simsbury before an after the 1670 deed to the town.

James Hammond Trumbull

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.