Footprints of the Red Men: Indian geographical names in the valley of Hudson's river, the valley of the Mohawk, and on the Delaware: their location and the probable meaning of some of them.Ruttenber, Edward Manning
History
Footprints of the Red Men: Indian geographical names in the valley of Hudson's river, the valley of the Mohawk, and on the Delaware: their location and the probable meaning of some of them.
Ruttenber, Edward Manning
Indians of North America -- New York (State); Names, Geographical -- New York (State); Names, Indian -- North America
The Kat's Kil Indians have an interesting history. They are supposed to
have been the "loving people" spoken of in Juet's Journal of Hudson's
voyage in 1609. They were Mahicans and always friendly in their
intercourse with the Dutch. In the wars with the Esopus Indians they took
no part. Their hereditary enemies were the Mohawks who adjoined them on
the west side of the mountains, their respective territories following
the line of the watersheds. They came to be more or less mixed with
fugitives from the eastern provinces, after the overthrow of King Philip.
A palisaded village they had north of the Esopus, and fierce traditional
battles with the Mohawks. They disappeared gradually by the sale of their
lands, and gave place to the Rip van Winkles of modern history.
[Illustration: The River at Hudson Looking South-West]
Quatawichnack and Katawichnack, record forms of the name given as that
of a fall on Kauter's Kill, now so written, supposed to be the fall near
the bridge on the road to High Falls, has been interpreted "Place of the
greatest overflow," from the overflow of the stream which forms a marsh,
which, however, the name describes as a "Moist, boggy meadow," or boggy
land. (See Quatackuaohe.)
Mawignack, Mawichnack, Machawanick, Machwehenoc, forms of the name given
as that of the meadow at the junction of the Kauter Kil and the Kat's
Kil, locally interpreted, "Place where two streams meet," means, "At the
fork of the river." (See Mawichnauk.)
Pasgatikook is another record name of the Katskill, varied in Pascakook
and Pistakook. It is an orthography of _Pishgachtigûk_ (Moh.), meaning,
"Where the river divides, or branches." (See Schaghticoke.) In patent to
John Bronck, 1705, the name is given to "A small piece of land called
Pascak-ook, lying on the north side of Katskil creek." The locative is
claimed by the village of Leeds.
Teteachkie, the name of a tract granted to Francis Salisbury and described
as "A place lying upon Katskill Creek," has not been located. _Teke,_ from
_Teke-ne,_ may stand for "Wood," and _-achkie_ stand for land--a piece
of woodland.
Quachanock, modern _Quajack,_ the name of a place described as the west
boundary of a tract sold to Jacob Lockerman, does not mean "Christian
corn-lands," as locally interpreted, although the Indians may have called
"the five great plains" the "Christian corn-land" after their occupation
by the purchasers. The original word was probably _Pahquioke,_ or
_Pohqu'un-auke_ (_-ock_), "Cleared, opened land," or land from which the
trees and bushes had been removed to fit it for cultivation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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