Norwalk

As far as is known Adrian Block was the first white man to set eyes on the Norwalk Islands. The Indians had without doubt enjoyed, perhaps explored, but probably not em- ployed them. This it fell to the settlers to do. Succeeding the "canoe," the " scow" was, presumably, the second island ferry-boat. This primitive craft was used as a transport for cattle, a practice of as recent indulgence as the Smith occupancy of Longe or Norwalk Island. Island isolation was one of the new settlement's conditions of which the pioneers took immediate advantage, and not only were the young of the kine thence transferred for safe pasturage, but the pasturage itself, because of the islands' encircling and enriching aqueous distillation-effects, was prized. By slow degrees some of the islands would seem to have become tenanted. Access-difficulty was a drawback, but the facts that game was there abundant, and the fishing excellent, and of the islands' bivalve wealth and vigorous vegetable growth were compensatory considerations. Fish Island is the first Norwalk salt water circumvented territory passed as one sails from the metropolis to the town. Shore- ward from it lay Butler and Contentment Islands, which were farm properties in early times. Bell Island, formerly Roaton Neck, is now a seat of summer villas. As far back as the days of Robert Stuart, the settler, Stuart Island, facing on the southeast Ely's or Belden's Neck, and near by "Stuart landing," was cultivated. Tavern Island, the pilot-fastness at the present time of Capt. Joseph Merrill, and the southwesterly Gibraltar-like extremity of which has been serviceableness-redeemed by Drs. Parker, and Lambert of New Canaan, and made to constitute a sort of "Brighton" adjunct to their New Canaan summer homes, is of rocky conformation of surface. It has several hammock belongings, and was once sold (May 10, 1794) for five English pounds. "Longe" or Norwalk Island, acreage largest and a most prominent section of sea- girt territory, merits a more extended mention than in this exact place in this work is con- sistent. Betts, Chimmons, Copps, Crow and Hay Islands are conveniently and pleasantly clus- tered. " Chimmons," (Mamachimons) one of this quintette of Norwalk islands, is Sachem- named, and the site to-day of the water-surrounded, warm season residence of Warren, son of the late Edward Smith of Brooklyn, N. Y., but formerly of the Smith's Island family of that name. The old Smith home, admirably situated on Longe or Norwalk Island, at once attracted passenger attention in the days when the first form to be seen emerging from the pilot-house as the Norwalk steamboat was making its landing at the opposite "Belden's Neck," was that of the tall, energetic, business-dashing and successful Lewis O. Wilson, who, having from that sea-view elevation, enjoyed his "up-Sound- sad, was disembarking at his Wilson Point home-seat. John Copp, for whom another of the quintette group is named, did eminent public service, in his day, in Norwalk. He was a surveyor, a teacher and a physician. In Nov., 1699, (at the age of twenty-five) he removed, temporarily, to Bedford, N. Y which town recognizing the honor thus conferred upon it, at once granted him forty acres of West- NORWALK. 67 Chester land, and purchased from him a "grindle stone," for which it generously allowed him "six acres of pasture land." He returned to Norwalk and married the widow of mer- chant John Belden. He died May 16, 175 1, having will-disposed, (see Belden lineage) of a handsome competency. Crow Island is so called on account of it being, for some cause, the haunt of the bird-species of the crow and like order. The sunken reef near Grassy Hammock has proven disastrous to Norwalk harbor navigation. Here the excursion steamer Tolchester "stranded" in 1896. Quite to the eastward of this hammock is the submerged rock " Dunder," which lays invisible at low water about one half-mile southeast of Cockenoes Island. Sprites Island was the ownership from April 3, 1771, to Feb. 7, 1772, of Rev. Wil- liam Tcnncnt, whose father figured in the Colonial history of New Jersey, and was so universally distinguished for his wonderful "trance." Mr. Tennent was the Congregational pastor of Norwalk. He sold the island immediately subsequent to his dismission, in 1772, from the Norwalk church. Unlike the "Isles of Greece," the "Norwalk Islands" are association-unclassical, but when gleamed the Orient, or when upon their sky-bristling pines the sun down-poured his noon radiance, or when the king of day, at eve arriving, threw their shapes against Seawan-Hacky's (Long Island) line of purple, they were objects of admiration to the settlers, and have never, 'mid the vicissitudes of time and change, entirely lost their charm to the fathers' children. NORWALK MALE DOCUMENTARY CENSUS. 1 650-1700. ABORIGINAL. Ponus.' — Sachem of the Rippowams and Sagamore of the Toquams prior to 1650. A resident not within but a little outside of the confines of " Norwake," (west New Canaan) from whose wigwam a path (Ponasses) led to this town. CATONAH. — Sagamore, successor of Powahay, who was son of Onox, the elder, and grandson of Ponus. Catonah was also a Norwalk non-resident. His official title was Sachem of the Ramapo Indians of the Province of New York, and his "sachimo comaco" called " Cantatoe,"2 occupied a commanding height a few miles beyond the line of the original northwestern boundaries of Norwalk. Upon these ■The General Court, held at Hartford, April 5th, 1638, ordered that " where any companv of Indians doe sett down neere any English plantacons that they shall declare who is their Sachem or Chiefe," etc. — Col. Rec. 2A part of the Bedford, Westchester County, N. Y., Jay estate, and recently the property of Edward Peliew of Bedford, a son-in-law of Hon. John Jav. Cantatoe is situated in a heatiful region of country near Katonah Station on the Harlem Railroad. 68 NORWALK. high grounds, marked to-day by two granite boulders, are the traditional tombs of the Sachem and his Squa Sachem. Catonah possessed, presumably, influence with the Indians of Norwalk, and had dealing with its settlers. Aratomah was his neighbor. PlAMlKIN. — Sagamore of Rooton (Five-Mile River). He was well known by both Stam- ford and Norwalk settlers. Naramake. — Sachem of Pampaskeshanke (Belden Point). The Connecticut and the Hudson Rivers betwixt-lands seem to have been interspersed with independent Indian villages, one of which, tradition relates, was built in the vicinity of what has since been known as Belden Point. Here ruled a Mohican chieftain by the name of Naramake, whose descendant (probably son) NARAMAKE2'1- figured also in old Norwalk history. Mam achimoxs. — One of the latest Indian Chiefs. He was useful to the settlers in assist- ing in the work of establishing the ancient bounds. Several localities were named for him, as Mamachimons Island, Mamachimons Meadow, Mamachimons Bridge. Mahachemo. — Sachem, and supposed to be a hunter. Mahachems seems to have been the name of a Norwalk clan. Some three acres along the west bank of the Sau- gatuck, and near the Eno estate of 1896, were allotted to Mahachemo. Rrxt'KIN'cHEAUE. — Ruler of Rooton. Much of his upland realm overlooked, for many miles, the waters of Long Island Sound, and among others, the Warren's from "Queen's Village," L. I., were early drawn to the spot. Winnipauke.— Sachem ; owner of one of the Norwalk Islands, and evidently a particular friend of Rev. Thomas Hanford, the first minister in Norwalk, to whom he be- queathed, in [690, his island property. His home appears to have been about fourteen miles due north from Roton Point, on the height to the southward of the upper Norwalk reservoir, and known from earliest times as Winnipauke's Ridge. ToMAKERGO, Tokaneke. Prose wam enos.— Signers, with Mahachemo, of the Ludlow, 1640, deed. Aashowshack, Chachoamer, Annanupp, ANTHlTUNX— Mentioned in the Partrick- Goodyear "Confirmation" deed, but have no certain Norwalk status. Compow.— Belonged to the territory east of the Saugatuck. The following alphabetical roll is largely taken from an almost faded-out page of the Norwalk Records. It is a curiosity in that it is the formal testimony of an ancient NORWALK. Registrar as to the names and number of the red men inhabiting Norwalk in 1667. Care has been taken to accurately copy the well-nigh obliterated original ; and a little study will enable one to give a not altogether inharmonious pronunciation to several of said names. ANNANUP, BENHOWONON, COCKENOE, CONCUSKENOW, COWNEFIUS, JAMES,' JONAS, JOVUS, (doubtful) JOSEPH, LAXETT, MAGISE, MAQUSHETOWES, MATUMPCJN, MEXANDER, NOXANOWE, PAMPASKESHANKE, PEMANANTE, POBHEAG, POKESAKE, POOVAWAUGH, POPPERG, (doubtful.) PORONHUM, POXANOWE, PRODAX, PUMPOWIN, RUNCKEMUNUTT, SASSAKUN, SHOAKECUM, SOANAMATUM, SO WAS AN, SUKERING, SUWAXUN, TOMATOOTUMAN, TOWNETOM, WAMPASUM, WAWNTON, (doubtful. ) WOMASUNNE. WONUMON. (doubtful. )