Indian place names in Brookhaven Town still used by the
residents apply mostly to the villages of Coram, Mastic,
Patchogue, Setauket, and Yaphank. Prof. Seville says "Indian
place names generally expressed what the locality meant to the
aborigines. Our early settlers considered them important, and
always retained the Indian boundary designations and set them
forth in the Indian deeds.
Coram or
"Moncorum" means low country, or a valley between hills. Mastic
was the Indian name for one of the necks of land in Brookhaven
Town, and "the river called Mastick," means the great or tidal
river. The meaning of the word Patchogue seems somewhat in
doubt. Tooker says the popular meaning is a "place of many
streams." Setauket is where the first settlement of Brookhaven
Town was made in 1655, and there are many variations in the
spelling. Setauke 1657; Setokett, 1660: Setawke, 1664; Setaket,
1575; Setaukett, 1670; Setalcott, 1681; all to be found in
Brookhaven Town records. It means "the land at the mouth of
the creek or river." Yaphank was the name originally given to a
creek some distance south from the village of Yaphank. Tobaccus
gives an Indian deed June 10, 1664 bounded "on the east with a
river called Yamphanke." The word denotes the bank of a river.
Here are
some Indian place names little used now. Accombamack, the neck
of land on which is located the village of Bellport, meaning
"over against" or near the fishing place. Areshunk, a neck of
the land at Center Moriches, meaning "to forget" or "the
forgetter." Asawsunce a swamp south of the village of Yaphank,
from an Indian who lived at the swamp during the early years.
Cataconnock, near Setauket, " the great neck of land," deeded
by Wyandanch to the inhabitants of "Setalcott." Connecticut,
the name of a river now called Carman's River, and meaning the
"long river." Cumsewogue, where Port Jefferson Station is
located, meaning "a walking place."
Cutsgunsuck,
a brook or creek between the towns of Smithtown and Brookhaven
at the village of Stony Brook, "the stony creek." Kitchaminchok,
the place now called Moriches Island at the north side of the
bay at East Moriches, meaning a boundary, "the beginning
Island." Mamanock is a neck of land at East Moriches, It joins
with another neck of land Marigies, or Meritces meaning "it
joins together." The Indians called the great south beach "Matthabanks."
"Namkee" was a brook on the western bound Brookhaven Town in
Blue Point, meaning "where fish are taken or caught." Napock
is another boundary of Brookhaven, meaning "a water place."
Nemauk also means " at the fishing place." Mount Sinai was
called Nonowantuck by the Indians Pattersquash is a small island
opposite a creek in Mastic. Pomiches, a creek at East Moriches,
"crossing." Poosepatuck, northeast part of Mastic neck where
the Indian tribe Unkechaugs lived, and where a small remnant of
the tribe still live.
Thomas
Jefferson, James Madison, and Gen. William Floyd visited
Poosepatuck in 1791 and obtained some of the Indian language.
Jefferson left a note saying, "There are but three persons
remaining who can speak the language. A young woman was also
present who knew something of it." Poosepatuck is said to mean
"uniting of a river with the bay."
Pumcatawe,
a tract of land recorded in the Fletcher patent for the Manor of
St. George in 1693, is evidently the name of an Indian who at
one time occupied the land. Qualican, a locality on Mastic Neck
meaning "measured land." Quanch, an island in Great South Bay
opposite Bellport near Whale House Point in 1773. Lake
Ronkonkoma. "the boundary fishing place." Seabamuck, another
neck of land at Mastic. Seatuck is the name of the bound
between Southampton and Brookhaven Towns, and means " mouth of
the river." Squassacks, a point of land on the Connecticut
River, a personal name where once lived an Indian "pot maker."
Wampmissic, large swamp between Manorville and Yaphank meaning
"place of chestnut trees."