Mattabesset facts for kids

Mattabesset was a special area and settlement where Native American people lived. These people were called the Wangunk, and they spoke an Algonquian language. Their home was along the Connecticut River. The Mattabesset River also flows into the Connecticut River close to Middletown, Connecticut. Later, European settlers built towns like Middletown on the west side of the river. On the east side, other towns like Chatham and Middle Haddam grew, which eventually became East Hampton, Connecticut.

About the Name

The name "Mattabesset" has been spelled in many different ways over time. Some spellings include Mattabesec, Mattabeseck, and Mattabessett. Even with these different spellings, most people know it's pronounced "Matta-bess-ic."

History of Mattabesset

The Wangunk People

The Wangunk people were the first to live in the Mattabesset region. In 1614, Dutch explorers were among the first Europeans to visit this area.

Native Leaders and Settlers

When English settlers started coming to the area, a Native leader named Sowheag was in charge. He was a "sachem," which means a political leader for his people. After some disagreements with the settlers, Sowheag moved from his village, which later became Wethersfield, Connecticut, to Mattabesset.

Land and Reservations

A historian named John Warner Barber wrote about how the land in this area was acquired from the Native Americans. Special areas called "reservations" were set aside for them. One reservation was partly at Indian Hill and partly near the Chatham meeting house. The Wangunk people kept this land until about 1767. By then, their numbers were smaller, so they sold their rights and joined other Native groups. A small group of Wangunk also lived near Lake Pocotopaug, Connecticut.

In 1650, the government of Connecticut sent people to explore the Mattabesset region. They decided that the land around Middletown and Chatham could support about 15 families. It seems that Sowheag had given some of this land to Governor John Haynes.

Wangunk Reservations

Three reservations were created for the Wangunk people in Middletown and Chatham. One in Middletown's Newfield area was used until 1713. Another in Chatham was for a man named Sawsean and his family. The third and largest reservation was 300 acres. It was set up for Sowheag, the sachem of Mattabesset, and the Native peoples living there. Even in 1761, a survey showed that Native peoples still lived at "Mattabéeset (at Wongunck, across from Middletown)."

Understanding Tribal Names

Archaeologist Bert Salwen has studied how Native American groups were named. He explains that names like Nipmuc and Pocomtuc sometimes appear in old writings as if they were very large "tribes" or "confederacies" (groups of tribes working together). However, Salwen believes this might not have been how things worked in the 1600s. He suggests these names might just show that groups spoke similar languages or shared similar cultures. It's hard to be sure because there isn't much evidence from that time. Both Salwen and Ives Goddard also disagree with the idea that there was a huge group called the "Wappinger-Mattabesec confederacy" that stretched all the way from the Hudson River to the Connecticut River.