jclarke713 Loc: Stratford , Connecticut ~

~ Taken at the Mouth of the Housatonic River ~ Short Beach Gut ~

~ SunRise at Short Beach Gut

Indigenous history
Indigenous people began using the river area for fishing and hunting at least 6,000 years ago. By 1600, the inhabitants were mostly Mohicans and may have numbered 30,000.
The river's name is derived from the Mohican phrase "usi-a-di-en-uk", translated as "beyond the mountain place" or "river of the mountain place". It is referred to in the deed by which a group of twelve colonists called "The Proprietors" captured the land now called Sherman and New Fairfield as "Ousetonack".It was referred to by Samuel Orcutt as "more properly the Howsatunnuck" and an early name of "Oweantinock" is also mentioned.The river was also known as the Potatuck or the "river of the falls" until the 18th century.
The river passes through land that was formerly occupied primarily by native people of Algonquian lineage, typically living in villages of two to three hundred families housed in hide wigwams. These native inhabitants burned the forests along the Housatonic Valley in the autumn to keep the underbrush down, a practice which was customary throughout Connecticut prior to European settlement.

Housatonic river by Shelton at sunset.
One notable native was Chief Squantz of the Schaghticoke tribe, who still hold a portion of the former reservation on the west side of the Housatonic River, in what is now called the town of Kent.
English settlement of the northern Housatonic Valley began in 1725 in Sheffield, Massachusetts. By 1734, Mohicans established the Indian Town of Stockbridge, which grew over 15 years but then failed, with land pressures increasing.

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Treepusher Loc: Kingston, Massachusetts

Welcome to the forum! Pretty shot, interesting history of the area. Thanks for sharing!

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Could you clarify "land pressures"? Competition for land by various groups?

Mick_E_C

Thank you for the historical backstory ... nice shot!

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

I enjoy your stories with the photos particularly because I live in the state! (My wife's decision... )

jclarke713 Loc: Stratford , Connecticut ~

thank you very much ... i love history as much as art

photophile Loc: Lakewood, Ohio, USA

Lovely image and interesting history.

jclarke713 Loc: Stratford , Connecticut ~

thank you so much ... the River vistas change every moment .... always gorgeous ...

Tikva Loc: Waukesha, WI

Welcome and thank you for posting the photo and providing an excellent history of the place. Amazing what we Europeans did to the native people and now we are so concerned about immigration when we are the immigrants and the native Americans are the real people who have a legitimate claim to the land. In case you were wondering, I am of European descent and some of my ancestors were here prior to the Revolutionary War.

jclarke713 Loc: Stratford , Connecticut ~

Thank you , I am very pleased to be a member of the group ... I too am of European decent but love the history , all history ... Our family is here since the late and earlu 18 and 19 th century ... regards , jeff Hughes

jpgto Loc: North East Tennessee

Welcome Jeffrey, very nice series, we were there about two weeks ago along the seawall had a quick bite at Marnicks.
Enjoy.

smilenangler Loc: The Flood City, Pa.

Thanks and I like it...

sailorsmom Loc: Souderton, PA

What a beautiful shot, Jeffrey! Well done!