CHAPTER VI
BRIMFIELD
THE WADDAQUODDUCK HILLS.--INTERESTING PATH.--OLD-TIME APPEARANCE.--STEERAGE ROCK.--ASQUOASH OR QUABAUG OLD FORT.--ELIOT'S ONE THOUSAND ACRES.--OLD STONE BOUND
THE BAY PAY IN BRIMFIELD
At No. 17. Record, we are bout 70 rds., from a bend of the Quabaug River, as it turns to flow more westerly. We are at an altitude of about 400 ft. above sea level, and at the extreme border, at this point of the Connecticut River system of drainage; which is separated here from the head waters of the Quinebaug River by the Waddaquodduck hills.
Near No. 17. there is a sandy knoll, upon which the Indians had a place for the storage of corn, grown upon the nearby excellent corn land. Their pestle for grinding, with other stone implements, has been found in excavating the hill.
Without change of direction at No. 17. the path continued across the sandy plain, and Elbo Brook to the foot of West Waddaquodduck Hill.
By disintegration and erosion, in the process of world making, there has been formed a unique place for a pathway, in the direction required, up and down the hill. The Indians used it, and it was a section of the old path. The grading of the Southern New England R.R. has cut across, midway of the hill, with an immense fill across the old path.
As a farm road, it was in use until cut by the railroad. Herds of cattle and horses going and coming from the good grazing land on the hill have preserved the old-time appearance.
In places, here and there, the mark of wheels upon the turf, or a worn rock, are seen.
We have the model of the old Indian path also, made by the cows coming home. Forest trees on either hand, bending low their branches, lovingly hid and protect the ancient way.
The summit of the path has an altitude of 900 ft., or a rise of about 500 ft., in a mile. Passing over, and taking at once a slightly lower level on the northern slope, the path continues eastward a mile and a half, without getting below 800 ft., but gradually the last half mile gains the height of 1100 ft., where it comes across the East Waddaquodduck.
Then southeasterly about one mile to where a small brook in the Quinebaug watershed is crossed at the above sea-altitude of 800 ft.
One of the principal strongholds of the Quabaugs was on what is known as Indian Hill north of Sherman Pond in Brimfield. The summit of the hill is a rocky eminence when the view is extensive in every direction, and the stronghold held an advantageous position.
There is a spring of water coming out near the top of the hill which tradition claims has been unfailing, and such a spring was necessary for a permanent stronghold. The Indian village of Ashquoash lay on the easterly slope of the hill. Tradition concerning such a village and stronghold is confirmed by the evidence of contemporary correspondence.
A letter written by Maj. John Pynchon to Gov. Winthrop of Connecticut and bearing the date of August 7, 1675, says that he has received intelligence that King Philip with 40 of his men is at a place called "Ashquoash" a little south of the way to Brookfield and about 23 miles from Springfield, and that he is intending to settle thereabouts because it is a place of food, there being cornfields near belonging both to the English and to the Indians. The fort was a storehouse for corn as well as a stronghold, and there is tradition in Brimfield of a plot of ground near the summit of the hill that has never been broken up since the Indians left. As to the fort, the late John W. Morgan remembered being taken when a child to Indian Hill by Christopher Ward, the famous Revolutionary soldier, to see the spot where the Indians had a stronghold.
King Philip was fleeing form Pocasset and the Narragansett's country with a remnant of his men and many women and he expected to make a rendezvous at Quabaug old fort, where he arrived with a handful of followers according to Maj. Pynchon's letter, Thursday, August 5. But he found the warriors had fled from this place leaving only squaws and old men, and learned of the raising of the siege of Brookfield by Maj. Willard. So after remaining over night at Quabaug old fort, he joined his Quabaug allies the next day at the stronghold at Menameset."--Springfield Republican
(19) Quabaug Old Fort, the Ashquoash of the Indians.
"This important Quabaug village, often named in the early records, was situated on Indian Hill...in Brimfield.... Both written records and tradition concur in the representation that this was the stronghold of the tribe, and a permanent abiding place.
The messengers and agents sent by the English authorities to the Quabaugs, often mention their stop at Quabaug Old Fort. And the place is memorable as the refuge of King Philip August 5, 1675, when on his flight from Pocasset with a handful of followers."..(J. H. Temple, in "Hist. No. Brookfield," p. 30)
The old path ran between Indian Hill and the pond, as is well and clearly shown upon Woodward and Saffery's Map of 1642. Running southeasterly on the border of the hard land and over East-Brook at a place still recognizable, and up the hill to (20) were the Great Rocks, mentioned in 1738.
The Bay Path along the way to Alum Pond was made a legal highway in 1733 (old map) with some alterations, which were marked with a letter H. on stakes or trees, where the change was made.
Later, settlers and land owners along that way made use of a new path south of the pond, which shortened the distance to the meetinghouse.
In 1738 March 13, at the annual town meeting, the selectmen reported a new layout of a road to Alum Pond.
It ran south of Sherman Pond in "the beaten path" called "Alum pond path" and was laid out 4 rds. wide through two large lots owned by Capt. John Sherman, "while we come to the Great Rocks and from there we ran down between the rocks in the Old Path to a stake marked H. near William Warrener's north line of his 43 acre lot; and from thence to a walnut tree marked H., Dea. Morgan's southwest corner; and then upon his line to William Warrener's northeast corner; and from thence along upon Dea. Morgan's line some ways, and then leaving of that line we ran way across Capt. Sherman's 3rd. Division land, across the gutter just about Daniel Sherman's wheats to a tree marked H. under Alum pond mountain by the side of the Old Path.
and so keeping that old path across the mountain and northerly to a white oak tree marked H. and from thence to ye Path while we come to Ebenezer Graves' 120 acre grant lot at the north end of Alum pond to a tree marked H. standing in his line. No. 22.
Voted and Confirmed
| John Sherman, town Clerk." |
From No. (22) after crossing a field, a section of the path is found along the northern shore of the pond, which can be followed. It hits into a road that runs north and south, about 40 rds. southerly of the southwest corner of Eliot's Indian grant.
A tract of 1000 acres of land was given by the Indian proprietors, Wattallouwekin alias Wtoleshem and Nakin, to John Eliot and his heirs, Sept. 27, 1655. It was bounded on the east by Pookookapaug Pond, south by the path, and west by a heavy stone slab shaped like a gravestone. It was placed firmly in the ground, and there were no loose stones in the vicinity. The Indian monument was found by the writer twenty or more years ago, while looking for the western bounds of Eliot's tract in Brimfield.
The first view of the stone was when lifting the low-hanging boughs of a hemlock tree, to see if it was feasible to go down a steep bluff and cross a narrow swamp in order to proceed westward. The interesting antique was shown to the President of the Quinebaug Historical Society and others, which resulted in a field-day visit by the Society.
On petition of the heirs of Rev. John Eliot, the General Court confirmed to them their title to this estate, Jun 17, 1714.
A survey was ordered, and the bounds established.
The south line running E. 26o S. was nearly the general trend of the old path.
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