’ Massasoit s Town S owam s i n P okan oke t I TS H I S TO RY L EG EN D S A RA N D T D I TI ON S . By V I RGI NIA B AKE R Auth or of H t f W rr n R I i n h e W ar of th e R v lut n The s or o a e . t e o i y , o i LIB Q A n Y o f (30 51 6 9 63 5 Two C opi e s Rece i ve d MAR g 1904 Copyri g h t k wi ry 8 l w a x . 0 t g Cb C LAS S XXc. No ' fi 8 8 8f d ’ C OPY ' W rren 'ere r t be e the r le n t on a wh fi s sid c ad d a i , The old e too we love t tor e t chi f s d , hy s i d pas , S owam s is ple asan t for a habitation ’ — Twas thy first history may it be thy las t . — B W HE Z E KI AH UTTE R ORTH . C opy rig h t 1 904 b y V i rg i ni a B a k e r ’ M a s s a s o i t s T o w n S o w a m s i n P o k a n o k e t PECULIAR interest centres about everything per the s s s s taining to great Wampanoag achem Ma a oit . ssas has s s Ma oit alway , and ju tly , been regarded as one of the mos t remarkable of that group of illus trious aboriginal Chie ftains with whom the early white s s ss i ettler of New England were a ociated . But wh le the student of his tory is familiar with the s tory of the Indian ’ s - s he king life long allegiance to our forefather , while admires in the untutored savage virtues few Chris tian s ss ss s e e monarch have po e ed , he know comparativ ly littl of the en vironments that helped to mould a character of so rs unique a stamp . The ancient chronicle ofte n allude to ’ Massasoit s s e e the es s place of re id nc , and qu tion that naturally present themselves are : Where was this place 'Why did Massas oit select it for his abode 'What is its history'To s s s s s is s an wer the e que tion , in part at lea t , the object of thi sketch . At the period whe n the Mayflower came to anchor in r as s as se n n Plymouth harbo , M oit exerci d domi ion over early — all the s outh e astern part of Mas s achuse tts from Cape Cod The s - es s his to Narragans e tt Bay . outh w tern ection of king as t S owams S owamsett. dom was known Pokanoke , , or It s s the s r s included what now compri e town of B i tol , Warren , as s Barrington , and E t Providence in Rhode I land , with s e Mas sachu portions of Seekonk , Swan ea , and R hoboth in s its was 500 s re s sett . Though area only about qua mile its es was Pokanoket , owing to many natural advantag , more ’ 4 M a s s a s o i t s T o w n densely populated than any other part of the Wampanoag I s s e was t e S owams country . t principal ettl ment h village of , ss s n his e r s where Ma a oit maintai ed h adqua ter , and where , i u the e his e was as s . w tho t doubt , gr ater portion of lif p ed For many years the exact location of this village was a i s us n s dis puted po nt , authoritie vario ly fixi g it at Bri tol , rr . ss Ba ington , and Warren . The late Gen Guy M Fe enden was s s us t S owams the fir t to demon trate , concl ively , tha s s occupied the s ite of the las t mentioned place . The re ult of his careful and pains taking inves tigation of the claims of the three towns may be found in the short but valuable his torical s ketch of Warren published by General Fessenden in One familiar with the Pokanoket region readily perceives is is why Massas oit placed h capital W here he did . Warren s e s ituated midway betwe n Barrington and Bri tol , on an s e is t arm of Narragan tt Bay, and bounded on the nor h and h as s s s A a t t e e as t by t e State of M achu e tt . glance h map e s l s e e of Rhod I land wi l how the r ad r that , at Warren , which is its s s e s the farther inland than either of i t r town , Wampa noa s e e as e e g wer , in a gr at me ur , prot cted from the danger s e s arra a s e s of udden attack by their nemie , the N g n tt who ' s s t e as dwelt upon the oppo ite hore of h bay , 1 and that , in c e h s as s r of o tile inv ion , they were ea ily able to reti e to less s exposed portion of their domains . The Indians were always particular to locate their per s n s n s w manent village in the vici ity of pri g of running ater . ds s S s I ts s is Warren aboun in uch pring . oil generally fertile its t re e as i and clima e ag eable and h althy, , owing to ts s ome i s it s es what nland po ition, e cap the full rigor of the fierce * “ ” Se e l o S owams the ome of so t : W ere W I t'b a s , , H Massa i h as y V r n r N E t and G n t r l e . e . e e J 1 899 i gi ia Bak , His R gis , u y , . The N rr n e tts o e t now W n ton Co nt o t a aga s ccupi d wha is ashi g u y, Rh de I sland ’ S o w a m s i n P o k a n o k e t 5 s h hs s s wind , that , during t e winter mont , weep the un heltered r r s i s ho es of B is tol . In the day when the Wampanoags n e its e was and r s er s habit d t rritory , it well timbered , g ape , ch rie , s e s huckleberrie , and oth r wild fruit grew abundantly in I ts e s ee e fish field and s wamp . riv r t m d with of many vari eties s e s s s s , and al o yielded a pl ntiful upply of lob ter , crab , s s s s ss s . s oy ter , clam , quahaug , and mu el Flock of wild fowl haunte d its marshes ; deer and s maller game frequented i t s s s s e ts woods . Even in ho e ea on wh n food became gen erall s e the e e s S owams s f y carc , dw ll r at probably u fered little from hunge r in comparis on with the inhabitants of many s s ss r ection of New England le favo ed by nature . S owams e the r At , too , very facility for manufactu e of the she ll beads use d as curren cy by the aborigines was to be touwom i tea . se e na found Any one who cho might becom a p , “ ” r as e as or coine , and literally , make much mon y , he the s the s artificer s e wished . From rock at hand avage hap d s his r The e s the rude implement which c aft demanded . wat r h r gave him free ly the periwinkle and t e quahaug . F om h wam um he the former he cut t e p or white beads . Of t “ ” r as eye , or dark portion of the latte , he f hioned the more alua l s suckauhock h s s b e black bead called . T e e bead were es s s e s es s s made into necklac , carf , b lt , girdl , bracelet , cap “ ” r es ss e us s and other a ticl of dre and ornam nt curio ly trung , “ s s s r s s h ay Roger William , into many fo m and figure , t eir ” n n r black and white fi ely mixe d together . Not i f e quently a s avage arrayed in gala attire carried upon this pers on his r r r s s enti e stock of ready money . Governo Bradfo d tate “ ” that the Narrag ansetts and Pequots grew rich and potent s e by the manufacture of wampum and , pre umably, w alth contributed in no small degree towards es tablis hing the s pres tige of the Wampanoag .