Woodbury was purchased from the Pagasett Indians by folks from
Stratford in 1659. Ancient Woodbury, referred to as Pomperaug
after the chief who sold the lands, was comprised of the present
towns of Bethlehem, Roxbury, Southbury, Woodbury, most of Washington,
and portions of Middlebury and Oxford.
Even though the initial purchase was made from the Pagasett
Indians, it was the Pootatuck Indians who actually had a village
here and farmed the area. Therefore, parts of the area had to
be purchased over again. By "purchase" I mean in trade
for such articles as a brass kettle (for Kettletown), a homespun
coat, a hatchet, powder and lead.
Chief Pomperaug is believed to be buried on the west side of
Route 6 in Woodbury. Chief Nonnewaug, of the same tribe as Chief
Pomperaug is believed to be buried near Nonnewaug Falls near
the Bethlehem / Woodbury town line.
There
are several Native American names that appear on this route:
Nonewaug (from Nonnewaug or Nunawauk) River, Weekeepeemee
(Wecuppeme) Road, and Chohees Road were all named
for Indians who signed the purchase agreements. Another was
Waramaukeag - (as in Lake Waramaug- see Route #3).
By the way, the Algonquians did not name places after people.
The
Housatonic River and the town of Newtown were once called
Potatuck or Pootatuck, meaning "inhabitants
of the Falls Place". Waterbury was once called Mattatuck
(which means "badly wooded"), New Milford was Weantinogue
and the area to the north of the purchase was called Bantam
after the Bantam Indian Tribe. Quassapaug, as in Lake
Quassapaug, means "stones in the pond"
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Route #1: Woodbury & Bethlehem