More than nine variations of the name have been seen in the records throughout history (Quinsigamond, Quansigemog, Quansigamaug, Quansigamug, Qunnosuog-amaug). In Native AmericanAlgonquian language, Quinsigamond is loosely translated as "the pickerel (or long nose) fishing place." Pickerel is a type of fresh water fish commonly native to inland lakes and ponds.
Quinsigamond - Name references
American
Nipmuc
The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian language. Their historic territory Nippenet, "the freshwater pond place," is in central Massachusetts and nearby part ...
Indians named the body of water between
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
and
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
, "Quinsigamond", the largest lake in the East. Colonial settlers also adapted the name of the lake for a nearby village. Quinsigamond was also the name given to the area known today as "Worcester." The name for
Quinsigamond Community College
Quinsigamond Community College ()(''colloquialism, colloq:'' QCC, Quinsig) is a Public college, public Community colleges in the United States, community college in Worcester, Massachusetts. It has an enrollment of over 7,000 students. Many stud ...
, was also chosen to honor the rich cultural heritage of Worcester County.
Quinsigamond Lake - (Pre-Colonial times)
During the early 1600s, more than 15,000 Nipmuc Native Americans roamed, in small clans, the areas known as;
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
, Worcester County,
Springfield, New Hampshire
Springfield is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,259 at the 2020 census. Gile State Forest is located within the town.
History
First settled by Europeans in 1769 and named "Protectworth", the town ad ...
,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
and
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
. The Nipmucs were known as the original settlers of the area in western New England. This territory encompassed the central trail to all areas of the northeast called the "Great Path" or the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The Nipmucs or "western" band of Indians were known as the "fresh water fishing" tribe or "people from the small pond", since they inhabited inland areas of New England. The Nipmuc people were known as a hunting and gathering tribe who lived a "scattered existence." They migrated during the seasons to follow their food source to hunt, fish, and to cultivate the "three sisters";
corn
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
,
bean
A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes th ...
s and
squash
Squash may refer to:
Sports
* Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets
* Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling
* Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...
. They also made canoes out of hollowed out logs, which was their main mode of transportation on the lake.''The Indians of the Nipmuc Country in Southern new England, 1630-1750'', by Dennis A Connole
Colonial arrival
English settlers arrived to the Worcester County area and found, what looked to them as, dispersed yet abandoned villages. The Nipmuc that were encountered, were friendly and attempted to adopt the white man's ways. Rev. John Eliot introduced and converted many Native Americans to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
. Clusters of the converted Indians formed “praying towns” to practice their new religion. In 1637, the first settlement of Worcester was called the “Village of Quinsigamond” or the “Quinsigamond Plantation.” Three buildings formed the heart of the Village, Quinsigamond branch library, the Quinsigamond school, and the Quinsigamond fire house. It functioned as a self-sustaining community which was predomidantly populated with
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
and
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
immigrants.
Land Rights Law
The English persuaded the Nipmuc people to allow the purchase of large amounts of land for minimal compensation. In 1652, the “Indian Land Rights Law” was passed. The law stated that Indian tribes would forfeit the title of their land if they hadn't made improvements upon it. When the Nipmuc realized their land was being taken from them, they joined the rise of
King Philip's War
King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...
.
King Philip's War (1675-1676)
A man named
Metacomet
Metacomet (1638 – August 12, 1676), also known as Pometacom, Metacom, and by his adopted English name King Philip,Wampanoag Indian leader who was known as King Philip.
He was mainly responsible for initiating the war. Metacomet and his band of Wampanoag Indians fought the colonist after the land called
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
was taken from them. King Philip's War was brutal and devastated most of the settlements in New England. By the time the war had ended, most of the villages approximately from
Marlboro
Marlboro (, ) is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the United States and by Philip Morris International (now separate from Altria) outside the US. The largest Marl ...
to Grafton were destroyed, having been burnt to the ground. The remaining Nipmuc Indians in the area, were captured and exiled to Deer Island in
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeastern United States.
History
Since ...
without proper clothing, food, or provisions. The bulk of the Nipmuc population perished, or were forced to live on reservations in the Worcester County area. The overall toll of the conflict dwindled the size of the Indian bands considerably to less than 1,000.
Industrialization of Worcester
In 1684, the English settlers of Quinsigamond Village changed their community name to "Worcester", to honor the King of England's defeat during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
.Telegram & Gazette, Saturday March 14, 1998 article entitled ''Reception salutes Quinsigamond Village'' The colonists utilized the lake for recreational sports like swimming, boating, fishing. In 1722, Worcester became a town and grew into a city, focusing its efforts on promoting the tourism industry. In the 20th century the Quinsigamond Lake area grew into an
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
tourist attraction offering picnic areas, boat rides, concerts, a dance hall, and a rollerskating rink. Horrace Bigelow purchased much of the land around the lake for summer homes. He also owned much of the lake real estate and boasted to friends that the park was drenched in "fifty thousand electric lights." Thus, the east side of the lake area (now in the town of Shrewsbury) became nicknamed "White City". Competitive rowing teams were extremely popular on the lake. The Olympic rowing trials were held on
Lake Quinsigamond
Lake Quinsigamond (also ''Long Pond'') is a body of water situated between the city of Worcester and the town of Shrewsbury in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is 4 miles (6 km) long, between 50 and 85 feet (15 and 26 m) ...
in 1952. /ref>
Modern day
Today, Nipmuc people live on the
Chaubunagungamaug Reservation
The Chaubunagungamaug Reservation refers to the small parcel of land located in the town of Thompson, Connecticut, close to the border with the town of Webster, Massachusetts and within the bounds of Lake Chaubunagungamaug (Webster Lake) to the ea ...
area in
Webster
Webster may refer to:
People
*Webster (surname), including a list of people with the surname
*Webster (given name), including a list of people with the given name
Places Canada
*Webster, Alberta
*Webster's Falls, Hamilton, Ontario
United State ...
, and the Hassanamisco Reservation in Grafton. The Indian population is about 2,000 people. Many continue the old way of life and carry on the traditions of their ancestors. The Quinsigamond Lake region is no longer home to an amusement park but a shopping area, and there are two state parks on the lake. The current usage of Quinsigamond Lake remains popular for recreational use. Many college and area club rowing teams continue to utilize the lake for this sport. As the second largest city in Massachusetts, Worcester became known as "the heart of the commonwealth" and has continued to prosper. Quinsigamond Community College has flourished as one of six biggest colleges in the Worcester Area. It has also continued to proudly bear the iconic original name of "Quinsigamond” and represent the rich cultural Native American history. Jack O'Connell (author) has written a group of mystery novels set in the fictional city of Quinsigamond.