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Daly’s
hoax still the most popular explanation
By Ginger
Costen
Times staff writer
WEBSTER –
Outside, the afternoon sun tried to force below-zero wind-chill
temperatures into a positive range while hardy ice-fisherman
dotted Webster lake with their baskets, augers, orange flags and
the steam rising from thermoses of hot coffee.
Looking out
across the icy cold winter landscape it’s difficult to understand,
in terms of modern day conveniences, how members of the Nipmuck
Indian tribe could survive in such a harsh environment said many
of the members of the Webster Lake Association (WLA).
Inside,
seasonal residents joined their year-round neighbors at the Point
Breeze Restaurant on Sunday afternoon and listened to local
authors Paul Macek and James Morrison present a brief history of
the tri-town area and the many names and varied uses of Lake
Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.
“Although the
WLA is better known for our environmental work with Webster Lake,”
said WLA President, Richard Cazeault. “We’re also committed to
expanding our focus by sharing knowledge and important information
with all communities.”
The WLA was
formed in 2002 when local residents saw the critical need to have
an active organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the
quality of the lake through the promotion of responsible,
effective environmental and educational policies.
“Today over 500
concerned residents and friends unite the Webster Lake community
through recreational, social and civic activities that are focused
on preserving this regionally unique resource as a pristine legacy
for future generations,” said Cazeault.
Macek and
Morrison started their book project as a way to preserve the
historical records of the tri-town area and promote a better
understanding of both the local history and traditions. “This was
indeed a labor of love for our hometown area and the memories we
shared as children,” said Morrison to about 120 people.
Lifelong
residents of Webster, the duo began researching their book,
Early History of Webster, Dudley and Oxford, in the late
1980s. After years of traveling to libraries, historical
societies, museums and state achieves, the duo completed the
written part of the book only to be faced with the most daunting
painstaking task of the project.
“We wanted a
very special cover for the book and we knew it had to be this one
particular map that was very unique,” said Morrison.
The illustrator
of the team, Morrison tried to find other copies of the map that
would be more readily adaptable to modern printing techniques. “I
finally had to buy gallons of solvent and little by little remove
one layer of the lamination after another until we had a document
that would work,” he said. “I couldn’t make one mistake for this
was a one-of-a-kind situation.”
According to
the authors, the first reference to a lake in the Webster area is
on a map developed in 1642 by Massachusetts Bay Colony surveyors
Nathaniel Woodward and Solomon Saffrey. “As pioneers, they
discovered an Indian trail known as the Great Trail or Old
Connecticut Path, which helped them to explore the area between
the Connecticut Valley and the Boston colony,” said Macek.
In the
seventeenth century an Indian foot path was only six-eight inches
wide. Although the Indians knew whether a trail was used for
fishing, hunting, or trading, the colonial traveler did not which
grew confusing with one trail crossing another. Early travelers
came to depend on the written information utilizing a small travel
book similar to the current Farmer’s Almanac.
The early map
showed both Webster Lake and Wachusett Mountain as the two
dominant landmarks in the southern Central Massachusetts area.
“Early settlers viewed the lake as a landmark to guide them in
their travel from Providence, Boston, Springfield or Hartford,”
Macek said.
Located almost
dead-center between every major city in southern New England, the
underground spring-fed lake was a favorite of the many travelers
along the Great Trail.
Of late known
more for its environmental impact, Webster Lake often goes
unnoticed for its historical value. “Books or presentations like
this help people to better understand the real significance of the
region and particularly the lake,” said Senator Richard Moore –
(D) Uxbridge. “Hopefully people will value the lake more and
continue preserving it and treating it as a source of pride,”
Moore said.
“The Nipmucks
held a much different view of the area,” said Tribal Council
Chairman, Bert “Rainmaker” Heath. “We looked as the three ponds
and the surrounding forest as a very important neutral meeting
place for all the local tribes from Connecticut, Rhode Island,
Massachusetts as well as other New England areas,” said Heath.
There is a lot
more to the Indian history than many people are aware explained
Heath. “We hunted and lived right here and the land protected us;
it was our way of life,” he said. “What’s hard to explain is
someone like Elliott coming in here with his vision and because we
celebrated 13 moons, he thought we had 13 gods,” said Heath.
The Indians
were often considered heathens by the European Christians. “They
thought we needed to be Christianized and this took the elders,
who wanted to be the traditionalists, and pulled them apart from
the others in the tribe that thought Christianity was a better way
of life hence the conflicts began,” said Heath.
According to
Heath there was also a misconception that if a piece of land was
open without any structures, someone could claim the property as
their own. “There isn’t a native Indian alive today that feels
anyone has the right to give away the land for it belongs only to
Mother Earth and it’s not ours to sell,” said Heath.
“The Great
Pond, as it was known in 1642, had many names over the years,”
continued Macek.
For three years
then Governor John Winthrop, Jr. traveled extensively throughout
the area in hopes of starting settlements. In 1645, Winthrop
referred to the lake as Lake Quabage or Squabage in his diary.
For the next
200 years the name of the lake continued to change as more native
Indian languages were studied providing a combination of both oral
and written interpretations. “From Chaubunakongkomuk in 1668 to
Chabunakongkomun in 1831, the name has gone through many changes”
said Macek.
There are also
many purported meanings. “A boundary place,” “fishing-place at the
boundary,” “lake divided by islands,” “Englishmen who carried
swords,” English knifemen and Nipmuck Indians,” are several
mentioned in the book,” said Macek.
According to
Merck, the current spelling most likely translates to, “English
knifemen and Nipmuck Indians at the Boundary or Neutral Fishing
Place.”
However, the
most famous interpretation seems to have been started as a hoax by
a Webster Times editor, Lawrence Daly.
Believed to
have started in the 1920’s Daly’s interpretation included a
fabricated story about two Indian tribes arguing over who had the
right to fish in the middle pond, which was the best fishing spot
on the lake. The Indians then renamed the lake after meeting in
the middle to solve their differences.
Hence, the
popular myth that the 45-letter long name means: Your fish on your
side. I fish on my side. Nobody fishes in the middle.
Although the
book presents only the early history of the tri-town area, the
authors are currently researching information for a second volume
that would focus on the early history around the Civil War to the
end of the 19th Century. “We’ve found that whether it
be during the early colonists times or the 1900’s, the tri-town
residents of Webster, Dudley and Oxford shared a common history
with the same aspirations, conflicts and sacrifices for the
greater good,” said Macek.
Copies of their
most current book, Early History of Webster, Dudley and Oxford
are available in Webster at both Dugan’s Drug and Book Lover’s
Gourmet. |
