Nipmuc Place Names of New England

New Hampshire

Putchaug Brook, Cheshire County - a "turning place" or "division place".

Nipmuc Place Names of New England

Rhode Island

Acqueednuck (a branch of the Pawtuxet river) & Pond, Washington County, (Nipmuc? Mohegan?) - The name seems to be compounded of ukque-dene-auke 'place at the end of the hill'; or possibly, ogque-adene-auke 'place beyond the hill'. Now Quidnic River. See Acqqueedenuck (CT).

Allum (or Wallum) Pond, Providence County - "a dog". On the n. line of Burrillville, RI, near the n.e. corner of CT. So called from a sachem of the Quinebaug band of Nipmucs whose name (meaning 'The Fox') was variously written Allums, Allumps3, Hyems, Hyemps, Iams, etc. Col. Rec., iv. 272, 333, 351. See Alum (MA).

Aqueedenuck, Washington County - "at the island" or possibly "place beyond the hill". See Acqueednuck & Aqueednuck (RI) and Acqueedenuck (CT).

Aqueednuck (now Quidnic) river and pond, Kent County, (Nipmuc? Mohegan?) - Near Week's hill in Coventry. The name seems to be compounded of ukque-dene-auke 'place at the end of the hill'; or possibly ogque-adene-auke 'place beyond the hill'. See Quidnic and Acqueedenuck (CT).

Assanapset Brook, Providence County - (possibly Nipmuc) "where the net was held down by rocks" or "at the small rocky stream".

Canangogum, Northwestern Providence County - "the fence or boundary", or "highland"?

Chanangonum, possibly Providence County - "great reed place"? Another spelling Chanangongum, "great paint place".

Cheetoskeunke, Kent County (Nipmuc? Narragansett?) - "at the principal wading-place (ford, or bridge?).

Chepatset (now Chepachet), Nipmuc territory in Northwestern Providence County - "boundary place" or "place of separation", i.e. where [the stream] divides.

Chickasheen Brook, Washington County (Nipmuc? Eastern Niantic? Narragansett?) - Several possible meanings, including "fish weir", "high water", or "cedars". But most likely means "big spring". See Chicopee (MA).

Chipchug Pond, Washington County. See Chipchug (CT).

Chockalaug River, Providence County - "fox place".

Escoheag Village (also Eascoheage, Easterig), Kent County - "this is as far as the fish-spearing goes" or "fork in the river where we spear fish". Also possibly "three forks in the river" or "source of three rivers". May be from muskoheag, "red land" or from mickuckaskheek, "a meadow". Variants: Eascoheag, Escoheague, Easterig, Esterig. In the s.w. part of West Greenwich, near the CT line. On modern maps the name is given to a hill or high ridge. Parsons supposed it to signify the "origin or three rivers". Indian Names in RI, 14. It appears to be a contraction of a name written elsewhere as Neastoquaheagannuck.

Liswoosuckit - Modification of Niswosaket (now Woonsocket?).

Louisquisset Pike, Providence County - "at the meeting place". Other spellings (more than 20) include Locasquisset, Loquassuck, Loquasquocit, etc.

Machepaconaponsuck, in Coventry or Foster? - In the e. bounds of the Quinebaug lands sold by Hyems or Allumps (sachem of the Quinebaug band of Nipmucs), "very near to Wishquatennioge [Wishquodiniack (MA)?] or the n.e. corner."

Massanegtocaneh, Providence County, (Nipmuc?) - "place of source of the great stream"? or "union of great streams"?

Mattato Hill, Providence County, (Nipmuc?) - "bad hill"? Probably an abbreviation, with some syllables lost.

Molligwasset, Providence County, (Nipmuc? Narragansett?) - "valley place".

Neastoquaheagunnuck, an e. bound of the Quinebaug country, not far from Atchaubbenuck, the s.e. corner. Col. Rec. Lands, ii. 308. Easterig and Eascoheague, in the s.w. part of West Greenwich & n.w. part of Exeter, RI, are modern corruptions of the name.

Neetmock River, Kent County - a modern form of Nipmuck, "fresh water place".

Paquantuck Stream, Providence County (Nipmuc?) - "clear or shallow river".

Pascoag Village, Reservoir & River, Providence County, (Nipmuc? Narragansett?) - "the dividing place" (between two branches of the Blackstone River) or "land at the branch". Also spelled Pascoage, Paskhoage, etc.

Quidnic Pond, Providence County - see Quidnic (CT) and Aqueednuck (RI).

Sachuck Hill, Providence County - "at the mountain".

Scatacook, Kent County - "fork in river". Also Scatacoke, Scatacosh, etc.

Segreganset, Bristol County (Nipmuc? Narragansett?) - "place of hard rocks" or "where it pours out". A Nipmuc village in the northwest corner of Rhode Island.4

Sneech Pond, Providence County - "rocks at the outlet"? See Sneechteconnet (MA).

Walllum Pond, Lake & Village, Providence County - "a dog". See Alum (RI).

Watchaug Pond, Washington County - "hill country".

Wayunkeke Hill, Providence County - "at the bend" or "land at the bend".

Wincheck Pond, Washington County - "at the pleasant place".

Woonsocket Hill & Reservoir, Providence County - "place of steep descent". Or, "two brook place"--from Niswesocket.


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