Pre-Columbian and Early Settlement
Although when most people think of Ketansett they envision a small coastal village with a scenic boardwalk and a strong maritime tradition, most do not know that there is also a rich heritage for the municipality going back to the indigenous peoples. Local archaeologists from Ketansett College believe that the earliest settlement took place around the thirteenth century, with an intermittent settlement of the island for the next few centuries. The Manhanset, a subset of the Pequot peoples, first settled Ketansett around 1433 and had previously resided in other parts of Long Island. Their primary settlement, called Ketahqunushet, a fishing village located on Little Bay, became the heart of local Manhanset life for nearly two centuries. Depending on the period of time, the population spanned between several dozen and several hundred, the height of this community widely believed to have occurred from between 1580 to 1625. Although the Manhanset who resided on Ketahqunushet were widely peaceful, their strength coming from their relative isolation as well as their cultural traditions, they were known to skirmish with local Shinnecock across the Peconic Bay. As was the case for most of the history of Ketansett, fishing was the staple industry for the Manhanset. Fishermen belonging to the tribe often went out into Long Island Sound, Peconic Bay, or Gardiners Bay and used canoes on long trips that sometimes lasted for days in the waters around the island. They often found craps, scallops, and lobsters, and returned home with the striped bass, bluefish, and flounder, the latter a particular staple for the people of Ketahqunushet. Leftovers from meals were often used as fertilizer, where on the island the Manhanset grew beans, corn, and squash. Trade with nearby tribes also brought in unique meats such as deer and turkey and created close ties with the indigenous peoples of the North Fork and Shelter Island. They also adopted a longhouse social system and even practiced an early form of democracy through voting among the village elders, and used wampum, beads that were used as a currency that could be traced as far west as the Mississippi River, indicating that Ketahqunushet had some reach economically.
The most famous Manhanset on Ketansett was Achak, Chief of Ketahqunushet from 1583 to 1637, who was widely respected by the tribes on the East End, including the Shinnecock and other Manhanset groups. He oversaw extensive population growth due to the economic and cultural prosperity of the island. It was during his time in power that his people first encountered European settlers, and he is often associated with the Ketahqunushet Golden Age in the tribe's history. Around 1629 the village of Ketahqunushet first encountered English settlers, mostly fishermen who took shelter in Little Bay during storms. Chief Achak welcomed this development and quickly hoped to make contact with these newcomers. He was known for being shrewd and often making wise decisions, and believed that if he sided with the Europeans that he might be able to expand his people's reach on the East End of Long Island. This greatly backfired when his tribe fell victim to a smallpox outbreak from 1629 to 1642 as a result of goods traded between Ketahqunushet and the English. On August 12, 1637, Chief Achak died from smallpox, leaving his succession in question. His eldest son, Nootau, quickly managed to consolidate power and began to distance himself from the English. Despite these attempts, within three years he was forced to shrink the scope of his tribe's fishing operations, and in 1642 was forced to sign a lease with the English to offer nearly a third of the island to settlement. Most of this area was in the north and west, which is mostly made up of forests and hills. The flat areas where most of the Manhanset tribe lived were still under their control, but Nootau knew that this was the beginning of the end for his people. He already lost significant numbers of his people from smallpox, and now faced the complete annihilation of his tribe.
Ten families arrived at Ketahqunushet on April 7, 1649, in order to settle the region and farm on the fertile soil. The 1642 Lease with the English with the support of Chief Nootau was widely regarded as a sign of desperation. Half of the population of three hundred were killed between 1629 and 1642, and by April 1649, the number was reduced to only one hundred. The settlers were led by Abner Poole, a farmer, and Calvinist preacher. He constructed the village's first church in 1652 and regularly preached on Sundays for nearly two decades. He attempted to Christianize Chief Nootau in 1655 but failed, but he did successfully teach members of the tribe his faith. In 1661, another lease was signed, this time leaving only a third of Ketahqunushet, mostly the area around Little Bay, in the hands of the Manhanset. The entrance to Little Stream was also given to the settlers in the arrangement. In February 1665, after several incidents related to the remaining members of the tribe reportedly trespassing on farmland, Nootau's War began. It lasted for a period of three years and at its conclusion in December 1667. Although casualties only reached a dozen during this time period, the war completely eradicated what semblance of control the Manhanset people had over the island. Chief Nootau was hanged on January 21, 1669, making him the last chief of Ketahqunushet until 1923. His people had been reduced only to a dozen, most now married to white settlers, or fleeing to mainland Long Island where stronger tribes still existed. Although Nootau's War was widely seen as a moment of "civilization overcoming barbarity" as locals called the lengthy conflict between the indigenous peoples and the settlers, today the view by historians has been revised, instead seeing the events from 1629 to 1669 as forty years of consistent genocide against the Manhanset. They would not rise close to their pre-settlement numbers until the twentieth century, and despite regaining their cultural heritage and political agency, the scars on the community are still large today.
Nootau's War also had an impact on the white settlers as well. Abner Poole was forced to abandon his land in 1673 due to several harsh winters and poor harvests. The indigenous people who used fish to help fertilize all of the lands now were absent, and so crop yields did not approach their historic heights. Although there would always be a permanent settlement on the island, most of the ten families left by 1729. The population in 1669 was estimated to be around one hundred and fifty, but by 1729 it had been reduced to twenty, most fishermen. The Poole family, however, would remain and for the next century had some impact on the island. They changed the name of Ketahqunushet, meaning "I caught you at the place" in the Pequot language, to Ketansett, a simplified version of the term. The original name roughly means that the island was a place for good fishing, a fact which remains true to this day. Perhaps the final embarrassment for the Manhanset came in 1734 when Fort George was built over the ruins of the village of Ketahqunushet. It was meant as an overlook towards Little Bay, Gardiners Bay, and the entrance to Peconic Bay. A replica of the village was constructed in 1923 nearly a quarter south of Fort George at the site of the Manhanset Museum, which is now home to all of the relics from the tribe. Although they still call themselves Manhanset, the tribe is now federally known as the Ketahqunushet Tribe, in honor of the old name of their village. Most indigenous people reside around the Manhanset Museum, and every year hosts a festival in Ketansett to honor their ancestors and their culture.
Note: I would like to thank
@Alexander Helios for helping me with translating the Manhanset and Pequot meanings of Ketansett, and for inspiring me to write this chapter. I planned on skipping to the founding in 1823 and the life of Joseph Marshall, which will be discussed in the next chapter, but his independent research really inspired me to do this. This will not be the only discussion on the indigenous people. I will be outlining in each chapter a period of Ketansett's history, but after every time period is finished, I hope to examine different facets of life in Ketansett, as well as a novel that takes place here.
