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Indian Names of Places
in Plymouth, Middleborough, Lakeville and Carver Plymouth County
Massachusetts
Accomack, Acawmuck.
The present site of Plymouth was called Accomack by Captain John Smith in
1614. "A name given not by the Indians, who occupied it, but by those,
probably who lived farther north , "On the other side of Plymouth Bay' from
Acáwmé
or Ogkomé (Ahn-aga-mi, Chip. Agami)
means 'on the other side.'" (J. H. T., C. H. S. Coll., v. 2, p. 10.)
In the Massachusetts Historical Sec. Collections (s. 2,
v. 3, p. 175) it is spelled Acawmuck and the signification is given "Go by
water, " for which I can find no other authority.
Acomeques (moh) was named by Uncas as his
south bounds on the east side of Monsoon (Thames) River (Col. Rec. 3-149).
The name means "land (or place) 'on the other side' of the river." (J. H.
T., I. N. C., p. 2.) This was also a name of a river in Virginia.
2. Aggamenticus. York, Maine. "The small other
side river."
3. Acawmenoaket. Old England "The land on the
other side."
4. Accomae. A peninsular east of Chesapeake Ray
which was "other side land" to the Powhattans of Virginia.
Agawam, Aggawom.
Name of river in Plymouth and Wareham and village in
Warhead.
The river rises in Coattuit or Half Way Pond in
Plymouth, flows through the southern part of Plymouth into Warhead and
empties into Wareham River.
The "Agawam Purchase" from the Indians in 1666, called
the "Plantation of Agawam," included a part of the town of Warhead.
The river probably took its name from the village near
its mouth, as this same name was used by several tribes for river
settlements, namely, at Ipswich, Springfield, Southampton, in New York
State, and in Canada.
There are many opinions in regard to the interpretation
of this name and it has never been satisfactorily translated. From the
formation of the word and from the locations of all Agawam Indian villages,
I believe "The unloading place" or "the landing place" is the most natural
signification.
Low Land-Fish Curing Place-Ground overflowed with
water-Great fishing place-smoked fish, etc., are other meanings given to
this word by different authorities.
Lemon, in his Montagnaise dictionary, gives "Agwanus
-an unloading place."
Appaurn, Apaum, Umpame.
"The ancient name applied to that part of Plymouth on
one side of Town Brook, Patuxet, the name applied to the other side" (letter
from William T. Davis, Sept. 19, 1906). "Umpire, written Apaum in the Colony
Records, is the name of Plymouth in Churches History, and so it is called
still (1815) by the natives of Massapee." (M. H. S. Coll., s. 2, v. p. 175.)
Possibly a contraction or corruption, of Appamond, a place for
fishing with traps. Appeh "trap" amaug --" pond."
2. Appamatuck, name of a river in Virginia
mentioned by John Smith in 1607.
Alkarmus Field, Alkermaus 1641.
"On the westerly side of Sandwich Street, including Mount
Pleasant Street and the land on both sides and bounded by Gallows Lane on
the west." ( W. T. D., A. L. M. Ply., p. 149.)
Although sometimes claimed among Indian place names it
is probably not of Indian origin. I believe without much doubt it is from
Alkermes or Kermes, the usual form of the word, an insect found
on several species of oak, formerly much used as a red dye before cochineal
was discovered. Kermes was formerly regarded as the fruit of the tree on
which it lived. The "Kermes Oak" was a dwarf oak from two to five feet high.
The following extracts are from Captain John Smith's account of his visit to
New England in 1614. "The herbs and fruits are of many sorts and kinds as,
alkermes, curranss, mulberies." "Certain red berries called kermes may
yearly be gathered a food quantity." "Certain red berries called alkermes
which is worth ten shillings a pound may yearly be gathered a good
quantities
It is probable, from these quotations, that some part
of Plymouth was covered with a growth of small oak at the time of Captain
John Smith's visit. Possibly he may have mistaken the cranberry or the
boxberry for the alkermes but this is very doubtful.
Cattacapcheise
An Indian field " mentioned as a boundary of John Donhames land near
Winberry Hill. (Ply. Col. Records, 1637.)
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