One Rhode Island Family

The following article was NOT written by me; it is copied from an out-of-copyright volume, Collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society, Volume X (Providence: RIHS, 1902).  The article, by Clarence S. Brigham, the society’s Librarian in 1902, gives a list of obscure names of places and natural features of Providence County, Rhode Island, found in documents surviving from the pre-1700 period.  Mr. Brigham includes both a map to all the places, and notes on each place name indicating where the reference to the place name was found.  His notes, in the list below, sometimes mention “at the current time” but remember, all notes refer to 1902, not today.

Some of these definitions have already helped me to decipher some early deeds, so I thought I would share this here.

For a clean copy of the original article that you can save to your computer, click here. Thanks to One Rhode Island Family’s English correspondent Walt O’Dowd for pointing that out.

Rhode Island Historical Society collections v X

LIST OF SEVENTEENTH CENTURY  PLACE-NAMES

IN

PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS  1636 – 1700

by Clarence S. Brigham

In the following alphabetical index and accompanying map the attempt is made to locate every place-name mentioned in the Providence records before 1700 and included within the original town of Providence as granted by the Indians to the early colonists, i. e., the territory between the Pawtuxet River and the Blackstone River. [note: full introductory text can be found at the bottom of this post].

SOURCES CITED

[NOTE: Mr. Brigham references the following sources in the list.  It’s probably best if we settle for his analysis of the place names, in this case (although it’s unusual for me to recommend that), since most mentions will provide no further information and these works may not be held in the repositories listed, and may now be known by different names, or are so early and fragile that access must be very limited.  The following list is in Mr. Brigham’s words. ]

• P.R. printed volumes of Providence Records are given merely to show early or suggestive usage of a name. [These are Early Records of the Town of Providence, available online – for some reason Mr. Brigham refers to the volumes in Roman numerals – i, ii, iii, etc.]
• The references to manuscript sources are in most cases self-explanatory. The early manuscripts in the [Providence] City Hall have been of great service, especially
  • the Fenner Papers
  • the long series of Providence Town Papers in the office of the Clerk of the Municipal Court
  • the volumes of deeds and the plat cards in the Deed Office
  • two folio volumes of early Plats of Highways in the custody of the City Clerk
• In the library of the Rhode Island Historical Society:
  • the Field Papers
  • the Fenner Papers
  • The frequent references to the Harris Papers are to the printed volume.
• Maps.  The following maps and atlases have been of especial value:
  • C. Harris, Map of the State of Rhode Island, 1795
  • B. Lockwood & S. B. Cushing, Map of the City of Providence and Town of North Providence, 1835
  • J. Stevens, Topographical Map of the State of Rhode Island, 1831
  • H. F. Walling, Map of the State of Rhode Island, 1862
  • D. G. Beers, Atlas of the State of Rhode Island, 1870
  • G. M. Hopkins, Atlas of the City of Providence and Environs, 1882
  • United States Geological Survey, Topographical Atlas of the State of Rhode Island, 1891
  • Everts & Richards, New Topographical Atlas of Surveys, Providence County, 1895

MAP OF PLACES

All the places, below, are mapped here.  Open to enlarge map. Note many common place names are omitted here; only the obscure ones are shown.

Click on map to enlarge and see the place names

LIST OF PLACE NAMES.

Absolute Swamp. An original boundary of Providence and undoubtedly the swamp northwest of the present Olney’s Pond and southeast of the junction of the Louisquisset Pike and the so-called Breakneck Road, in the town of Lincoln. (P. R. ii:73; iii:243; and Fenner Papers no. 17717 in City Hall.)

Antashantuck. The neck of land in the bend of the Pocasset River, east of the present Randall’s Pond in the town of Cranston. Antashantuck Pond was the present Randall’s Pond. (P. R. 4 : 68 ; viii : 72 ; and plat in Fenner Papers, p. 43, in R. I. Hist. Soc.)

Ascocanoxsuck. The single mention of this locality in 1667 gives no clue as to its location. (P. R. i : 36.)

Assopumsett Brook. See Ossapimsuck Brook.

Baileys Butts. Two little hills formerlv located on the western side of the present Grotto Brook running into Baileys Cove, and probably on either side of the present Black- stone Boulevard near Magellan street. (P. R. iii : 76, 188, and Lockwood Map of 1835. These may be the two little hills shown on Hayward’s Plan of the Proposed Survey of the Boston and Providence Railway, 1828.)

Baileys Cove. The cove at the southeast end of the Butler Hospital grounds into which the present Grotto Brook runs. It was also called Baileys Further Cove or Upper Cove. Baileys Hither Cove or Lower Cove was about one- sixth of a mile further south, where the brook from Cat Swamp empties into the Seekonk River. (P. R. i : 84 ; ii : 36, 106 ; iv : 144 ; viii : 73; – and Lockwood Map of 1835.)

Benedicts Pond. Mentioned in the records as early as 1659, being practically in the same location as it is at the present time – south of the junction of Union avenue and Wadsworth street. (P. R. i : 99, and Hopkins 1882 Atlas.)

Bewits Brow. This locality, one of the original boundaries of Providence lands, was on the west side of the Moshassuck River. The order in which it is listed in the ” Sovereign Plaister ” would seem to place it somewhere near the present Saylesville, but a careful study of early deeds places it a mile south of where the Moshassuck River bends toward the west at the upper end of the North Burial Ground. According to 18th century tradition the brow of land formerly southwest of the present junction of Charles and Hawes streets was called Bewits Brow. (P. R. ii:i8, 19, 73; iii : 243 ; and Harris Papers, p. 92.)

Blackstone River. In the 17th century almost invariably called the Pawtucket River. A rare instance of the present name is in Harris Papers, p. 171.

Broad Cove. The present Burgess Cove, north of Fields Point. (P. R. ii : 32 ; vi : 37.)

Cat Swamp. Mentioned in the records as early as 1669, although of somewhat larger extent than its present area. (P. R. iii : 118, and Lockwood Map of 1835.)

Caucaunjawatchuck. A tract of land directly northeast of the present Olneys Pond in the town of Lincoln. (P. R. i : 34 ; v : 87 ; xi : 139 ; and Plat Card 385 in City Hall.)

Cedar Swamp Brook. The ” brook from the cedar swamp flowing into Neutaconkanut river” is mentioned frequently in the early records. Identical with the present Cedar Swamp Brook in the town of Johnston. (P. R. viii : 72, 81; xiv : 100, 220.)

Chapompamiskock. A large tract of land extending southeast from the present Chopmist Hill in the northwest corner of Scituate. The name was also applied to the hill itself. (P. R. viii : 138 ; xii : 68 ; xvi: 322.)

Cold Spring. The only apparent mention of the locality of this name near Red Bridge in the early records is in 1681, where the place spoken of is undoubtedly identical with the Cold Spring situated at the extreme eastern end of East Manning street. (P. R. viii : 91 and Plat Cards 112 and 125 in City Hall.) Another locality called Cold Spring was southeast of Scotts Pond, being situated near the present corner of Lonsdale avenue and Crossman street in the city of Central Falls. (P. R. ix : 16 ; xiv : 16 ; and Walling Map of 1862.)

Cove. ” The Cove ” or great body of water formed by the joining of the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck Rivers, as is shown on all the early maps of Providence, was so called as early as 1671. (P. R. iii : 214 ; v : 199, 227.)

Alvan Fisher, painting. Providence from Across the Cove, 1818. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Cowpen Point. A point jutting into the Providence River at the present corner of Point and Eddy streets. Appears on the Anthony Map of 1803. (P. R. ii : 103 ; viii : 69.)

Cranberry Pond. That part of the present Scotts Pond, in the town of Lincoln, which was known as Cranberry Pond before the construction of the Blackstone Canal, and which to-day is sometimes called Floating Island Pond. (P. R. iii : 163 ; xiv : 13-16 ; and Stevens Map of 183 1.)

Crookfall Brook. This brook, the present boundary between Lincoln and North Smithfield, was so called as early as 1683. It was more often, however, termed the Wesquadomeset. (P. R. iv : 143 ; xiv : 194 ; xvii : 20.)

Devils Hole. A deep hole on the west side of the Woonasquatucket River, near the present village of Dyerville. (P. R.v: 97, 139; x i : 181 ; xiv : 152; and MS. Deeds, iv: 187, in City Hall.)

Dirty Cove. See Hawkins Cove.

Dividing Line between Providence and Pawtuxet lands. The attempt is here made to summarize the various details of action regarding this line, from 1640 until its final settlement in 1712.

The line from Sassafras Cove to the tree at Mashapaug and thence between the Pawtuxet and Woonasquatucket rivers “of an even distance” was agreed upon July 27, 1640 (P. R. xv : 2, j6). It was apparently run out by the Pawtuxet men in 1659 (xv : 76) and by a joint committee sometime between 1661 and 1665 (xvii 1215; Harris Papers, p. 256). In 1660 the Town of Providence voted that they would own the line to extend equally between the two rivers for twenty miles, which vote, as later testimony shows, was procured at a ” packed ” meeting (P. R. ii : 125 ; and Fenner Papers no. 16675 in City Hall). On April 27, 1661, a joint committee was appointed to extend the line beyond Mashapaug (P. R. iii : 2). This line, however, as Harris shows in his account of the survey, was run much too far north, to Hipses Rock (Harris Papers , p. 256). A joint committee appointed in 1665 to extend the line correctly beyond Mashapaug never accomplished anything (P. R. iii : 61 ; xvii : 245). In 1669 the committee of 1661 reported that they had run the line from Sassafras Cove to Mashapaug, thence north to a point midway between the two rivers, thence west to a point near the Pocasset River, which report was accepted by the Town (iii : 136 ; xvii : 215).

The subject of the dividing line rested until Harris obtained his order from the Court, November 24, 1677, requiring Providence to run a direct line from the head of the Woonasquatucket River to the Pawtuxet River, and then a line equidistant between the two rivers to this thwart line (viii : 46 ; xv : 174). Providence immediately appointed a committee (viii: 21), but endeavored to shorten the Pawtuxet territory by running a thwart line from the head of the Woonasquatucket River to a point on the Pawtuxet River near its mouth (viii : 28, 31 ; Harris Papers, p. 238 ; and map in Rider’s Hist. Tract, ser. 2, no. 4, p. 100). Although the Court disapproved of this method of running the thwart line and an order was obtained from the King requiring a true execution of the verdicts, yet the death of Harris, in 1681, removed the leader of the Pawtuxet men from the field, and on January 16, 1683, a joint committee agreed that the western boundary of the Pawtuxet territory should be the seven-mile line, and that the northern boundary should be a line running from a center point on a head line through the tree at Mashapaug to a point on the seven-mile line midway between the Woonasquatucket River and the Warwick north line (P. P. iv : 73), which was practically an equi-distant line between the two rivers. Providence approved of this report and ordered the lines to be run without delay (viii: 130). Yet, although this order was renewed in 1698 and in 1706 (xi : 43, 105) and was made the subject of numerous petitions from the Pawtuxet men (xvii: 230-274), it was not until May 14, 171 1, that the line was finally run by a joint committee. This line ran from a marked stone at Mashapaug west 14 north to the seven-mile line, and from that point due south to the Warwick line (xvii : 282). Its more specific boundaries are given in the Harris Papers, p. 371. The committee’s report was drawn up on February 11, 1712, and recorded, marked “accepted,” on March 3, 171 2 (xvii : 284.)

Dry Brook. Situated in the town of Johnston and still so called. (P. R. v: 180.) The present reservoirs on the brook, however, are of comparatively recent construction.

Foxes Hill. Appears in the records as early as 1644. The hill, which has been mostly cut away, extended between the present South Main and Ann streets as far south as India street, the highest point being near the present corner of Brook and Tockwotton streets. (P. P. ii : 5, and engraving on Anthony Map of 1823.)

Gotham Valley. A valley, formerly so called, located south of the southern bend of the Woonasquatucket River near the present junction of the Hartford and Plainfield roads. (P. R. i : 5; xiv : 168.)

Great Meadow Hollow. A valley, mentioned frequently in the early records, directly south of the present junction of Lonsdale avenue and Main street, in Pawtucket. It appears on the Lock wood Map of 1835, where it is called Meadow Hollow. The Great Meadow itself lay on the Moshassuck River to the west of the Hollow. (P. R. ii : 7 ; iii : 98 ; xi : 165 ; xiv: 162.)

Great Point. A hilly point on the northern side of the old Cove, being practically at the present junction of Gaspee street and Kinsley avenue. (P. R. ii : 36 ; iii : 175 ; and Lockwood Map of 1835.)

Great Pond. That part of the present Scotts Pond in the town of Lincoln which was known as Scotts Pond before the Blackstone Canal was built. (P. R. ix : 16 ; xiv : 16.) Earlier known as Worlds End Pond.

Great Swamp. A large swamp, much of which still remains, extending north from Cypress street, between East avenue and the Swan Point road, nearly as far as Pidge avenue. It had four “openings,” the first of which was at Cypress street and the second at Rochambeau avenue. (P. R. ii ‘: 16 ; viii : 149.) Its location is well shown on the Lockwood Map of 1835.

Hackeltons Rock. The original name of Dexters Lime Rocks, in the town of Lincoln. (P. R. iii: 8, 66, 229, 241, and Dexter Genealogy, pp. 14, 26.)

Hawkins Cove. A cove, the general outline of which can still be seen, at the eastern end of the present Blackstone street. It was also called Muddy Cove and Dirty Cove. (P. R. xiv: no; Providence MS. Deeds, iv: 237; and Plat Card 66 in City Hall.) It appears on many of the early Providence maps and was formerly the eastern bound of the Providence-Cranston line. (See Cushing & Walling Map of 1849.)

Hawkins Hole. A swampy place at the northeastern end of the present Randalls pond, in the town of Cranston. (P. R. iv : 62, 68 ; v : 137 ; and plat in Fenner Papers, p. 43, in R. I. Hist. Society.)

Hipses Rock. Undoubtedly the high rock still standing in the three-cornered tract bounded by the old Plainfield road, the Morgans Mills road and the Pocasset River. (P. R. ii : 73 ; iii:6i; xiv 126; Harris Papers, p. 256; and plat of the “Wise Farm ” in the Fenner Papers, p. n, in the R. I. Hist. Society.)

Hipses Rock, Providence Public Library Special Collections, made available through a partnership between the PPL Special Collections and the Paul S. Krot Community Darkroom at AS220. For more information about the project visit: http://www.provlib.org/exhibitions/rediscovered-glass-negative-project.

Hunters Rock. The single mention of this locality in 1686 gives little clue as to where it was situated. (P. R. xiv : 227.)

Hurtleberry Hill. The hill, the highest part of which is near the present corner of Eaton and Hillwood streets, that is now called Bradley Hill. (P. R. iii : 88 ; viii : 158 ; and Plat Cards 118, 377, in City Hall.)

Joshuas Swamp. A swamp mentioned in the account of Samuel Winsor’s estate, in 1687, and probably situated on Small Brook, directly north of the present Chalkstone avenue. (P. R. xiv : 41 ; xvii : 54, 97 ; and Plat Card 118 in City Hall.)

Keyes. A clump of pines on the eastern side of the northern branch of the Woonasquatucket River, and near the present dividing line between North Smithfield and Smithfield. This branch was occasionally called the Nipsachuck River. This statement corrects the note on p. 103, infra. (P. R. iii : 244 ; iv : 151 ; v : 106 ; Harris Papers, pp. 102-104 ; and Plat Card 385 in City Hall.)

Little Flood. See Rumley Marsh.

Long Cove. See Sassafras Cove.

Long Craft. A small meadow on the Pocasset River, in the vicinity of Neutaconkanut Hill. Its exact location can- not be identified. (P. R. ii : 124, 126; and Fenner Papers, no. 17760, in City Hall.)

Long Neck. The neck, still often so called, extending north and south, to the east of the cove at Pawtuxet. It was also called the Little Neck. (P. R. v : 55, 57; xv : 95 ; and Hopkins Atlas of 1882.) On a plat of 1661, in the R. I. Hist. Soc. MSS., v: 11, this neck is marked Washouset Point.

Long Pond. Mentioned in the records as early as 1661, being in the same location as it was until recent years, – west of Elmwood avenue and between Daboll and Cromwell streets. P.R.i: 54, 95, and 1882 Atlas.)

Loquasqussuck. A tract of wooded country comprising practically the northern two-thirds of the present town of Lincoln. Mentioned as early as 1646. (P. R. iii : 26, 245; v : 108 ; and R. I. Col. Rec. i : 32.) Now spelled Louisquisset.

Mameawequate. Apparently a boundary of the Mashantatuck purchase. {Harris Papers, p. 63.)

Many Holes. A boggy meadow on the west side of Mashapaug Brook, a few hundred feet north of the present Park avenue. (P. R. ii: 13 ; v: 62 ; xiv : 268 ; xvi : 334 ; and plat in Field Papers, p. 84, in R. I. Hist. Society.) The Cunliffs Pond of to-day is chiefly artificial, being merely an enlargement of Mashapaug Brook. (See the Stevens Map of 1 83 1 and plat in Riders’ Hist. Tract, ser. 2, no. 4, p. 100.)

Martins Wading Place. A ford on the Blackstone River, a little south of the present village of Ashton, and about 100 feet north of the present Berkeley bridge. (P. R. ii : 86 ; Wilkinson Genealogy, pp. 53-54; and Walling Map of 1862.)

Mashackqunt. A tract of land beyond Wesquadomeset. (P. R. v: 283.)

Mashantatuck. A tract of land, comprising about 4000 acres, purchased of the Indians in 1662. The Indian boundaries are so indefinite that it is difficult to tell how far the purchase extended beyond Mashantatuck Brook, but in general its boundaries may be said to be the Pocasset River on the east, the Pawtuxet on the south, the Mashantatuck on the west and the Providence-Pawtuxet dividing line on the north. The locality was also occasionally called Paquabuck. (P. R. vi : 197 ; xiv : 290 ; R. I. Col. Rec. i : 483 ; and Harris Papers, pp. 62, 64, 69.) The name to-day, as it is given to the brook, is spelled Meshanticut.

Mashapaug. A tract of meadow land about half a mile southeast of Mashapaug Pond. The locality was an original boundary of the town of Providence and in the earliest days a pathway led to it. {P. R. i : 13 ; iv:7l, 135; v : 60 ; xiv: 199; xv : 2, 21.) Mashapaug Pond. Identical with the present pond of the same name, although of somewhat smaller extent; mentioned in the records as early as 1645. {P. R. v:6i; vi-: 141; xv:74.)

Mashapaug Brook. The outlet from Mashapaug Pond to the Pawtuxet River. The present Park lakes and Cunliffs Pond have been chiefly con- structed by damming this brook. (P. R. i : 45, 94 J vi : 205 ; and Stevens Map of 1831.)

Maskataquatt. An Indian locality mentioned apparently as the southwestern boundary of the Mashantatuck purchase. (Harris Papers, pp. 63, 64.)

Mattetakonitt Meadows. The meadows on the north- western branch of the Woonasquatucket River and directly northwest of the present village of Primrose in the town of North Smithfield. Occasionally called the Mattity Meadows and to-day known as Mattity Swamp. (P. R. viii : 1 39 ; xiv: 114; and Plat Card 385 in City Hall.)

Mile End Cove. A cove formerly on the east side of the Providence River, where Link street is now located. After 1700 it was occasionally called Wickendens Cove. The brook that followed the course of the present Brook street, and turning west flowed into the cove, was called Mile End Cove Brook. (P. R. 1:4; ii : 5 ; xvii : 280 ; Hopkins’ Home-Lots, p. 60; and plat of 1707 in Steere Genealogy, p. 193.)

Mill River. A name given to the Moshassuck River for a short distance above the present Mill street. (P. R. vii : 50 ; xi : 148 ; and folio Plat Book, i : 7, in City Clerk’s office.)

Mishoasakit. The name of an Indian locality apparently bounded on the north by Wayunkeke, on the east by Secesakutt and extending westward seven miles. As a pond, the name might apply to either the present Spragues or Watermans reservoir. (P. R. v : 284-286.)

Moshassuck River. Same as the present river of that name; an original boundary of Providence. In the town deed, Moshassuck is used as a name synonymous with Providence. (P. R. iv: 71 ; v: 296; and Roger Williams’ Letters in Narr. Club Publications, vi : 263.)

Moswansicut. First mentioned as a locality in 1660 and as a pond in 1665 – the same as the present pond in the northeastern corner of Scituate. The lands about here were divided in 1684. (P. R. ii : 134 ; lii : 68 ; viii : 138 ; and plat in R. I. Hist. Soc. MSS., vii : 11, 12.)

Muddy Cove. See Hawkins Cove.

Mushattchuckapeake. An Indian ground, which it is impossible to identify with any modern locality. It was, however, evidently near Mashapaug Brook, in the vicinity of Fran- cis Weston’s house. (P. R. xv : 101 ; and map in Rider’s Hist. Tract, ser. 2, no. 4, p. 100.)

Nanipsick Pond. A pond mentioned in the boundaries of the Indian tract Mishoasakit. It seems impossible to identify it with any modern body of water. (P. R. v : 284.)

Narrow Passage. A narrow place in the Seekonk River, directly south of the present Red, or Central, Bridge. Andrew Edmunds kept a ferry here during the latter part of the 17th century. (P. R. iii : 48 ; viii : 44 ; xiv: 124, 237; and folio Plat Book, ii : 1, in City Clerk’s office.)

Natick. A tract of land, generally spelled Nachick, the boundaries of which, according to its division in 1673, were the Pawtuxet River, the Mashantatuck Brook, the Warwick north line, and the vicinity of the present village of Arkwright. The hill standing in this tract was called Nachick Hill. (Harris Papers, pp. 61, 303 ; Fuller’s Hist, of Warwick, p. 206; and map in Rider’s Hist. Tract, ser. 2, no. 4, p. 100.)

Neck. “The Neck ” was the land between the Moshassuck and Seekonk rivers, and extending on the north somewhat beyond the present line between Providence and Pawtucket. Mentioned in the records as early as 1642. (P. R. i: no; ii : 1 ; and MS. Town Papers, 01 291.)

Neutaconkanut. The name of a hill in the present town of Johnston, generally spelled Neotaconkonitt in the early records. One of the original boundaries of Providence (P. R. iv: 71 ; v: 296; and Harris Papers, p. 55.) The name was also given to the Pocasset River above the southern end of Neutaconkanut Hill. (P. R. iv : 38 ; viii : 71.)

Nipsachuck. A hill, in the present southwestern corner of North Smithfield, that was a western boundary of the first Inman purchase of 1666. The name was also applied to the river flowing down by the Keyes (q. v.), to the locality around the hill and to the swamp southwest of the hill. (P. R. iv : 184; v:65; Narr. Hist. Register, vi : 49, 62; and Stevens Map of 1 83 1.)

Nonpluss Hill. A small hill directly northwest of the present village of Enfield, in the town of Smithfield. It may be said to correspond with the southern end of Wolf Hill, although this latter name was used as early, at least, as 1726. (P. R. iv : 54 ; v : 28 ; xi : 16 ; xiv : 226.)

Observation. As a hill, the name applied to the present Stump Hill in the southern part of the town of Lincoln. Observation Rock was a high, peaked rock standing on top of the hill before the construction of the reservoir. (P. R. ii : 73 ; viii: 101.) Observation Meadow was a tract of meadow land now overflowed and known as Olneys Pond. The brook running through it to the Moshassuck River was known as Observation Run. (P. R. i : 44 ; ii : 19 ; xvi : 223.)

Ossapimsuck Brook. A brook in the present town of Johnston, running easterly into the Woonasquatucket River between Allendale and Lymansville. Also called Assopumsett. (P. R. v:ii7, 134; xiv 1225; xvi: 259; and Harris Map of 1795.)

Oxford. An original boundary of the town of Providence, which it is impossible to identify with any modern locality. Judging from the order in which it is listed in the original boundaries, it was probably a ford on the Woonasquatucket River about six miles from Providence. (P. R. ii : 73 ; Harris Papers , p. 92.)

Pamechipsk. A ridge of hills forming the eastern boundary of the Indian tract Wayunkeke, and undoubtedly the range extending north and south through the center of the present town of Smithfield. (P. R. v: 285.)

Papaquinapaug. The present Fenners Pond in the town of Cranston. The neighboring region was also called Papaquinapaug, as was the brook running out of the pond. Mashapaug Brook, near its southern end, seems to have been some- times termed Papaquinapaug Brook. (P. R. i : 45, 80 ; vi : 201 ; Harris Papers, pp. 57, 258 ; plat reproduced in Rider’s Hist. Tract, ser. 2, no. 4, p. 100 ; and plat in Field Papers, p. 84, in R. I. Hist. Soc.)

Paquabuck. A name occasionally applied to Mashantatuck. (P. R. xv : 87 ; Harris Papers, pp. 62, 69.)

Paugachauge. An Indian field on the eastern side of the Neutaconkanut or Pocasset River, directly south of where Dry Brook flows in. (P. R. v : 53, 319 ; xiv : 39.)

Paugeamapauge Pond. Apparently another name for Tabamapauge Pond, q. v. (P. R. iv : 136 ; v : 38, 137.)

Pawtucket. The name, Pawtucket River, an original boundary of Providence, was used interchangeably with the name Seekonk River for that part of the stream between Pawtucket and the present India Point, as well as for that part of the present Providence River south of India Point. The name was also invariably applied to the river north of Pawtucket, now called the Blackstone River. Pawtucket Fields, also an original Providence boundary, were on the western side of the river and south of Pawtucket Falls. (P. R. ii: 129; iv: 71 ; v: 224; xiv : 112, 194.)

Pawtuxet. An original boundary of Providence and a name given then, as now, to the locality, the falls and the river. Also in one or two cases called Pootatugock. (P. R. iv : 18, 71 ; xiv : 64. There is an early plat of the lands north of Pawtuxet reproduced in Rider’s Hist. Tract, ser. 2, no. 4, p. 100, and a hitherto unnoticed plat of 1661 of the lands south of the river in R. I. Hist. Soc. MSS., v: 11.)

Pesaumkamesquesit Pond. The present Blackmore Pond in the town of Cranston. The magnetic meridan line of 1664, run due north from the mouth of the Pocasset River to the Neutaconkanut road, could have passed only through Blackmore Pond. This corrects the footnote on p. 73. (See Harris Papers, p. 73, and 1895 Atlas).

Pettaconset. The meadow, or bottom, land on the north side of the Pawtuxet River, where the present pumping station is located. (P. R. vii : 199 ; xiv : opp. p. iv ; xvii : 289 ; and Harris Papers, p. 62.)

Pocasset River. Mentioned in the records as early as 1652, but generally spelled Pauchasett. It was invariably called the Neotaconkonitt above the bend south of the hill. (P. R. ii: 12; viii: 71.)

Pomecansett. The neck of land between the present Fields Point and Sassafras Point. Also spelled Pumgansett. One reference, however, in the early records seems to locate this region nearly two miles further south than Fields Point. (P. R. iii : 7 ; xiv : 146, 212 ; xv : 101.)

Ponagansett Pond. The present Ponagansett Reservoir in the town of Glocester, being the extreme headwaters of the Pawtuxet River. The name, generally spelled Punhungansett, was also applied to the locality about the pond and to the stream which joined, with the Moswansicut River at South Scituate to form the northern branch of the Pawtuxet River. (P. R. iv : 43 ; xv : 87 ; xvii : 230, 262 ; and Harris Papers, pp. 188, 212, 220.)

Poor Man’s Plain. A name occasionally applied to Venter Plain, q. v. (P. R. iii : 89 ; and MS. Deed Book, xiv : 283, in City Hall.)

Providence. The name first occurs in the records in the original Indian deed. (P. R. iv : 70.) Roger Williams often called it New Providence in his earliest letters. The Providence River, from Pawtuxet as far north as the Cove, was invariably called the ” salt river ” or the ” great salt river” before 1700; the earliest date that the present name occurs in the records is 1705. (P. R. iv: 19 ; ix : 14 ; xvii : 198.)

Quttonckanitnuing. The northern boundary of Wayunkeke; not identifiable with any modern locality. (P. R. v:28s.)

Reynolds Valley. That part of the Blackstone Valley between the present Scotts Pond and the Blackstone River, in the town of Lincoln. (P. R. ii : 7 ; xiv : 10-16.)

Robbins Brook. The brook flowing down by the western side of Windmill Hill to the West River – now a series of ponds, Randall’s Pond, Upper and Lower Canada ponds, and Lincoln’s Pond. (P. R. v : 15 ; viii : 151.)

Rocky Hill. A hill, still so called, in the town of Cranston, east of the present Print Works pond ; mentioned in the records as early as 1659. (P. R.i:97; iii : 169 ; xiv : 128.)

Round Cove. A cove chiefly of thatch grass, of about six acres, which was formerly located directly west of the present East River street at Red Bridge, and extending northerly to Medway street. (P. R. iv : 192 ; v : 222 ; xiv : 279 ; Plat Card 125 ; and plat in Fenner Papers no. 17030 in City Hall ; and Lockwood Map of 1835.)

Rumley Marsh. A little marsh, also called “Rumney Marsh on the Little Flood ” bordering on the northeast corner of the Cove and directly north of the island later known as Whipple’s Island. The location of this island, also called Little Island and Grassey Island, is well shown on the Anthony Map of 1823 and in folio Plat Book, ii : page 1, in City Clerk’s office. (P. R. ii : 4, 21, 56 ; v: 227 ; xiv : 9 ; Hopkins’ Home Lots, p. 69; and Prov. MS. Town Papers, no. 0048199, in City Hall.)

Sassafras Cove. A cove, generally spelled Saxafrax in the early records, corresponding to the present Corliss Cove at Sassafras Point. Also called Long Cove, occasionally in the 17th century and generally in the 18th century. (P. R. xiv: 146; xv : 2; and plat in Field Papers, p. 20, in the R. I. Hist. Soc.)

Scockanoxet. The region around Hackletons Lime Rocks – the present Dexters Lime Rocks – a little southeast of the village of Lime Rock in the town of Lincoln. (P. R. iii : 66, 229, 241 ; xvii : 295 ; and Dexter’ Genealogy, pp. 14, 22.) The brook flowing from the Lime Rocks to the Blackstone river was called Scockonoxet Brook. (MS. Deeds, v : 294, in City Hall.)

Seekonk River. Generally spelled Seaconke, mentioned in the records as early as 1650, and often called the Pawtucket River. (P. R. ii : 10 ; v : 283 ; xvii : 155.)

Sekesakut Hill. A hill, formerly so called, in the town of Johnston, extending north and south, and about a mile and a half west of the present village of Lymansville. The name was also applied to the region about the hill. (P. R. i : 20 ; iv: 130; v: 116, 132.)

Seven Mile Line. This line was established on May 14, 1660, as the bounds of the first division of proprietors lands. From a point seven miles due west from Foxes Hill, it was to run north to the Pawtucket River and south to the Pawtuxet River (P. R. ii : 129). On December 30, 1663, a committee was chosen to set the bound seven miles west of Foxes Hill and to run the northern extension of the line (iii : 47). The latter part of this order was renewed February 19, 1666 (ii : 69), and the line was run probably as far as the Woonasquatucket River soon thereafter. According to the Providence-Pawtuxet agreement of January 16, 1683, the southern extension of the line was to be run as far as the Warwick north line (xv : 237). Although it was ordered, on April 27, 1683, that this be done without delay (viii : 130), and although it became the subject of frequent later discussion (P. R. xi : 43, 105 ; xvii : 231, 274 ; and Fenner Papers, no. 16675, 168 16, 16847, 16975, in City Hall) it was not until February 11, 1712, that a joint committee reported that the line had been run and the bounds set (P. R. xvii : 284). In the meanwhile, on January 27, 1710, it had been ordered that the line should be run out from the Woonasquatucket River northerly unto the limits of the Providence lands (xi : 141). The line which to-day forms the eastern boundary of Burrillville, Glocester and Scituate is practically the seven-mile line as it was established in 1660. The distance from Foxes Hill was evidently approximated, and not surveyed, since it amounts to slightly over eight miles. Being surveyed by a compass, moreover, the line falls about  west of the true astronomical north given on most modern maps.

Small Brook. The brook flowing through the present Davis Park into the Woonasquatucket River. (P. R. ii : 21 ; v:222; Hopkins’ Home Lots, p. 69; and Plat Card 118 in City Hall.)

Home Lots of the Early Settlers by Hopkins – p.69

Snail Hill. A hill, formerly so called, near the present Spectacle Pond. Identical with the present pond of the same name in the town of Cranston ; mentioned in the records as early as 1644. (P. R. ii : 3 ; iv: 141.) Spectacle Meadows lay to the west of the pond. {Harris Papers, pp. 55, 73, 98.) There were also Spectacle Meadows on the Branch River, near the present Burrillville-North Smithfield dividing mentioned early in the 18th century.

Stampers. A hill, formerly so called, at the present Stampers street, on the east side of the Moshassuck River. Stampers Bottoms lay at the foot of the hill, on the river. (P. R. ii 1.58, 91 ; hi : 75 ; and plat reproduced in Steere Genealogy, P- 36.)

Suckatunkanuck Hill. A hill directly east of the present Almy’s Reservoir, in the town of Johnston. (P. R. iv : 24 ; xiv: 93; and Stevens Map of 1831.)

Sugar Loaf Hill. Mentioned in 1653 as an original boundary of the town of Providence. Judging by its order in the list then given, it must have been situated a little northwest of Pawtucket. (P. R. ii : 73.) corner of Waterman and Cooke streets. A plat of the Snail Hill property drawn by Gov. Hopkins is in the Moses Brown Papers, vol. 18, no. 124a, in the R. I. Hist. Soc. (P. R. ii : 12, 20; and MS. Deeds, xii : 152.)

Sockanosset. The locality of the present Sockanosset Reservoir in the town of Cranston. (P. R. xvi : 286 ; Harris Papers, p. 207.)

Solitary Hill. A hill formerly located directly south of the present Olneyville Public Library Building at Olneyville Square. The dividing line between Providence and Johnston ran due north and south from the eastern side of this hill. (P. R. i : 8 ; xiv : 169 ; R. I. Col. Rec. vi : 194 ; Steere Genealogy, p. 180; Cushing and Walling Map of 1849.)

Sutamachute Hill. A hill, formerly so called, located in the town of Johnston, south of Dry Brook and directly northwest of the village of Simmonsville. Often spelled Sichamachute. (P. R. iii : 241 ; iv: 156; v: 319; xi : 77.)

Swan Point. On the Seekonk River and still so called ; mentioned in the records as early as 1685. (P. R. viii: 149, 160.)

Swan Pond. A little pond on the west side of the Moshassuck River, directly south of the present Breakneck Road and north of Olney’s Pond. In the 1895 Atlas it is called Quinsnicket Pond, and in Holbrook’s Genealogy of the Hopkins Family (1881), p. 18, it is spoken of as Goldfish Pond. (P. R. ii : 107 ; iv : 1 19, 228.)

Tabamapauge Pond. The present Dyer’s Pond in the town of Cranston. Sometimes called Paugeamapauge Pond and in one deed apparently confused with Antashantuck Pond. (P. R. iv : 136 ; v : 38, 137 ; viii : 71.)

Tarebreech Plain. The sole mention of this name before 1700 gives no hint as to its location. Perhaps the word has some connection with the 18th century Tar Bridge, at Olneyville. (P. R. iii : 88.)

Third Lake Brook. A brook flowing from the northern end of the Great Swamp into the Moshassuck River. Traces of it can still be seen where it enters the river at Moshassuck street in the city of Pawtucket, crossing Main street near the junction of West avenue. (P. R. iii: 21 ; xiv: 191, 208; and Hopkins Atlas of 1882.)

Tongue Pond. Mentioned in the records as early as 1659, being practically in its present location – between Fenner avenue and the railroad, and directly south of the Narragansett Brewing Company. (P. R. i : 98, 99 ; and 1895 Atlas.)

Toskeunke. The meadows on both sides of the Pawtuxet River, south of the present Warwick line and to the east of the village of Pontiac. It was affirmed that the river itself at that place was called Toskeunke, but it was apparently never so termed, except by some of the Warwick settlers. (P. R. iv: 161 ; Harris Papers, pp. 57, 298, 310; plats in Rider’s Hist. Tract, ser. 2, no. 4, p. 100; and R. I. Hist. Soc. MSS. v : 11 ; and Warner Papers, no. 63, 75, in J. C. B. Library. The land between Pontiac and Meshanticut Brook is called Chee-Toskeunke on the plat in Rider’s Hist. Tract, and there is occasional use of the name (See Copies of Warwick Records, p. 33, in R. I. Hist. Society).

Toyaskqut River. A river running “down to Pawtucket,” mentioned in 1661 as the western boundary of Wrayunkeke. Perhaps the present Tarkiln River. (P. R. v : 285.)

Venter. A name formerly given to a brook flowing into the Woonasquatucket River directly north of the present village of Merino in the town of Johnston, as well as to the meadows north of the brook and to the general locality. The plain to the south of the brook was called both Venter Plain and Poor Man’s Plain. Occasionally spelled Venture. (P. R. ii : 37 ; iii : 89 ; vi : 105 ; xiv : 63, 100 ; xvi : 435 ; MS. Deeds, xiv: 283, in City Hall; ‘and Hopkins 1882 Atlas.)

Vineyard. An island in the Pawtuxet River, directly north of the present Rhodes boathouse. It formerly belonged to the thirteen Pawtuxet proprietors and is still known by its original name. (P. R. ii-: 11,; v : 55 ; xiv : 75 ; and 1895 Atlas.)

Wallers Island. An island in the Great Swamp, several hundred feet north of the present Rochambeau avenue and near the Blackstone Boulevard. (P. R. iii : 107 ; xiv : 165.)

Wallers Swamp. The swamp to the west of the present Mount Pleasant avenue and north of Chalkstone avenue. Called N. Brown’s Swamp on Lockwood Map of 1835. (P.R. vi : 63 ; xiv : 82 ; and Hopkins’ Home Lots, p. 69.)

Wallings Pond. The present Sprague’s Lower Reservoir in the town of Smithfield. (P. R. iv : 21 ; xiv : 99 ; and Harris Papers, p. 319.)

Walsingham. A name given to the Thomas Walling farm, formerly located on the western side of the Louisquisset Pike, in the present town of Lincoln, and near the southern boundary line of the town. (P. R. iii: 117, 158, 160; xiv: 31 ; and MS. Deeds, iv : 146, in City Hall.)

Wanskuck. The name of a brook flowing into the West River near the present boundary line between Providence and North Providence. The name was also applied to the meadows along the brook and to the neighboring locality. Thename today is applied to a village and pond somewhat to the east of Wanskuck Brook. In its alternate form of spelling “Wenscott”  it seems at quite an early date to have been applied to the meadows a mile and a half northwest of the brook. (P. R. iii : 239 ; iv:i42; xvi : 202 ; and Lockwood Map of 1835.)

Wapwaysitt. Another spelling of Weybosset, q. v.

Washouset Point. See Long Neck.

Wayunkeke. The region in the immediate vicinity of the present Wionkhiege Hill in the town of Smithfield, and apparently regarded by the early colonists as a tract of about four square miles. The name, in its various spellings, was applied to the hill, to the fields southeast of the hill and occasionally to that branch of the Woonasquatucket River which flowed nearby. (P. R. iii: 19; iv:i82; v : 94, 285, 320; xvi : 208 ; and Narr. Club Publicatiofis, vi : 315.) Weecapasacheck. A reasonable interpretation of the records seems to place this locality a little south of the present Wionkhiege Hill in the town of Smithnejd. (P. R. iii : 38, 241, 244.)

Wesquadomeset. A name applied at least as early as 1666 to the present Sayles Hill in the town of North Smithfield and likewise to the Crookfall Brook. The surrounding locality, which was included in the Inman Purchase, was also so called. (P. R. iii 1242; iv: 143; v: 144; xiv : 112, 140; and Narr. Hist. Register, vi : 49.)

West River. Mentioned in the records as early as 1652 and still so called. (P. R.’xw 11 ; xiv : 8, 106.)

Westconnaug. A tract of land purchased in 1662 and comprising practically the southern half of the present town of Foster and that part of the town of Scituate south of the Pawtuxet River. Its northern boundary line was established in 1708. The name was generally spelled Wesquenoid or Westquadnaig. (P. R. xvi : 204 ; xvii : 223 ; original deed in Fenner Papers, no. 16628, in City Hall; and map of Foster in R. I. Hist. Soc. MSS., vii, no. 1409. There is a mutilated plat of the purchase in the office of the town clerk of Foster.)

Weybosset. The specific locality, Weybosset, when mentioned in the early records,’ invariably meant the neck of land bounded on the north by the Cove, on the east and southeast by the Providence River and on the southwest by Muddy Bridge, or Dorrance street. Weybosset Bridge, connecting this neck with the east side of the river, is the Market Square Bridge of to-day. Weybosset Hill stood directly to the west of the present Turks Head, between Weybosset and Westminster streets. (P. R. ii : 14 ; iii : 33 ; ix : 41 ; xi : 90, 92.) Weybosset Plain is spoken of as the ” plain south of the Wanasquatucket River” or “the plain between Weybosset and the Pawtuxet line,” yet whenever land is mentioned before 1700 as being on Weybosset Plain, its location is invariably near the east side of Long Pond. (P. R. i : 95 ; ii : 34 ; xiv: no.) Weybosset was generally spelled Waybossett, and occasionally Wap way sitt. (See R. I. Hist. Soc. Pub. iii : 117.)

What Cheer. An Indian field of about six acres, located immediately to the west of “What Cheer Rock” and early granted to Roger Williams. The Fenners subsequently owned this and surrounding property and the plat of their estate, known as “What Cheer,” is on Plat Card 61 in the City Deed Office. The cove to the northeast of the Rock was called What Cheer Cove, after 1700. (P. R. i: no; iii: in, 190; xi : 114; and Hopkins’ Home Lots , p. 61.)

Wickendens Cove. See Mile End Cove.

Wind Mill Hill. Identical with the present hill of the same name, which is located at the joining of the boundary lines of Providence, North Providence and Pawtucket. (P. R. v: 16; vii: 22; xi : 55.)

Woonasquatucket. First mentioned as a river in the original deed of Providence and ever since so known. Woonasquatucket Plain was the land in the vicinity of the new State Capitol, called Jefferson Plains on the Lockwood Map of 1835. It was generally spelled Wanasquatucket. (P. R. ii : 9, 36 ; iv : 71 ; v : 223, 296 ; xi : 52.)

Woonsocket. In the early records this name applied to the hill now called Woonsocket Hill and to the immediately surrounding region rather than to the vicinity of the present town of Woonsocket. It was generally spelled Wansokutt or Wansokett. (P. R. viii : 1 18 ; xiv : 38 ; xv : 217 ; and original deed in R. I. Hist. Soc, and printed in Narr. Hist Register, vi : 52.)

Worlds End. A pond, formerly so called, identical with Great Pond, or that part of the present Scotts Pond in the town of Lincoln which was called Scotts Pond before the construction ‘ of the Blackstone Canal. The Worlds End Meadows were southwest of the pond, on the Moshassuck River. (P.R. ii: 102; xi : 164; xiv : 158; and MS. Deeds, ii : 489 ; v : 293, in City Hall.)

PREFATORY NOTE

[note – what follows is the complete preface by the author, Clarence W. Brigham]

In the following alphabetical index and accompanying map the attempt is made to locate every place-name mentioned in the Providence records before 1700 and included within the original town of Providence as granted by the Indians to the early colonists, i. e., the territory between the Pawtuxet River and the Blackstone River.  A concise description is given of each name in order that it may be located on a modern map. In the case of those names which are still in use, the modern spelling has been generally adopted, with note of the fact if the early spelling is greatly at variance with that of the present day. In calculating distances given in early surveys it should be remembered that the surveyors used both the 16 and the 18 foot pole, and that consequently a distance can often only be approximated. It should also be borne in mind that the magnetic north of the latter part of the 17th century varied about 12 west of the true astronomical north used on the recent government maps and on many modern surveys.

The references, which are chiefly to the printed volumes of Providence Records, are given merely to show early or suggestive usage of a name. The references to manuscript sources are in most cases self-explanatory. The early manuscripts in the City Hall have been of great service, especially the Fenner Papers and the long series of Providence Town Papers in the office of the Clerk of the Municipal Court, the volumes of deeds and the plat cards in the Deed Office, and the two folio volumes of early Plats of Highways in the custody of the City Clerk. In the library of the Rhode Island Historical Society the Field Papers, the Fenner Papers and the Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts have been particularly serviceable. The frequent references to the Harris Papers are to the printed volume. The following maps and atlases have been of especial value: C. Harris, Map of the State of Rhode Island, 1795 ; B. Lockwood & S. B. Cushing, Map of the City of Providence and Town of North Providence, 1835 ; J. Stevens, Topographical Map of the State of Rhode Island, .1831 ; H. F. Walling, Map of the State of Rhode Island, 1862 ; D. G. Beers, Atlas of the State of Rhode Island, 1870; G. M. Hopkins, Atlas of the City of Providence and Environs, 1882 ; United States Geological Survey, Topographical Atlas of the State of Rhode Island, 1891 ; Everts & Richards, New Topographical Atlas of Surveys, Providence County, 1895.

In the preparation of this index, the compiler has gathered a large collection of miscellaneous references gleaned from deeds, wills and town proceedings, relating both to the 17th century place-names included in the list and also to many 18th century place-names. This material is to be kept in the library of the Historical Society, where it may be of service to the student of local history. The indebtedness of the compiler to Mr. Edward Field, Mr. William G. Brennen, and Mr. Welcome A. Greene for courtesies* extended to him in the work of preparation is hereby gratefully acknowledged.

–Clarence S. Brigham.

The post you are reading is located at: https://onerhodeislandfamily.com/2017/06/03/place-names-providence/

I guess I have always wanted to know about the places my ancestors lived.  But finding the spot for that family farm, as New England genealogists know, is never easy.  Rhode Island land doesn’t come packaged in neat square lots (ever).  With an almost 400 year history, buildings come and go.  Towns and borders are rearranged.  Deeds are kept in 39 locations around the state, and seldom online.

So we learn to be curious about maps, guides, historic landmarks, place names, and history.  While prior to genealogy I would only have been marginally interested in a guide to a town’s historic structures and neighborhoods, I have gradually become obsessed with these things.  If you want to solve a brick wall, one best practice is to learn as much as possible about the nearest locations you can find.

Fortunately, the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission has produced, over the last several decades, guides to historic architecture and resources around the state.  Focusing town by town on buildings and other structures such as bridges, the guides present a history of the landscape and neighborhoods, some details of evolving land use and industries, guides to local historic houses, and, at the end of the volumes, impressive bibliographies of books and maps for further research.

There are even some local maps here and there, which help you to sort through the historic neighborhood names.  And, plenty of pictures of historic houses and buildings.

All of these volumes are now available through their website, as free downloads.  Although I own several volumes already, having instant access to ALL volumes is a huge step forward.  The pdf copies can be downloaded from the RIHPHC website here.

I can’t reproduce their materials here, of course, so visit their website to access the books.  This is the list of books available on the website:

• Barrington
• Block Island
• Bristol
• Burrillville
• Central Falls
• Charlestown
• Coventry
• Cranston – also: Pawtuxet Village
• Cumberland
• East Greenwich
• East Providence
• Exeter
• Foster
• Glocester
• Hopkinton
• Jamestown
• Johnston
• Lincoln
• Little Compton
• Middletown
• Narragansett – also: Narragansett Pier
• Newport–see:
  •   African-Americans of Newport
  •   Kay-Catherine-Old Beach Rd
  •   Southern Thames Street
  •   West Broadway
• North Kingstown
• North Providence
• North Smithfield
• Pawtucket
• Portsmouth
• Providence (Citywide) also:
  •   Downtown
  •   East Side
  •   Elmwood
  •   Providence Industrial Sites
  •   Smith Hill
  •   South Providence
  •   West Side
• Richmond
• Scituate
• Smithfield
• South Kingstown
• Tiverton
• Warren
• Warwick – also: Pawtuxet Village
• West Greenwich
• West Warwick
• Westerly
• Woonsocket

RI Statewide–see:

•   Historic Highway Bridges of RI
•   Historic Landscapes of RI
•   Native American Archaeology
•   Outdoor Sculpture of RI
•   RI Engineering/Industrial Sites
•   RI: State-Owned Hist. Properties
•   State Houses of RI

I think exploring these books at the RIHPHC website would be a great way to learn more about your ancestors’ neighborhood.  They would help you understand the landmarks mentioned in deeds, and to understand how the landscape changed over the centuries, and what the local industries were.

What a goldmine!  Hope they help you.

The post you are reading is located at:

https://onerhodeislandfamily.com/2017/03/30/a-sense-of-place