Wachocastinook Brook

(Salisbury, Connecticut)

Main attributes of this Native American place: Native name; In historic documents

A picturesque stream with the Algonquin name Wachocastinook originates from mountain lakes on the Taconic Plateau, more than one thousand feet in elevation above Salisbury’s central village. A lovely waterfall known as Wachocastinook Falls can be seen before the brook begins its descent from the plateau. The “brook called by the Indians Washokastanook” is referenced in a 1721 Salisbury-area deed.

As the brook flows through the village of Salisbury, beneath Route 44, it passes the Scoville Memorial Library. The brook can be viewed from the library lawn. Within the library, there are special collections and archival materials where visitors can learn more about the historical role of the Mohican Indians during the founding of Salisbury in the colonial period.

Thoughts to consider as you stand upon this place: The clear waters that flow here in this modest brook are the sole drainage of the rainwater-fed Taconic Plateau. These waters will soon join the Salmon Kill, and then the Housatonic River, on their never-ending journey to Long Island Sound.

Contributor: Timothy Binzen

SOURCES

• Binzen, Timothy L. 1997. Mohican Lands and Colonial Corners: Weataug, Wechquadnach and the Connecticut Colony 1675-1750. M.A. Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs. Pp. 109-110.
• State Archives, Connecticut State Library: Towns and Lands, First Series, Vol. 7, Doc. 245a.