Indigenous People in the Connecticut River Valley
In 1985 archeologist Peter Thomas published research on Indigenous People who had been living in our area before Europeans arrived in the 1600’s. Thomas had been a participant in an archeological dig that took place near the Vernon Dam and, after much analysis, he published his findings. According to Thomas, the Indigenous People who lived here followed a seasonal pattern. In March, when salmon, shad and alewives began their runs up the Connecticut River, families gathered by the Vernon rapids and the confluence of the West and Connecticut Rivers for a month or so, while large amounts of fish were eaten and processed for later use. By late April and throughout May farming activities began. Corn fields along the river were prepared and seeds planted. Fishing continued throughout this period and hunting of migratory birds also occurred. By summer, small family-based communities were centered in settlements surrounded by the plantings of corn, beans and […]
