Nonnewaug
People around here say the name every day, but what does it mean? It's a descriptive place name, used by the Indigenous Peoples who lived here in for thousands of years before 1673, when a group of settlers from Stratford moved into the area, originally the "Pomperaug Plantation."
According to William Cothren, who wrote several volumes of the "History of Ancient Woodbury," it means "The Fresh Water Fishing Place." Cothren seems to quickly forget that thought after briefly stating so, and then begins misinforming people that all these things named Nonnewaug are named after the Sachem or "Chief" Nonnewaug, much in the same way that the place name Waramaug, the "good fishing place," and the Sachem Waramaug were rather incorrectly turned into a personal name.
Cothren, William
1854 “History of Ancient Woodbury Volume I.” Waterbury CT
1872 “History of Ancient Woodbury Volume II.” Woodbury CT
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