"Patucko's
squaw," ought to interest us especially as the source of one of the
place-names that have survived to the present day. One would hardly suspect a
connection between Tucker's Ring, in the northwest corner of the town of
Wolcott, and this Indian “proprietor," but such a connection exists. A
suggestion of it is found in the name Ptuckering Road, and in a deed of 1731,
cited in Dr. Bronson's "History of Waterbury," Potucko's Ring; is
definitely mentioned. If the story is true that he "kindled a fire. in the
form of a large ring; around a hill, in hunting deer, and perished within
it," that may account for the place-name....” https://archive.org/details/historyofwaterbu00bron
Patucko By Florence Goodman
Wolcott Historical Society News - November 2023
Last month on Facebook someone asked how Potuccos Ring
Road received its name. A high school classmate of mine, Diane Mazzafarro asked
me about it, so I thought I'd revisit the legend that explains the naming of
this road.
Our town was a common hunting ground used by the
Mattabesec and Tunxis tribes. On August 26, 1674, the Tunxis signed a deed that
recorded the sale of certain lands to be called "Mattatuckoke" along
the Naugatuck River to settlers from Farmington, CT. The first Native American
to make his mark was Nesaheagin, their sachem, or chief. The ninth Native
American to affix his mark to the deed was Patucko. Since these aboriginal
inhabitants did not "own" the land in the sense that the European
settlers understood, numerous deeds were often obtained for the same land.
Thus, the original settlement of Waterbury or "Mattatuckoke," was
sold four times by two different tribes, each time for approximately nine
pounds sterling.
The second deed for this land was signed nearly ten years
later, on April 29, 1684. Patucko was the first Native American to mark the
deed and just six months later, a third deed was signed, but Patucko's name was
absent; his son, Attumtacko and his "woman" made their marks. The
following legend is about that sachem, Patucko and why his name was absent from
the third deed.
It was believed that Patucko,
whose name means "round" or "circle" was renowned as a
fire-hunter. He would build a fire in a circle and leave an opening large
enough for small animals or deer to escape. He would situate himself at that
opening of that "ring of fire" and kill his prey as they tried to
escape the fire, thus having plenty of food for his tribe. This
legend has been shortened from its original format to fit into my monthly
article.
Patucko stepped quietly into the dark interior of
Nesaheagin's lodge. He walked slowly toward the old man who lay on a bed of
skins. The old man was dying and wanted to speak to Patucko about deeding over
their land to the settlers. Patucko listened intently to the wise, old chief,
but did not want to sign the deed. With great effort Nesaheagin convinced
Patucko that it was best for his tribe to do so. Patucko listened to his dying
father's request and signed the deed, but by the following spring, he knew he
had made a mistake. His hunting grounds were slipping away as more settlers
moved onto the land. Days and nights passed and Patucko began to fast and walk
his land looking for a sign; finally, from exhaustion, he fell to the ground.
Looking up through the green leaves, the late morning sun filled the spaces
with brilliant light and the leaves seemed to glow. Suddenly his trance was
shattered by the sound of geese in the sky behind him. The enormous birds cast
a shadow upon him, and their huge wings created gale force winds around him.
The leaves were ripped from the trees and the ground seemed to shake. Had this
been the sign for which he was searching?
Patucko returned to his village empty handed; his people
expecting him to be laden down with food were confused. He explained that he
had been hunting but found no food. Early the next morning he left his village
again to find food, but this time he would use his fire-hunter skills to catch
his prey. Sadly, he climbed the hills to the north of his familiar hunting
grounds and began placing the kindling to circle the peak. The day was bright
and dry and the slight breeze from the east would cause the fire to spread
around rapidly, cutting off escape in all directions, and assuring success. He
would usually ignite the fire by friction, but this time he had brought his
ceremonial flint. The fire was lit and soon the breeze caused the flames to
race on either side of him; Patucko turned and walked deliberately to the top
of the hill. By the time he reached the summit, the fire had already closed the
ring. He could see the valley, but the river looked sluggish and black through
the onrushing flames. Patucko sat quietly while above him the sun disappeared
in the smoke.
Patucko was gone and though a few settlers knew the
legend, Patucko's Ring was soon corrupted through casual speech to
"Tucker's Ring". It was given as a name of a road in Wolcott near the
hill where Patucko was believed to have died. At sometime early in the 20th
century, someone changed the name to Potuccos Ring Road, as it remains today.
Chestnut Hill Reservoir which is found in the
southwestern part of town was also call Arrowhead. It received this name from
the many arrowheads that were found there over the years. The Wolcott
Historical Society has a wonderful collection of arrowheads at our Center
School History Museum.
In 1990 at Alcott Middle School when I taught Project
Explore, three of my students Patric DelCioppo, Stephen Cortigiano and Steven
Jasulavic created a pop-up book about this legend that can be found at our
Stone Schoolhouse Museum.
https://web.tapr.org/~wa1lou/whs/news202311.html
* So called from Potucko, an Indian, who having fired a ring
of brushwood to surround and catch deer and other game, was himself entrapped
and consumed. So says tradition.”
The history of Waterbury, Connecticut; the original
township embracing present Watertown and Plymouth, and parts of Oxford,
Wolcott, Middlebury, Prospect and Naugatuck. With an appendix of biography,
genealogy and statistics
by Bronson, Henry, 1804-1893 (Page 462)
https://archive.org/details/historyofwaterbu00bron/mode/2up?q=Potucko
"...a certain tract of land at Mattatuck, lying on both sides of
the Naugatuck River, ten miles in length from north to soutli, and six miles in
breadth from east to west, butting east on Farmington bounds, south on
Pegasset, (Derby,) west on Pegasset, Pomperang, (Woodbury,) and Potatuck,
(Southbury,) and north on the wilderness. The consideration was thirty-eight
pounds in hand, and "divers good causes," and the deed bore date Aug.
21st, 1674. It may be found in the second volume of the Waterbury Land Records,
page 224, and is signed (by marks) by Caraachacpio, James, Putteko, Atumtacko,
Alwaash, Spinning Squaw, Nosaheagon, John Compound, Queramousk, Chere, Aupkt.
The witnesses are Samuel Willis, Benjamin Fenn and Philip Lewis." P 10
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