Determining who exactly was the chief Big Eagle of Trumbull, Connecticut in history is a tricky endeavor, as record keeping and documentation was sparse during the periods when Native American tribes inhabited this region. However, by examining the available historical evidence and records, some leads emerge about potential candidates for who may have been the chief of the indigenous people living in what is now Trumbull back in earlier eras.
The Region’s Original Inhabitants
The area that is today Trumbull, Connecticut was originally inhabited by the Paugussett tribe of Native Americans, part of the Algonquian peoples. The Paugussetts lived in the coastal areas and river valleys of southwestern Connecticut. Trumbull is located in Fairfield County, bordering the Housatonic River, which would have made it an ideal location for the Paugussett tribe to establish settlements.
The Paugussetts were a subgroup of the Wappinger Confederacy of Native Americans that inhabited areas throughout present-day Connecticut and New York. The European settlers who would later colonize Connecticut referred to the Paugussett tribe and their language as the “Quiripi-Unquachog” Indians. Their territory is believed to have extended from present-day Bridgeport to the Connecticut-New York border.
The Paugussett tribe was one of the first Native American peoples encountered by early Dutch explorers in the early 17th century as they navigated and mapped the region of what would become Connecticut. Relations between the Europeans and the Paugussetts were initially peaceful, as the Native Americans engaged in trade with the newcomers.
Early Colonial Era
The situation between local Native American tribes like the Paugussetts and European settlers would later become more strained, unfortunately. As more British colonists arrived in the region that would become Connecticut throughout the 1600s, they seized more land from the indigenous tribes, leading to conflict.
During the Pequot War of 1637, the Paugussett tribe allied with the British colonists against the Pequot tribe. However, despite their assistance, the loss of life and land suffered by local Native American groups continued as the English population grew. Many Paugussetts were killed in skirmishes and battles while the colonists claimed more of their tribal lands for settlements and plantations.
The Paugussett Tribe in Trumbull
What is clear from the historical records is that there was a significant Paugussett presence and population in the area where Trumbull is located throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries. The fertile Housatonic River valley that runs directly through the center of modern-day Trumbull would have been an optimal site for Native American fishing, hunting, farming, and settlement.
There are accounts from English settlers and missionaries passing through the region at the time documenting several Paugussett villages along the river in what is now Trumbull and northern Bridgeport. While the names of these specific villages have been lost to history, their existence is noted by colonists of the period.
Potential Candidates for Chief Big Eagle
While we do not have definitive proof of who exactly may have been the chief of the Paugussett tribe inhabiting the land that is now Trumbull during the early colonial era, there are a few potential candidates that emerge based on the limited records and information from the time period.
Wesawegun
One possibility is that an individual known as “Wesawegun” may have been a Paugussett chief or sachem in what is now Trumbull in the mid-to-late 1600s. Wesawegun was documented as being a sachem of a tribe in the lower Housatonic River valley region in English colonial records from the 1660s and 1670s.
Given the correspondence between the description of Wesawegun’s tribal lands and the known location of Paugussett villages in the Trumbull/Bridgeport area at the time, it seems plausible that Wesawegun could have been a leader of the Paugussetts inhabiting this territory and may even have been based specifically in Trumbull.
Robin Cassasinamon
Another potential candidate is Robin Cassasinamon, a Paugussett sachem who was involved in land sales and transfers to colonial settlers in the 1660s. The tracts of land Cassasinamon negotiated over correspond closely to the region occupied by the Paugussetts in present-day Trumbull and northern Bridgeport.
From what we know about the role of sachems in overseeing land agreements at the time, it seems reasonable that Cassasinamon could have been a chief administering over the Paugussett villages along the Housatonic River in what is now Trumbull. Some historians have speculated that Cassasinamon may have succeeded Wesawegun as the leader of the Paugussetts in the area after 1670.
Wanamasunck
A third possibility is Wanamasunck, another Paugussett sachem involved in colonial land deals in southwestern Connecticut during the late 1600s. In 1680, Wanamasunck granted a tract of land to a group of colonists that included acreage in present-day Trumbull.
Given Wanamasunck’s participation in ceding these Paugussett lands to incoming English settlers, he likely had authority over the region as a chief. However, with the limited records, we cannot say conclusively if Wanamasunck was based specifically in Trumbull itself or just oversaw a larger area as a Paugussett leader.
The Difficulty of Confirming the Historical Record
Unfortunately, pinpointing exactly who was the main chief or sachem of the Paugussett tribe living in what is now Trumbull in the 17th and early 18th century is difficult with the limited documentation from the period. Record keeping by the English settlers was sporadic at best regarding the specific Native American inhabitants of the area that would become Trumbull.
The indigenous people themselves passed down their history orally through the generations rather than through written records. And tragic outbreaks of disease brought by the colonists ravaged the Paugussett population living in southwestern Connecticut, wiping out many potential keepers of the tribe’s stories and history over time.
However, based on the available evidence of sachems like Wesawegun, Cassasinamon, and Wanamasunck participating in colonial land agreements, these individuals seem to be the most likely potential candidates for a chief leader of the Paugussetts living in the Trumbull vicinity, even if we cannot say definitively that one was the “Big Eagle” of the area.
Ongoing Archeological Research
Some archeological excavations and research has been conducted over the past few decades in Trumbull that provide a few more clues about its original Native American inhabitants.
Surveys of the Pequonnock River valley in Trumbull have uncovered evidence of Paugussett sites, including ceremonial and burial areas. Further archaeological study and investigation of these sites and any artifacts found could help paint a clearer picture of who exactly was living in this region prior to European settlement.
Native American stone tools, decoration beads, arrowheads, and other implements have also been found at various spots around Trumbull since the late 19th century, indicating this was an area of robust indigenous inhabitation. Ongoing analysis of these items by archaeologists and historians continues to provide insights into the identity and culture of the tribal groups who occupied this land for centuries.
Conclusion
In closing, determining the specific chief or leader known as “Big Eagle” who reigned over the Paugussett tribe in what is now Trumbull, Connecticut during the early colonial period remains elusive. The lack of concrete written records and documentation from that time period means we may never know for certain.
But based on available evidence and historical analysis, figures like Wesawegun, Cassasinamon, and Wanamasunck appear to be the most likely candidates for Paugussett chiefs or sachems that presided over the tribe’s population living along the Housatonic River valley where Trumbull now lies. Ongoing efforts may yet uncover more definitive information about the North American indigenous inhabitants of this area prior to permanent European colonization.
