ABORIGINAL PLACE NAMES OF NEW YORK l8l 



RENSSELAER COUNTY 



Bach-a-was-sick pond. The terminal syllable may be locative, or, 

 with the penult, refer to some stony feature of the place. Most of 

 the Indian names of this county are Algonquin, as it was the home 

 of the Mahicans when first known. 



Cach-ta-na-quick was an island opposite Beeren island. 



Hoo-sick or Hosack, place of stones according to Ruttenber, who 

 derived it from hussun, stone, and ack, place; thence stony place 

 by contraction. He also said that one of the first patents spoke of 

 a tract 25 miles northeast of the city of Albany, " known by the 

 Indian name of Hoosack." The name of an early settler was said 

 to be Alexander Hosack, but he may have been so called from his 

 place of residence. The Hoosick patent, in this and Washington 

 county, was granted to Maria Van Rensselaer and others in 1688. 

 The Mohawks spoke of it as Hoosick in 1664, but it is undoubtedly 

 an Algonquin word, and has been defined along the kettle. School- 

 craft derived it from wudyoo, vwuntavi, and abic, rockj but this has 

 plainl}^ no foundation. 



Jus-cum-e-a-tick, an early name given for Greenbush, probably 

 has the wrong initial letter. Ruttenber and Franch both wrote it 

 Tuscumcatick, and this seems right. It may be from tooskeonganit, 

 at the fording place, referring to crossing to some island, or merely 

 to wading in shallow water. 



Kau-nau-meek, an Indian village 18 miles eastward of Albany, 

 where David Brainerd preached in 1743. The name may refer to 

 carrying something. 



Kee-sey-we-go kill, according to Ruttenber, was opposite Albany 

 and "1200 rods from Major Abram Staet's kill." It was called 

 after an Indian. 



Ke-hen-tick was a piece of corn land adjoining- a tract 5 miles 

 from tlie river. It was purchased in 1678. 



Ki-es-sie-wey's kill was in Claverack at Schodack, in the same 

 year, and had its name from an Indian, so called by the Dutch. It 

 seems the same as one above. 



Ma-qua-con-ka-eck was a creek tributary to the Hoosick. 



Ma-qua-in-ka-de-ly creek was tributary to the same river. 



Ma-roons-ka-ack was a creek entering the Hoosick at Sankhoick. 

 The name seems intended for Walloonsac. 



