1.Who They Where
Native Americans were here for thousands of years before the Dutch arrived, during which they moved locations and later sold their land. Unfortunately not much was recorded by The Europeans about the natives; however, it is believed the Native Americans that lived in the New Castle area belonged to the Wappinger tribe or confederation of Mochigan nation and more precisely, the Siwanoys Chieftaincy. They, along with the other two great divisions on the Hudson (Iroquois and Lenni Lenapes) spoke the Algonquin language, and in New Castle a Munsee dialect. Chappaqua has been translated to mean, “running water” “place of separation” or “laurel swamp.”
