Gray Lock
Encyclopedia
Chief Gray Lock was a Western Abenaki Missisquoi chief of Woronoco/Pocumtuck ancestry. Gray Lock was born near Westfield, Massachusetts
, around 1670. He became leader of the Waranoak Indians, who inhabited the Connecticut Valley region of New England
.
(also known as Greylock's War, Three Years War, Lovewell's War, Father Rasle's War, or the 4th Indian War) was a series of battles between the British
and French
.
The French had been the first to explore the Kennebec River
in Maine
, with Samuel Champlain reaching it in 1604 and claiming the surrounding territory for France. The English soon began to claim lands along the Kennebec River by homesteading
. This territory was occupied by the Abenaki Indians, who claimed it as their ancestral homeland. Continued settlement by the English prompted the French to form an alliance with the Abenaki Indians against the English.
The rising tensions erupted into open conflict in 1722. While the French, New York
colonists, and Iroquois
looked on, Abenakis conducted raid
s against the English settlers on the Massachusetts Colony, from coastal Maine
to Lake Champlain
. Gray Lock distinguished himself by conducting guerrilla raids into Vermont
and western Massachusetts. He consistently eluded his pursuers, and acquired the name Wawanolet (also Wawanolewat, Wawanotewat), meaning "he who fools the others, or puts someone off the track." Eastern Abenaki groups made peace with Massachusetts in 1725 and 1726, and Abenakis from Canada
agreed to peace terms in 1727, but Gray Lock refused to do so. Gray Lock died sometime around 1750.
in Western Massachusetts is thought by some experts to have been named in tribute to chief Gray Lock. The name "Mount Greylock" first appeared in print around 1819, and came into popular use by the 1830s. Although it is not clear whether chief Gray Lock was actually ever personally associated with this mountain, perhaps in tribute to his notoriety the mountain came to bear his name.
There is a monument and plaque dedicated to Chief Gray Lock in Battery Park, Burlington, Vermont
.
Westfield, Massachusetts
Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 41,094 at the 2010 census. The ZIP Code is 01085 for homes and businesses, 01086 for Westfield State...
, around 1670. He became leader of the Waranoak Indians, who inhabited the Connecticut Valley region of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
Role in Dummer's War
The conflict known as Dummer's WarDummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
(also known as Greylock's War, Three Years War, Lovewell's War, Father Rasle's War, or the 4th Indian War) was a series of battles between the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
The French had been the first to explore the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, with Samuel Champlain reaching it in 1604 and claiming the surrounding territory for France. The English soon began to claim lands along the Kennebec River by homesteading
Homesteading
Broadly defined, homesteading is a lifestyle of simple self-sufficiency.-Current practice:The term may apply to anyone who follows the back-to-the-land movement by adopting a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle. While land is no longer freely available in most areas of the world, homesteading...
. This territory was occupied by the Abenaki Indians, who claimed it as their ancestral homeland. Continued settlement by the English prompted the French to form an alliance with the Abenaki Indians against the English.
The rising tensions erupted into open conflict in 1722. While the French, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
colonists, and Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
looked on, Abenakis conducted raid
Raid (military)
Raid, also known as depredation, is a military tactic or operational warfare mission which has a specific purpose and is not normally intended to capture and hold terrain, but instead finish with the raiding force quickly retreating to a previous defended position prior to the enemy forces being...
s against the English settlers on the Massachusetts Colony, from coastal Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
. Gray Lock distinguished himself by conducting guerrilla raids into Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and western Massachusetts. He consistently eluded his pursuers, and acquired the name Wawanolet (also Wawanolewat, Wawanotewat), meaning "he who fools the others, or puts someone off the track." Eastern Abenaki groups made peace with Massachusetts in 1725 and 1726, and Abenakis from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
agreed to peace terms in 1727, but Gray Lock refused to do so. Gray Lock died sometime around 1750.
Legacy
Mount GreylockMount Greylock
Mount Greylock is the highest natural point in Massachusetts at . Its peak is located in the northwest corner of the state in the western part of the town of Adams in Berkshire County. Although geologically part of the Taconic Mountains, Mount Greylock is commonly associated with the abutting...
in Western Massachusetts is thought by some experts to have been named in tribute to chief Gray Lock. The name "Mount Greylock" first appeared in print around 1819, and came into popular use by the 1830s. Although it is not clear whether chief Gray Lock was actually ever personally associated with this mountain, perhaps in tribute to his notoriety the mountain came to bear his name.
There is a monument and plaque dedicated to Chief Gray Lock in Battery Park, Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
.
See also
- Mount Greylock State Reservation. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
- "Greylock: Great Chief of the Abenaki", by James P. Millard. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
- "The Hoosac Valley: Its Legends and its History", by Grace Greylock Niles (1912)