How did Wanapanaquin Hill get its unique name? Let’s uncover its story together. Wanapanaquin Hill stands at 220 feet tall. It is located within the Stoneham portion of the Middlesex Fells Reservation. This hill carries a name deeply rooted in Native American history.
Wanapanaquin was the name of three daughters of Wenepoykin. Wenepoykin lived from 1616 to 1684. He was the son of a Native American leader when the Puritans arrived. He eventually became a sachem. His territory stretched from Lynn to Reading to Chelsea.
Wenepoykin’s relationship with colonial authorities was difficult. He sued unsuccessfully over land lost to settlers. Frustrated he joined other Native Americans. They tried to expel the Puritans during King Philip’s War from 1675 to 1678. Wenepoykin was captured. He was sold into slavery in Barbados. He survived and returned home. He lived out his life in the Natick village. This village was for Praying Indians.
Wenepoykin’s name means wing or feather. His daughters’ name Wanapanaquin means plumed ones. The daughters took angelized first names. Petagunsk became Cicely. Wattaquattinusk became Sarah. Petagoonaquah became Susannah. The daughters moved or were forcibly resettled to Wamesit.
Charles Eliot described the naming process in 1895. He said attention was given to naming hills valleys and streams. Much study was directed to discover old names. They searched for accepted designations for places named in the past. They also looked for names for unnamed points of interest. Many names of Indian chieftains were applied to hills.
Elizur Wright wanted to sell naming rights in 1880. The highest bidder would get to name a hill. Wright said there were about as many hills as acres.
Stoneham has eight USGS-listed hills. Six lie within the Middlesex Fells Reservation. The other two are Carters Hill and Farm Hill.
In the mid-1600s the first settlers in Charlestown End were farmers. Winthrop mentioned a goodly plain toward Woburn and Reading. Residents of Charlestown End had more in common with neighbors in North Reading, Wakefield, and Woburn. They had less in common with people on the peninsula of Charlestown. In 1725 they created their own town named Stoneham.
The Andover and Medford Turnpike opened in 1806. Railroad lines extended into Stoneham in the mid-1850s. These improved transportation to Boston. Wanapanaquin Hill reminds us of the Native American history. It also connects us to the families who shaped this land. Its name echoes through time. It tells a story of resilience. The story also involves cultural exchange. It represents the plumed ones the daughters of Wenepoykin.