Opening from On This Site - Native Long Island

Monabaugs (Westhampton)

Monabaugs names a creek, swamp, and pond in the Westhampton area between Potunk and Ketchaponack Necks. The history preserves a water-place name in a landscape where coastal wetlands and waterways have changed over time. Monabaugs connects creek, swamp, and pond references within one Westhampton water-place context. Dated boundary details appear in the Historic Timeline with their own sources. Recorded forms include Monabaugs and Monobaugs. The name is interpreted as "a deep pond," using a form related to words for deep and pond or water-place. The possessive wording in the records may also preserve a personal name taken from the pond. Why Place Names Matter “Names of places are an important aspect of oral history as they become carriers of the past, allowing us a glimpse into occurrences in the past that history books often may have failed to mention.” — Archive and...