Opening from On This Site - Native Long Island

Quanuntowunk (Fort Pond)

A Montauk deed placename pairing Fort Pond geography with Konkhunganik and showing how north and south pond-side places were recorded together. Quanuntowunk is recorded as the northern part of Fort Pond at Montauk. Variants include Quaunontowounk, Quannontowock, Quannotowounk, and Quanotawonk. The history corrects an older misplacement that applied the name to Fresh Pond in Hither Woods. The deed language places Quanuntowunk at Fort Pond, paired with Konkhunganik on the south side. The preferred interpretation connects the name with a division, turning place, or fence. An earlier interpretation connected it with a long ford or wading place, but the later reading emphasizes the fence dividing the north side of Fort Pond. Why Place Names Matter “Place names are links to the past. They form part of our local heritage and culture.” — Inge Særheim, Road Names and Identity...