Opening from On This Site - Native Long Island

Warratta Neck

Warratta is a neck of land at Center Moriches between Barnes mill-pond on Terrell River and Senex Creek. The neck belongs to the Moriches and Center Moriches waterway landscape, near other named places such as Paquatuck and Senex. Deed references appear in the historic moments below. Recorded forms include Warratta, Waraeta, and Waracto. The interpretation appears tied to Warishone, a Native personal name analyzed as the loser or the forgetter; that reading remains uncertain. Why Place Names Matter “Place names are social constructs that show people’s attachment to the land they live in; they help communities to navigate and orientate, pass down oral traditions, and demonstrate the changes to the landscape.” — Francesco Perono Cacciafoco and Francesco Cavallaro, Place Names and Society (2023), chapter summary