Indian Farming
By: Dario S., Michael N., and Derek P.
Do you think Indians lived in Ludlow?
Were there many trees back then?
What was the main crop grown by the Indians?
Pictures of Native American tools
Indians were living here long before white men settled in Ludlow. Indians were farming. We know this because crude stone tools were found around the Chicopee River and other waterways in Ludlow. Indians grew grain, especially maize, or corn, in this area. The soil was rich near the water. Indians also hunted game. In the early 1600s, the land was pretty bare with not many trees. The Indians could easily hunt animals because the animals couldn’t hide. Part of Ludlow was called “Mineachogue” by Indians, which meant “Berry-land.” They also called the falls at the Chicopee River “Wallamanumps,” which meant “red stone.”