Editing Simsbury, Connecticut (section)

===Early history===
{{further|Massaco}}
At the beginning of the 17th century, the area that would become known as Simsbury as of 1670 was inhabited by [[indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous peoples]]. The [[Wappinger]] were one of these groups, composed of eighteen bands that were organized not formally as a tribe, but more akin to an association, like the [[Lenape|Delaware]]. These bands lived between the [[Hudson River|Hudson]] and [[Connecticut River|Connecticut]] rivers. The Wappingers were one of the [[Algonquian peoples]], a linguistic grouping which includes hundreds of tribes.{{sfn|Trelease|1997|p=4–9}} One of the Wappinger bands, the [[Massaco]], lived near, but mostly west of, what became known as the [[Farmington River]], in the area that would become known as Simsbury and [[Canton, Connecticut|Canton]],<ref name="Massaco" />  the latter as of 1806.<ref name="canton">{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/cantonsesquicent00unse |title=Canton Sesquicentennial, 1806-1956; A Short Illustrated History of Canton |publisher=Canton Sesquicentennial Committee |year=1956}}</ref>

In 1633, [[Windsor, Connecticut|Windsor]] was the second town in Connecticut settled by Europeans and the first English settlement (the first European settlement being [[Fort Hoop|Huys de Goede Hoop]], established by the Dutch in the Hartford area as a frontier settlement for the [[New Netherland]] Colony ten years earlier). For some time, the area of Massaco was considered "an appendix to the towne of Windsor."{{sfn|Connecticut|1852| p=97}} Settlers in Windsor forested and farmed in the area, but did not settle in Massaco permanently for a number of years. In 1642, the General Court of the colony of Connecticut ordered that:{{sfn|Connecticut|1850| p=71}}
<blockquote>
the Governor and Mr. Heynes shall have liberty to dispose of the ground uppon that parte of Tunxis River cauled Mossocowe, to such inhabitants of Wyndsor as they shall see cause.
</blockquote> Despite this order, there is no record that any settlements immediately ensued. Five years later the General Court issued another order:{{sfn|Connecticut|1850| p=161}}
<blockquote>
The Court thinks fitt that Massacoe be purchased by the Country, and that ther be a Committee chosen to dispose of yt to such inhabitants of Wyndsor as by the shalbe judged meet to make improuement therof...
</blockquote>
but there is no record of land grants arising from this order.{{sfn|Phelps|1845|p=10}}

In 1643, John Griffin and Michael Humphrey started a [[tar]] and [[turpentine]] business in Windsor. A few years later, a Massaco Indian named Manahanoose started a fire which destroyed tar belonging to Griffin. The Court ordered the payment of "five hundred fathom of [[wampum]]" as compensation. As he was unable to pay this amount, Manahanoose was instead ordered by the Court to either serve Griffin or be exchanged for Black [[Slavery in the colonial history of the United States#17th century|slaves]]. To avoid this, he instead delivered a deed to the land at Massacoe. The deed was agreed to by Manahanoose as well as other Indians, identified as "the proprietors of Massaco".{{sfn|Trumbull|2009| p=342}} In 1653, the General Court granted {{convert|50|acre|m2}} of meadowland to Lieutenant Aaron Cook, {{convert|60|acre|m2}} to John Bissell and {{convert|50|acre|m2}} to Thomas Ford, all in Massacoe.{{sfn|Connecticut|1850| p=247}}

Settlers did not build permanent settlements until the following decade. Aaron Cook built one of the early homes in the area established {{circa}}1660 as [[Terry's Plain Historic District|Terry's Plain]], and John Griffin also built a home, possibly in 1664—the date associated with a deed to land in Massacoe.{{sfn|Phelps|1845|p=12}} The settlement of Massacoe continued in the late 1660s. The General Court awarded a land grant of two hundred acres to John Griffin in 1663. A deed description from 1664 indicates he had become a permanent inhabitant. In 1669, a survey found that there were thirteen permanent residents of Massacoe. One of those residents, John Case, was appointed to the position of constable.{{sfn|Connecticut|1852| p=118}} This is the first recorded civil office held by residents of the area.{{sfn|Trumbull|2009| p=342}}