Quinsigamond was initially a Nipmuc indigenous village in Massachusetts, that eventually became the colonial settlement and modern-day city of Worcester.
In the Native American Algonquian language, Quinsigamond is loosely translated as "the pickerel (or long nose) fishing place."
[1] American Nipmuc Indians named the body of water between Worcester and Shrewsbury, "Quinsigamond", the largest lake in the East.
Areas that the Nipmucs are known to have roamed between include the contemporary Worcester County, Springfield, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
[4] This territory encompassed the central trail to all areas of the northeast called the "Great Path" or the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.
The Nipmucs or "western" band of Indians were known as the "fresh water fishing" tribe or "people from the small pond", since they inhabited inland areas of New England.
They migrated on a seasonal basis, engaging in hunting, fishing, and cultivating corn, beans, and squash; these were considered to be the "three sisters" of essential sources of sustenance by their people.
In 1684, the English settlers of Quinsigamond Village changed their community name to "Worcester", to honor the King of England's defeat during the Civil War.
He also owned much of the lake real estate and boasted to friends that the park was drenched in "fifty thousand electric lights."
It has also continued to proudly bear the iconic original name of "Quinsigamond”, representing the rich cultural history of the indigenous people of the region.