By Dakota Doyle
The town of Scarborough is a wondrous combination of areas with rich and luscious history from the town center of Oak Hill to the scenic beaches of Pine Point and the gorgeous coast of Prouts Neck. As Europeans slowly colonized North America in the 1600s, Scarborough’s location on the coast attracted many settlers. However, long before this land was known as “Scarborough,” it had another name.
The Sokokis Natives
Long before Europeans, the Sokokis used the expansive and vibrant life of the marshes to provide food such as fish, shellfish, and the wildlife that lives in the bright ecosystem. The resources from the marsh allowed the tribe to thrive. Evidence of this can be found in remaining shell heaps and uncovered fish weirs.
While the marsh provided food and resources, it also allowed the tribe to trade with the Europeans. Initially, there appeared to be some semblance of respect.
The first European settlers often traded with the Sokokis due to the settlers’ own personal goal of profiting off fish, which is what initially attracted them to Scarborough. At the time, fish was an extremely profitable commodity in Europe, and because it was an easily transportable resource when dried, Scarborough was the perfect location. The relationship between the Sokokis and Europeans allowed a level of mutual benefit: the Natives gained access to European resources and the Europeans settlers were able to profit off the land.
Owascoag––“Land of Much Grass”
With their intricate relationship to the marsh, the coast, and the land, Natives of what is now Scarborough called the land, “Owasoag.” That roughly translates to the saying, “Land of Much Grass.” This name shows the essentiality of the natural environment to those that had called Scarborough home for centuries.
The integral relationship they had with the land shines through the name they called it. Without the flourishing ecosystem, their lives wouldn’t have been plentiful.
“Scarborough”
Eventually, as European influence grew, the title of “Owascoag” was lost. The many neighborhoods we know today took root with European names: Black Point, Blue Point, Stratton Island. Eventually they were incorporated into one town and named “Scarborough,” perhaps as an ode to the home of its early settlers – Scarborough, England. (There, the name combines the Norse words “skarth” meaning rock or cliff and “borough,” meaning fort or town. “Scarborough” essentially means “fort on the cliff” or “town on the rocky headland.” Both towns feature a prominent headland, as shows above.)
Today
As time passed, Europeans continued to rely on the coast, marsh, and land, much like the Sokokis. The name “Land of Much Grass” is true today even as a developed suburban town. Scarborough is inherently tied to its land, and its history represents this deeply intertwined relationship.
Dakota Doyle is a Scarborough High School student with an interest in both English and history; both of which she hopes to study in college.
