Lenape in Monmouth County

Ben Ruset

Administrator
Site Administrator
Oct 12, 2004
7,616
1,863
Monmouth County
www.benruset.com
I know it might be a bit of an oddball question to ask on a Pine Barrens forum such as this, but does anybody have any suggestions as to where I could find some information about what the Lenape were doing in Monmouth County, and preferably Monmouth County, in the 17th and 19th centuries?

I haven't dug out my copy of Salter's History yet, but maybe someone can point me in the right direction.
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
Also, Monmouth County has a historical association and their parks system is one of the best around, having held classes on the Lenape culture in the past.
 

Trailwalker

Scout
Sep 5, 2023
42
31
(ex-piney) in Florida
I know it might be a bit of an oddball question to ask on a Pine Barrens forum such as this, but does anybody have any suggestions as to where I could find some information about what the Lenape were doing in Monmouth County, and preferably Monmouth County, in the 17th and 19th centuries?

I haven't dug out my copy of Salter's History yet, but maybe someone can point me in the right direction.
Dig into this a little and see if you can find the story of "Indian Will" https://kepwel.com/about-us/
 

M1 Abrams

Explorer
May 4, 2023
163
333
66
Burlington County
I don't know how believable the stories are about the man, but I wouldn't want to cross him, lest he give me "the finger." By the reports, though, it seems as if he was more dangerous to his own people than the newcomers. I'm sorry not to have more information on him other than from the Salter book.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Trailwalker

Trailwalker

Scout
Sep 5, 2023
42
31
(ex-piney) in Florida
I don't know how believable the stories are about the man, but I wouldn't want to cross him, lest he give me "the finger." By the reports, though, it seems as if he was more dangerous to his own people than the newcomers. I'm sorry not to have more information on him other than from the Salter book.
I think that Ben would appreciate what you found now that he's living up there now. Maybe an excursion to the area described in Salter's narrative is in order?
 
  • Like
Reactions: M1 Abrams

M1 Abrams

Explorer
May 4, 2023
163
333
66
Burlington County
Ben would probably like that if he remembers not to go picking any beans. Also, in case anybody slings an overripe hunk of muskrat roadkill on the table and offers some to him, the best response is to politely say that you would normally dig in happily, but you have given up muskrat for Lent.

How many people is Indian Will supposed to have killed? There are seven in his family alone -- wife, two sons, four brothers-in-law. Then there are how ever many tribe members that got sent to kill him and failed. Did the citizenry just shrug their collective shoulders and say that what happens in the tribe stays in the tribe? As long as it was "native on native" crime, it was all good? How much of his story was real and how much was a shaggy muskrat story? (Now the part about him killing with his finger I can believe -- I remember Randall Flagg doing the same thing in "The Stand." :))
 
Top