Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry provides more photos, history and genealogy about the two federally recognized Wampanoag Tribes. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.

Today I continue to look at some of the history of the Wampanoag Tribes of Mashpee and Gay Head (Aquinnah) with some AI enhanced photo features gathered from newspaper clips and archives.

The Wampanoag, the “People of the First Light,” are comprised of two federally recognized tribes: the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe located in Mashpee, Massachusetts; and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) located on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Their people have inhabited this land for 12,000 years.

I came across the diaries of Nina Louise Winn (1877-1958) of Arlington, Massachusetts. The Arlington Historical Society has transcribed them.

The Winn family had a summer home in Mashpee, Massachusetts. I suspect her father’s love of hunting, fishing, and gaming was one of the reasons it drew him to bring the family there.

Captain Solomon Attaquin (1810-1895), son of Ezra Attaquin and Sarah “Sally” (Jones) Attaquin, was a leading figure in Mashpee history who owned an iconic town landmark called Hotel Attaquin, a favorite pleasure and hunting resort frequented by President Cleveland, Gov. Russell, Charles Jefferson, R. W. Gilder, and many other dignitaries. There was an official Daniel Webster room on site.

I found this collage of images of the Hotel Attaquin and surrounding area, from 1904, revealing the famous frequenters.

Nina’s diary has Attaquin, Oakley, Sturgis, and Jones families.

Susanna Adams Winn, Nina’s aunt, is referenced in a New York Herald feature article entitled, “Happy Indian Hunting Grounds… A Visit to Sandwich and Mashpee, Where Grover Cleveland and Joseph Jefferson Go Pleasuring,” published in 1890. I plan to cover the full story, as it is an informative and colorful narrative on Mashpee people and their history, in a future article.

Here is the passage from the New York Herald article that Susanna (“Susie”) is mentioned in:

This passage reports:

You will get a good idea of Uncle “Sol” [Solomon Attaquin] from a portrait – the only one he ever allowed anyone to paint – by Miss Susie A. Winn, of Arlington, Mass. Aunt “Cynthy” [Solomon’s wife Cynthia (Conet) Attaquin] you must, alas, imagine. Picture her as pleasant and kindly. Touch lightly on her furrows. Let the warmth of a soft heart glow through the seams and wrinkles. For there breathes no truer or tenderer woman in Mashpee than Cynthia.

Uncle “Sol” was one of the first people Mr. Cleveland visited here.

“A most intelligent man” was the ex-President’s estimate of Mr. Attaquin. And Mr. Attaquin was quite as flattering to Mr. Cleveland.

The article included this sketch of Solomon Attaquin.

Below is a photo of Cynthia (Conet) Attaquin, daughter of John N. Conant/Conet and Phebe (Lindsley) Conant/Conet, both members of the Herring Pond Wampanoag community.

Another photo shows cousins Hannah Conet (left) and Cynthia (Conet) Attaquin, c. 1840.

Solomon’s sister Betsey Jones Attaquin (1821-1898) married George Thomas Oakley/Ockree, who is mentioned in Nina’s diary.

Nina wrote that she “picked Mr. Oakley’s mayflowers,” and one evening played cribbage with him.

On 9 May 1914 she wrote: “Grandpa Oakley was very sick at this time.”

Below is a photo of George Thomas Oakley at the age of about 93. According to sources he was a Connecticut Indian adopted by the Mashpee.

Five days later she recorded his death, 14 May 1914:

Grampa Oakley died today at half past five. It won’t seem like Mashpee without him. Mrs. Sturgis and I had breakfast together and then she went over to Grandpa’s awhile… At Grandpa’s about 5 & then downtown & when I came back he had gone – very easily & peacefully & conscious nearly to the last. Reading in eve. & nearly ready for bed at 9:30 when Bessie came over to see if I wouldn’t come there as it was lightning in the west. Went of course. Irving [Oakley] over to telephone & it was 11 when we went to bed. Edna’s girls there.

A later entry:

Grandpa Oakley buried today. Poured [rain] part of AM. Up at 7:30 & over to house to build fires – get breakfast – etc. Cleaned up a lot – swept & wiped up floors of upstairs room, living & dining. Late dinner – wash & into good clothes and over to Oakley’s with Bessie at 1:45. A nice service – not very long – all over at 2:30. Choir sang “Nearer, My God, To Thee” – Grandpa looked very nice – calm and peaceful – Buried in the Attaquin [family] lot.

Nina’s passages contain visits with young George L. Oakley and Irving Westley Coombs Oakley, who married Christine N. Bearse, daughter of Olive Gould (Peels) Bearse and Civil War soldier Nathaniel D. S. Bearse, a direct descendant of Mayflower passengers Stephen Hopkins, Thomas Rogers, John Howland, and Elizabeth Tilley.

Here is a photo of Irving when a grown man.

Below is Irving’s obituary. He died on 14 November 1934.

On 26 April 1914, Nina wrote:

Young George Oakley in to bring me some wood and stayed all the morning and I asked him and Mattie to dinner – Steak, asparagus, date pudding, etc. Over to see Mrs. Sturgis and Bessie.

On 16 June 1914, Nina wrote:

Naps in P.M. & Mrs. Sturgis came over to see us. Also, Irving Oakley Jr. brought up ice cream, so we all feasted. Back with Mrs. S. for beans.

Mrs. Sturgis is Solomon’s sister Rhoda (Attaquin) Sturgis (1831-1927), wife of William Russell Sturgis (1824-1898), son of John Sturgis Jr. and Roanny (Thaire) Sturgis.

To be continued…

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Note on the header image: Ousamequin, or “Massasoit” (Wampanoag term for “Great Sachem”) and Governor John Carver smoking a ceremonial pipe at Plymouth Colony in 1621. Credit: Sutro Library; Wikimedia Commons.

Related Articles:

• Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 1)
• Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 2)
• Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 3)
• Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 4)
• Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 5)
• Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 6)
• Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 7)
• Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 9)
• Mayflower Descendants & the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (part 12)
• 1928 Great Wampanoag Powwow (part 1)
• 1928 Great Wampanoag Powwow (part 2)
• Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in the Crocker Ledger Book (part 1)
• Photos from the Past: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
• Photos from the Past: Wampanoag Tribes of Mashpee and Gay Head (Aquinnah) (part 1)
• Photos from the Past: Wampanoag Tribes of Mashpee and Gay Head (Aquinnah) (part 2)
• Photos from the Past: Wampanoag Tribes of Mashpee and Gay Head (Aquinnah) (part 3)