Pynchons Exploiting the Lowlands

[tess marek]

John Pynchon, for example, was particularly sucussful
at exploiting the Indians' vulnerability to an alien
economy. "The Pynchon's rarely employed Indians in
their business, for they made poor workers, being
lazy, shiftless, and unreliable." But those
charateristics did not stop the Pynchon's from selling
the Indians more goods--including liquor--than the
Indians could pay for, and then demanding a mortgage
on Indian land. The Pynchons wanted fur as payments.
But with the beaver and other fur bearers declining
rapidly, making it impossible for the Indians to pay,
another commodity would do just as well: the mortgaged
holders forclosed and took over their debtors' lands.
John Pynchon forclosed a mortgage on a large tract of
Indian land at Westfield in 1666. 

This Fine Piece of Water, Tom Andersen, Fwrd By Robert
F. Kennedy Jr. Yale 2002

Of couse once they got the Land, they cut down all the
trees. The lands around Long Island Sound were once
forests. The trees went and the lines were cut in the
earth. And Pynchon was the man who cut the lines on
the Lowlands.  From Jones Beach on the Atlantic North,
passed the homes of the Long Island Pynchons, to the
Sound there runs a line of Indian land (now Parks)
where Pynchon line runs.  

BTW, I have a brother named Geronimo and a sister
named Teresa. Imagine the confusion in the house
because we called my brother Jerry and my sister
Terry. Very popular names as is Diaz. My brother was
born on the Feast Day of St. Jerome. I can still
remember how we used to yell "Geronimo" when we jumped
off an oyster boat into the LI Sound. We would steal
Lobsters and cook them on an open fire up at the
"Cliff houses" (that's what we called the Estates up
there. 

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