An independent nonprofit 501c3 history center.
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A Brief History of Andover
A Brief History of Andover
Cochichiwicke:
Before European Settlement
The area we know as Andover was settled as early as 7,000 BC. Approximately 100,000 people lived in the area when European settlers arrived in the 1600s. The people living in the valley were likely part of the Pennacook Confederacy who spoke the Algonquin language.
This part of the Merrimack Valley was known as “Cochichiwicke” by the local population. The people lived in seasonal camps, planted corn, tobacco, and other crops, and fished for salmon and alewives in area rivers.
Shortly after the first Europeans settled in eastern Massachusetts, diseases which the native people had no resistance to had reduced the native population from 100,000 to only 5,000.
Follow this link to the University of Massachusetts resource list on the Indigenous history of New England.
Reference: Juliet Haines Mofford, Andover Massachusetts: Historical Selections from Four Centuries
Diorama image courtesy of Peabody Museum of Archaeology, Phillips Academy
Diorama image courtesy of Peabody Museum of Archaeology, Phillips Academy
Preserving the pastEducating for the future
Connecting with our community
Preserving the past
Educating for the future
Connecting with our community
Andover Center for History & Culture
97 Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
978-475-2236
Andover Center for History & Culture
97 Main Street
Andover, MA 01810
978-475-2236
The History Center is funded by individual, foundation, and corporate donations and receives no Town of Andover funding.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
The History Center is funded by individual, foundation, and corporate donations and receives no Town of Andover funding.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
Show your commitment to Andover's history by donating today.
