Maspeth, What's in a Name
Maspeth is one of the few town in the area know by many names, which at
times has created some confusion. In the book Indian Places Names
on Long Island by William Tooker. "Variations are Maspatchis Kil
,1642; Mespachtes Kil,1646; Mespacht, 1654; Mespaat, 1656; Mespath 1661.
English form Maspeth and Mashpath occur in 1703.
He goes onto say that "The name may have been applied to the resident
of the swamp and his family, but the word bears great remblance to 'Mecht-Pe-Es-It'
meaning 'at the bottom of the bad water place' which would apply to the
locality, a low swampy region."
This by no means, is the definitive history of the name Maspeth, that history
has and never will be written, until we can travel through time. So if you
see a couple of more names of Maspeth on this website or anywhere else do
not be surprised.
Here are a couple more: Metsepe, Mespat and a Dutch variation Maestealches
Killetze, also called english Kill , Newton Creek. The word Kill, Kil and
Killetze are derived from Dutch and mean creek.
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