Shamokin (village)

Shamokin or Otzinachson
Schahamokink
Historic Native American village
Etymology: Unami: Shahë-Mokink "place of crawfish"[1] or Iroquoian languages: Otzinachson "The Demon's Den"[2]
Former location of Shamokin, present-day site of Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Former location of Shamokin, present-day site of Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Shamokin is located in Pennsylvania
Shamokin
Shamokin
Former location of Shamokin in Pennsylvania
Shamokin is located in the United States
Shamokin
Shamokin
Shamokin (the United States)
Coordinates: 40°51′50″N 76°47′21″W / 40.86389°N 76.78917°W / 40.86389; -76.78917
StatePennsylvania
Present-day CommunitySunbury, Pennsylvania
Foundedbefore 1711
AbandonedMay, 1756
Population
 • Estimate 
(1745)
300−400

Shamokin (/ʃəˈmkɪn/; Saponi Algonquian Schahamokink: "place of crawfish") (Lenape: Shahëmokink[1]) was a multi-ethnic Native American trading village on the Susquehanna River, located partially within the limits of the modern cities of Sunbury and Shamokin Dam, Pennsylvania. It should not be confused with present-day Shamokin, Pennsylvania, located to the east. The village was the focus of missionary efforts, and then was the staging area for raids on English settlements in Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War. It was burned and abandoned by the Lenape in May, 1756. A few months later, Fort Augusta was constructed on the site of the village.

  1. ^ a b The Lenape Talking Dictionary
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Memorials was invoked but never defined (see the help page).