In Indian days the brook made its way through a marshy tract extending half a mile back to our present city boundary. Here the trail connected with a considerable village-site (19) which covered a space of several acres on the level land west of the lake. On this area, when the regrading of the present playing-field was undertaken in 1890, J.

B. James found many fire-pits, a number of native human interments, and several dog-burials. The name of this village is not recorded: it may have been Mosholu, by which name the surrounding locality has been known to recent times, but more probably was included in the title of the tract of Keskeskick, that formed the first sale by the local natives to the Dutch West India Company in 1639.

That sale was made by Taquemack, the local sachem, but was also agreed to by Reckgawack, indicating its connection with the INDIAN PATHS possessions of the chieftaincy of the Reckgawawanc. The trail passed to the south of this village-site along the low ridge, on which the Van Cortlandt mansion was later placed, crossed Broadway at 244th street, and turned north and extended parallel with Broadway.