The Alleged Massapequa Massacre: Facts vs. Fable 

(1653 - Present) ⚔️

A local legend holds that English Captain John Underhill led a massacre at Fort Massapeag in the 1650s on behalf of the Dutch.

• Questionable Evidence: While Captain Underhill did attack Native villages in the 1650s, scholars debate whether his documented 1653 attack at "Matsepe" referred to Massapequa or Maspeth (Queens).

• Archaeological Findings: Archaeologist Ralph Solecki challenges the massacre theory, noting the main source is an undocumented 1811 letter. Crucially, original archaeological examination of Indigenous skeletal remains found near Fort Neck in the 1930s showed no evidence of English weaponry or trauma consistent with a brutal massacre. This suggests the widely circulated story is likely folklore.