from "Patience McGuire" (1788, 1789) How Clearfield Creek got its name
I asked Dad of a winter's evening, "What was it like when you first came here, before I was born?"
His eyes looked into the distance. "Best huntin' I've ever seen. Nothin' but woods up hill and down dale, just endless forest. Still completely wild, like since God created it. I guess the Indians liked huntin' so much, they left it wild to get better huntin'. They farmed too; bunch of them lived a ways downstream where they'd cleared out the land. That's why it's called Clearfield Creek. The Indians called it Moose Hawkianna. I couldn't sell them much from my huntin', though, since they hunted plenty too."
* * *
...So ever since then, I've stayed on the medicine way. Passing it along to you is part of that, because it grew from this land and needs to stay and work in this land."
That reminded me of something. "My Dad was here back when all the Indians were, and he says Clearfield Creek was called Moose Hawkianna."
She burst out laughing. "Somethin' like that, ja. In Lenape we call it Mush-haki-hane. That just means... well, 'clear field creek'. 'Cause they grew crops there and had to clear out a patch of woods. They were some of the first Lenape to leave the East and come live up here. About the time I was born."
"I thought it had something to do with moose and hawks, though."
"Well, there were plenty of those too, come to think of it. And somebody named Anna," she added, patting her chest. We laughed together.
His eyes looked into the distance. "Best huntin' I've ever seen. Nothin' but woods up hill and down dale, just endless forest. Still completely wild, like since God created it. I guess the Indians liked huntin' so much, they left it wild to get better huntin'. They farmed too; bunch of them lived a ways downstream where they'd cleared out the land. That's why it's called Clearfield Creek. The Indians called it Moose Hawkianna. I couldn't sell them much from my huntin', though, since they hunted plenty too."
* * *
...So ever since then, I've stayed on the medicine way. Passing it along to you is part of that, because it grew from this land and needs to stay and work in this land."
That reminded me of something. "My Dad was here back when all the Indians were, and he says Clearfield Creek was called Moose Hawkianna."
She burst out laughing. "Somethin' like that, ja. In Lenape we call it Mush-haki-hane. That just means... well, 'clear field creek'. 'Cause they grew crops there and had to clear out a patch of woods. They were some of the first Lenape to leave the East and come live up here. About the time I was born."
"I thought it had something to do with moose and hawks, though."
"Well, there were plenty of those too, come to think of it. And somebody named Anna," she added, patting her chest. We laughed together.