Uncasville, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Uncasville is an area in the town
of Montville
, Connecticut
. The area traditionally known as Uncasville is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River
. The name is now applied more generally to all of the east end of Montville, which is the area served by the Uncasville ZIP code
, including the Mohegan
reservation in northeastern Montville that is the site of the Mohegan Sun
casino
resort and the Mohegan Sun Arena
.
Uncasville takes its name from Uncas
, the 17th-century Mohegan sachem
. Uncas established a fortified village for defense against the Pequot
, now known as Fort Shantok, on an elevated site next to the Thames River near what is now the Mohegan Sun resort. He later was to welcome English
colonial settlers to the Mohegan lands.
The village of Uncasville was the site of the first woolen mill in the United States, established by brothers John and Arthur Schofield. Their carding
and spinning
mill was located at the outlet of the Oxoboxo River.
In the 1950s the Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation established a large manufacturing facility in the Sandy Desert section in northeastern Montville where Olin, and later the United Nuclear Corporation, produced nuclear reactor fuel components. After United Nuclear ceased its operations in about 1990, the site was cleaned up and released for unrestricted use. After the U.S. Department of the Interior granted federal recognition to the Mohegan tribe and the U.S. Congress passed the Mohegan Nation (Connecticut) Land Claim Settlement Act in 1994, the United Nuclear site became Mohegan reservation lands
, transferred to the United States in trust, making the land available for Mohegan gaming operations
. The Mohegan Sun
casino opened there on October 12, 1996.
rivers. All of eastern Montville, located on the western shore of the Thames, is served by the Uncasville ZIP code, 06382, and therefore is known as Uncasville. The U.S. Census Bureau treats Uncasville village as part of the Oxoboxo River census-designated place. The Mohegan Sun resort is about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Uncasville village.
The Mohegan Sun
casino in Uncasville, established in 1996 by the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, is one of the largest casinos in the world, with over 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²). The associated resort complex now includes a luxury hotel, entertainment theater, and more than 20 restaurants and stores.
The Mohegan Sun Arena
, located in the complex, hosts concerts and live sporting events. It is the home of the Women's National Basketball Association
's Connecticut Sun
.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
of Montville
Montville, Connecticut
Montville is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,546 at the 2000 census and 19,571 at the 2010 census....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. The area traditionally known as Uncasville is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River
Oxoboxo River
Oxoboxo River is a census-designated place in the town of Montville in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,938 at the 2000 census and 3,165 at the 2010 census. The statistical area encompasses the town center of Montville, as well as the adjacent villages of...
. The name is now applied more generally to all of the east end of Montville, which is the area served by the Uncasville ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
, including the Mohegan
Mohegan
The Mohegan tribe is an Algonquian-speaking tribe that lives in the eastern upper Thames River valley of Connecticut. Mohegan translates to "People of the Wolf". At the time of European contact, the Mohegan and Pequot were one people, historically living in the lower Connecticut region...
reservation in northeastern Montville that is the site of the Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun, located in Uncasville, Connecticut, is the second largest casino in the United States with of gaming space. It is located on along the banks of the Thames River. It is at the heart of the scenic foothills of southeastern Connecticut, where 60 percent of the state's tourism is...
casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
resort and the Mohegan Sun Arena
Mohegan Sun Arena
The Mohegan Sun Arena is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Uncasville, Connecticut located inside Mohegan Sun. The arena facility features of configurable exhibition space and a clear span...
.
History
Uncas
Uncas was a sachem of the Mohegan who through his alliance with the English colonists in New England against other Indian tribes made the Mohegan the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut.-Early life and family:...
, the 17th-century Mohegan sachem
Sachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
. Uncas established a fortified village for defense against the Pequot
Pequot
Pequot people are a tribe of Native Americans who, in the 17th century, inhabited much of what is now Connecticut. They were of the Algonquian language family. The Pequot War and Mystic massacre reduced the Pequot's sociopolitical influence in southern New England...
, now known as Fort Shantok, on an elevated site next to the Thames River near what is now the Mohegan Sun resort. He later was to welcome English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
colonial settlers to the Mohegan lands.
The village of Uncasville was the site of the first woolen mill in the United States, established by brothers John and Arthur Schofield. Their carding
Carding
Carding is a mechanical process that breaks up locks and unorganised clumps of fibre and then aligns the individual fibres so that they are more or less parallel with each other. The word is derived from the Latin carduus meaning teasel, as dried vegetable teasels were first used to comb the raw wool...
and spinning
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
mill was located at the outlet of the Oxoboxo River.
In the 1950s the Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation established a large manufacturing facility in the Sandy Desert section in northeastern Montville where Olin, and later the United Nuclear Corporation, produced nuclear reactor fuel components. After United Nuclear ceased its operations in about 1990, the site was cleaned up and released for unrestricted use. After the U.S. Department of the Interior granted federal recognition to the Mohegan tribe and the U.S. Congress passed the Mohegan Nation (Connecticut) Land Claim Settlement Act in 1994, the United Nuclear site became Mohegan reservation lands
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
, transferred to the United States in trust, making the land available for Mohegan gaming operations
Native American gambling enterprises
Native American gaming enterprises are gaming businesses operated on Indian reservations or tribal land in the United States. Indian tribes have limited sovereignty over these businesses and therefore are granted the ability to establish gambling enterprises outside of direct state...
. The Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun, located in Uncasville, Connecticut, is the second largest casino in the United States with of gaming space. It is located on along the banks of the Thames River. It is at the heart of the scenic foothills of southeastern Connecticut, where 60 percent of the state's tourism is...
casino opened there on October 12, 1996.
Geography
Uncasville village is located in southeastern Montville near the confluence of the Oxoboxo and ThamesThames River (Connecticut)
The Thames River is a short river and tidal estuary in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It flows south for through eastern Connecticut from the junction of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers at Norwich, to New London and Groton, which flank its mouth at the Long Island Sound.Differing from its...
rivers. All of eastern Montville, located on the western shore of the Thames, is served by the Uncasville ZIP code, 06382, and therefore is known as Uncasville. The U.S. Census Bureau treats Uncasville village as part of the Oxoboxo River census-designated place. The Mohegan Sun resort is about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Uncasville village.
Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun, located in Uncasville, Connecticut, is the second largest casino in the United States with of gaming space. It is located on along the banks of the Thames River. It is at the heart of the scenic foothills of southeastern Connecticut, where 60 percent of the state's tourism is...
casino in Uncasville, established in 1996 by the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, is one of the largest casinos in the world, with over 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²). The associated resort complex now includes a luxury hotel, entertainment theater, and more than 20 restaurants and stores.
The Mohegan Sun Arena
Mohegan Sun Arena
The Mohegan Sun Arena is a 10,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Uncasville, Connecticut located inside Mohegan Sun. The arena facility features of configurable exhibition space and a clear span...
, located in the complex, hosts concerts and live sporting events. It is the home of the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
's Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
.