Template:Wp-Cohasset, Massachusetts-History

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Cohasset was inhabited for thousands of years by Native Americans prior to European colonization, from whom English colonists would adapt the town's name.

The area is first mentioned by Europeans in 1614, when Captain John Smith explored the coast of New England and described an encounter of his ship with four Native Americans in a canoe at Quonahasit, two of whom were shot by the Europeans. In 1634, "Conihosset" is listed as a "noted habitation" in New England in a list of both indigenous and colonial settlements, though the area was first settled by English settlers in 1670 suggesting this was a settlement of Massachusett people. The town's name came from the Massachusett word "Conahasset," possibly meaning "long rocky place" or "fishing promontory."

Much of the land was originally granted without consultation of its indigenous inhabitants to the "Conahasset Partners." At a special town meeting of January 1670, the shares in the new town were apportioned and divided among the new proprietors, many of whom were large Hingham landowners. The largest number of shares (35) went to Hingham Town Clerk Daniel Cushing, with the second largest (25) to Reverend Peter Hobart, Hingham's minister. Others receiving large grants were: Capt. Joshua Hobart, Peter Hobart's brother (18 shares); Lieut. John Smith (15 shares); Ensign John Thaxter (16½ shares); and deacon John Leavitt (with 14½ shares). The layout of the town was distinctive. Many lots were laid out in long narrow strips, facilitating more lots with road frontage, and avoiding back lots.

Cohasset became a town separate from Hingham in 1770, 100 years later. Previously, what is today the town of Cohasset was known as Hingham's Second Parish.

Cohasset was originally part of Suffolk County, and when the southern part of the county was set off as Norfolk County in 1793, it included the towns of Cohasset, Hingham and Hull. In 1803, Hull and Hingham opted out of Norfolk County and became part of Plymouth County, leaving Cohasset as an exclave of Norfolk County.

File:Discovery of cohasset.jpg A historic marker on the European discovery of Cohasset

File:Cushing-Nichols House Cohasset Massachusetts.jpg Cushing–Nichols House, Cohasset

First Parish Meeting House, a Unitarian Universalist congregation originally built .[1]