The Montaket Nation

In 18 79, the east hampton trustees filed a petition to partition montaket land. A judge approved the sale of the land that totalled about ten thousand acres. Developer arthur benson bought it for a hundred and 51 thousand dollars. Benson wanted to work with railroad developer austin corbin to extend an existing railroad line to montak point. The nation still had a lease dating back to 17 o three, giving the montakets the rights to live, hunt and fish on the land in perpetuity. So benson and corbin brought in the easthampton town assessor, nathaniel dominie, to try to coerce the montakET off the land