The river’s name is from the Algonquin language, and has been spelled various ways. Hoosic is the usual spelling for the river itself. It probably means “beyond place” and refers to Mahican hunting grounds “beyond the Hudson”. The valley and mountains to the east are spelled Hoosac. In New York state the word is Hoosick, as in Hoosick Falls. One chapter of Trout Unlimited uses an antique spelling, Hoosuck.

Many archaeological sites for the valley have been listed, dating to Colonial times and earlier. The segment between North Pownal and Hoosick Falls contains 10 known prehistoric sites. The Native American site at Schaghticoke is over 8,000 years old. River Bend Farm in Williamstown is said to have been an Amerindian camping place where travelers and hunters enjoyed the nearby mineral springs.

Read more about Hoosic Valley history in The Hoosac Valley, Its Legends and Its History, by Grace Greylock Niles, 1912.