The 1704 raid on Deerfield, Massachusetts, was first captured on film in the Edison Company’s movie, “Ononko’s Vow,” filmed in Deerfield in 1910. In reality, French soldiers from Canada with their Indigenous allies attacked the town and marched more than 100 captives to Canada. John Sheldon’s home became known soon after the raid as the “Indian House” because attackers hacked a hole in his front door. In this scene, the “Indians” have forced their way into the “Old Indian House.” The film told a fictional story of the vow of an Indigenous sachem (leader), Ononko, whose father saved one of the Deerfield settlers during King Philip’s War (1675-76) and vowed to protect the family forever. A generation later, Ononko follows through on his father’s pledge and rescues a prisoner taken during the 1704 raid.
Herbert S. Streeter, photographer. Massacre Interior of Old Indian House, during Sack of Deerfield, Feb. 29, 1704. Photograph. 1910. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1997-08-01-0127/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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