Natick: The First Praying Indian Town
In 1651, missionary Rev. John Eliot established Natick as the first of the “Praying Indian” towns in Massachusetts. He named the town after the Natick American word Natick, translated as a place of hills or a place of searching. He worked closely with local Massachusett and Nipmic people, teaching them Christianity in their native tongue and translating the Bible into Algonquian, launching America’s first Bible printed in an Indigenous language
On this site, in South Natick, the first Indian meetinghouse was built. It served not only as a church but also as a public town meeting house for the Indigenous community living here
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The Harwood Baseball Factory
In 1858, Harrison Harwood, a Natick resident and local businessman, built what would become one of the most historically significant small factories in American sports: The Harwood Baseball Factory. This factory was more than a local industry, but the birthplace of professional baseball. Harwood’s factory was the first in the US devoted entirely to the manufacture of […]
Hunnewell Playground
On my walks along Pleasant Street in South Natick, there is a large granite stone carved with these simple, bold words: “Hunnewell Playground – 1902” This stone holds a story of public generosity in Natick. The name Hunnewell carries deep roots in this region. The Hunnewell family, whose estate spread across Wellesley and into parts […]
Odd Fellow Building – 1887 – Natick
In downtown Natick, there is this brick building marked “Odd Fellow Building – 1887”. This building was purposely built as the home of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, one of the most influential fraternal organizations in 19th century America. Completed in 1887, the building was designed from the outset to serve two […]
