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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Odd Fellow Building – 1887
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 […]
Harwood Baseballs
These Harwood baseballs and their original packaging tell an unexpected story about Natick’s place in the history of America’s national pastime. Beginning in 1858, H. Harwood & Sons manufactured baseballs here at a time when the sport itself was still developing into the organized game we recognize today. What began as a local manufacturing enterprise […]
The Clark Block
In the center of Natick is this prominent commercial building labeled the Clark Block, 1874. Like many buildings constructed during that period, it reflects the growth of Natick as a busy manufacturing and commercial town in the later nineteenth century. During this time Natick was becoming well known for its boot and shoe industry, which helped transform what had once […]
