Natick, Massachusetts

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Natick, Massachusetts
Natick Common, Halloween 2004
Natick Common, Halloween 2004
Nickname: Home of Champions
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°17′00″N 71°21′00″W / 42.283333, -71.35
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Middlesex
Settled 1651
Incorporated 1781
Government
 - Type Representative town meeting
Area
 - Total 16.1 sq mi (41.6 km²)
 - Land 15.1 sq mi (39.1 km²)
 - Water 1.0 sq mi (2.5 km²)
Elevation 180 ft (55 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 32,170
 - Density 2,132.9/sq mi (823.5/km²)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 01760
Area code(s) 508 / 774
FIPS code 25-43895
GNIS feature ID 0619407
Website: www.natickma.gov

Natick (Pronunciation IPA: /ˈneɪtɪk/) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 32,170 at the 2000 census. Only 15 miles west of Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area. The center of population of Massachusetts in 2000 was located in Natick [1].

Contents

[edit] Origin of the name

The name Natick comes from the language of the Massachusett Native American tribe and means place of hills. The original settlement, on the southern side of Natick, is a hilly area. The southern side of town is known by residents (though not recognized by the Commonwealth) as "South Natick."

[edit] History

Natick was first settled in 1651 by John Eliot, a Puritan missionary born in Widford, Hertfordshire, England who received a commission and funds from England's Long Parliament to settle the Wampanoag Indians on both sides of the Charles river. They were called Praying Indians - Eliot was best known for attempting to preserve the culture (minus the religion) of the Native Americans by putting them in thirteen planned towns where they could continue by their own rule, with Natick as the political and spiritual center. Eliot and Praying Indian translators printed America's first written Bible in the Algonquian language. [1][citation needed]

The colonial government placed such settlements in a ring of villages around Boston as a defensive strategy. Natick was the first and best documented of such settlements. The land was granted by the General Court, part of the Dedham Grant.

A school was set up, a government established, and the Indians were encouraged to convert to Christianity. In November, during King Philip's War, the Natick Indians were sent to Deer Island. Many died of disease and cold, and the Indians who survived found their homes destroyed. The Indian village did not fully recover, and the land held in common by the Indian community was slowly sold off to white settlers to cover debts, and, by 1785, most of the Natick Indians had drifted away.

In 1775, both English and Praying Indian citizens of Natick participated in the Battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill, as well as serving in the Continental Army. The names of the Praying Indian soldiers from Natick are memorialized on a stone marker, along with all of Natick's Revolutionary War veterans, on stone markers in today's Natick Center.[2]

The town was officially incorporated in 1781. Henry Wilson, born in 1812 and eighteenth Vice President of the United States, lived most of his life in Natick as a shoemaker and schoolteacher, and is buried there. He is the namesake of one of Natick's middle schools.

Though Natick was primarily a farming town, the invention of the sewing machine in 1858 led to the growth of several shoe factories. The business flourished and peaked by 1880, when Natick, with twenty-three operating factories, was third in the nation in the quantity of shoes produced. The shoes made in Natick were primarily heavy work shoes with only one or two companies adding lighter dress shoes to their line. Natick was famous for its brogan, a heavy ankle-high boot worn by soldiers in the American Civil War. The wound core for a more resilient ball was developed by John W. Walcott and combined with the figure-eight stitching devised by Col. William A. Cutler. It was manufactured by the firm of H. Harwood & Sons in their factory built in 1858 - the first plant in the world for the manufacture of baseballs.

In 1874, a great fire in downtown Natick demolished 18 business blocks, two shoe factories, the Town Hall, Natick's only fire engine house and the Congregational Church, as well as many private homes. Though no lives were lost, the loss of property was greater in proportion to the town's wealth than the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In 1875, Natick's new Central Fire Station was completed on Summer Street and opened with grand ceremony on the same city block where the great fire was first discovered. The Central Fire Station is now the home of a private non-profit community performing arts center called The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN).

Natick is home of the 2005 Division 2 Super Bowl champion high school football team. The Natick Redmen finished the season 13-0 with a win over Foxboro High School, and finished the year ranked #2 in Massachusetts.

Natick has a long history of playing host to a portion of the Boston Marathon every Patriots Day. The Marathon route includes miles 8 to 12 and passes through the center of town along Route 135.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 16.0 square miles (41.6 km²), of which, 15.1 square miles (39.1 km²) of it is land and 1.0 square miles (2.5 km²) of it is water. The total area is 6.04% water, including bodies of water Lake Cochituate and Dug Pond.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 32,170 people, 13,080 households, and 8,528 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,132.9 people per square mile (823.7/km²). There were 13,368 housing units at an average density of 886.3/sq mi (342.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.02% White, 1.63% African American, 0.11% Native American, 3.86% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.97% of the population.

There were 13,080 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $69,755, and the median income for a family was $85,715. Males had a median income of $51,964 versus $41,060 for females. The per capita income for the town was $36,358. About 1.7% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Town[4]

Natick has representative town meeting form of government with a Board of Selectmen and a Town Administrator. The current members of the Board and the dates their terms end are:

  • John Ciccariello, Chairman, 2010;
  • Joshua Ostroff, Vice Chair, 2009;
  • Kristine Van Amsterdam, Clerk, 2010;
  • Carol A. Gloff, 2011; and
  • John J. Connolly, 2011.

The current Town Administrator is Martha L. White.

[edit] County

Mismanagement of Middlesex County's public hospital in the mid 1990s left the county on the brink of insolvency, and in 1997 the Massachusetts legislature stepped in by assuming all assets and obligations of the county. The government of Middlesex County was officially abolished on July 11, 1997. The sheriff and some other regional officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties within the county region, but there is no county council or commissioner. However, communities are now granted the right to form their own regional compacts for sharing services.

These are the remaining elected officers for Middlesex County:

  • Clerk of Courts: Michael A. Sullivan
  • County Treasurer: Position Eliminated
  • District Attorney: Gerard T. Leone, Jr.
  • Registrar of Deeds: Richard P. Howe, Jr. (North at Lowell), Eugene C. Brune (South at Cambridge)
  • Registrar of Probate: John R. Buonomo
  • County Sheriff: James DiPaola

[edit] Education

[edit] Public schools

The Natick Public School District operates the following schools:[5]

  • High school:
  • Middle schools:
    • Kennedy Middle School;
    • Wilson Middle School.
  • Elementary schools:
    • Bennett-Hemenway Elementary School;
    • Brown Elementary School;
    • Johnson Elementary School;
    • Lilja Elementary School;
    • Memorial Elementary School.

[edit] Notable residents

In alphabetical order:

  • Horatio Alger, Jr., minister, author of children's books with a rags to riches theme, settled in Natick in 1860 and built his family home in South Natick
  • Thomas S. Allen, American composer
  • James Bamford, author, journalist who writes about the world of United States intelligence agencies
  • Paul Dellegatto, chief meteorologist for WTVT-TV, the FOX owned and operated station in Tampa; graduated from Natick High School (1978)
  • Dave Epstein, Meteorologist WCVB-TV, Founder of Growing Wisdom an instructional gardening website free to the public [2]
  • William Finn, Tony-winning composer
  • Doug Flutie, NFL and CFL veteran who attended high school in Natick, before going to Boston College; retired from the New England Patriots after the 2005-06 season; resides in Natick, 50th Heisman Trophy winner
  • Alison Fraser, Broadway performer and two-time Tony Award nominee grew up in Natick; graduated from Natick High School (1973)
  • John Herring, Traffic reporter, SmartRoutes Traffic/WCVB/Westwood One, graduated from Natick High School (1984)
  • William Kerr (1836-1911) - Born in Ireland and educated in Natick and Boston Massachusetts, he moved to Key West Florida, in 1872, working as an architect, contractor, and builder. He built his Carpenter Gothic cottage at 410 Simonton Street, the Convent of Mary Immaculate in 1878, the Old Postoffice and Custom House, along with several other notable buildings in the town. His bust and a plaque are displayed in the old town's memorial cemetery.
  • Walter Kolosky, Noted music writer, author of Power, Passion and Beauty - The Story of The Legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra
  • Harold Kushner, rabbi and author of many books, especially known for When Bad Things Happen to Good People'.
  • Harvey Leonard, meteorologist for WCVB Channel 5
  • Meg Mallon, professional golfer on the LPGA Tour and twice winner of the U.S. Women's Open
  • Al Parker (né Andrew Okun), gay porn actor; graduated from Natick High School (1969)
  • Rob Patterson, former guitarist for Otep, touring guitarist for Korn
  • Jonathan Richman, proto-punk rock icon and founder of The Modern Lovers
  • Alexander Wheelock Thayer, United States consul at Trieste in 1859 and author of a biography of Ludwig van Beethoven published in 1866
  • Eric Van, statistician
  • Marc D. Cappello, New England Patriots Radio Producer
  • Waban, 17th Century tribal chief
  • Henry Wilson, the eighteenth Vice President of the United States, lived at 33 West Central Street and worked as a shoemaker at his shoe shop at 181 West Central Street.

[edit] Points of interest

Eliot Church in South Natick, Mass.
Eliot Church in South Natick, Mass.
  • The Bacon Free Library, which opened in 1881, is located at 58 Eliot Street. This building was a gift to the community under the will of Oliver Bacon who died in 1878. It has been operating as a public library ever since. The library overlooks the Charles River in South Natick.
  • The Natick Historical Society located in the lower level of the Bacon Free Library. Archives and exhibits on John Eliot and Praying Indians, natural history collections, life during colonial times, early republic and industrial revolution, memorabilia of famous Natick citizens.
  • Eliot Church, originally founded as a meetinghouse in 1651, is the fifth structure on the site. The present church dates from the 1830's. A sign erected in front of the church in 1930, on the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, reads,"INDIAN MEETINGHOUSE -- On this site John Eliot helped his Indian converts to build their first meetinghouse in 1651, with a 'prophet's chamber' where he lodged on his fortnightly visits to preach to them in their language. His disciple Daniel Takawambait succeeded to the pastoral office in 1698."
  • The U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center (SSC), a complex of military R&D facilities, produces military-use items such as field rations, personal protective field equipment, and specialized uniforms.
  • The Natick Collection, managed by General Growth Properties, Inc. of Chicago, is one of Boston's premier shopping centers and recently completed a major expansion. The newly renovated wing opened 9/7/07.
  • BJ's Wholesale Club Corporate Headquarters.
  • Cognex Corporation Corporate Headquarters.
  • The MathWorks Corporate Headquarters.
  • Boston Scientific Corporate Headquarters. This site used to be the HQ for mini-computer manufacturer Prime Computer, Inc. Before Prime, Carling ran a Black Label brewery there.
  • The Walnut Hill School is one of the nation's leading private secondary schools, offering particular emphasis in the studio and performing arts. Walnut Hill graduates more students to the Juilliard School than any other secondary school in the world.
  • The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), located in Natick's historic Central Fire Station, is a favored performance venue for musicians in jazz, folk, classical, and rock genres. TCAN also hosts theatrical productions by the TCAN Players and children's classes in theatre and dance.
Casey's Diner
Casey's Diner
  • Casey's Diner, constructed in 1922, is one of the oldest operating ten-stool diners in the United States. Casey's Diner is diminutive in size at only 10 feet by 20-1/2 feet, and was constructed by the Worcester Lunch Car Company in Worcester, Massachusetts. Famous for its steamed hot dogs, Casey's originated as a horse-drawn lunch wagon that was parked on Natick Common.
  • The Boden Lane Cemetery is a very small burial site established in 1815. Although the cemetery was established in that year, many of the gravestones are dated even earlier than this date, with some dating back to the Revolutionary War. The cemetery is located on Boden Lane, to the right of Beaver Dam, and directly across the street from the Chabad Center of Natick.
  • The Natick Community Organic Farm located in South Natick is a fully functioning farm open year round. It has three greenhouses, some large gardens, and a host of animals including three breeding pigs and two cows.
  • Henry Wilson Shoe Shop, 181 West Central Street, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Station Tree in Natick, Mass.
Station Tree in Natick, Mass.
  • The station tree is a 500-year-old black oak that the original surveyors used to mark the boundary between Natick and what was then part of Needham. That boundary is now the Natick-Weston town line on Winter Street, near the campus of The Rivers School. One other notable landmark tree -- the Eliot Oak next to the Eliot Church in South Natick -- was removed in 1936 after the installation of underground gas lines damaged the root system, ultimately killing it.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ John Eliot Bible, 1st Ed. 1663, From Natick Historical Society Collection
  2. ^ Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War
  3. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ Town of Natick - Board Of Selectmen/Town Administrator
  5. ^ Natick Public Schools

[edit] External links

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