USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Natick > History of the town of Natick, Mass., from the days of the apostolic Eliot, MDCL, to the present time, MDCCCXXX > Part 2
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
The central burying ground was appropriated to this purpose, A. D. 1805. Previous to this, a few bodies were interred near Rev Mr Moore's dwelling house. These were afterwards removed to the new ground. Among these was Mrs Keziah Perry, on whose monu- mental stone we read that 'she was the first grain sown in this ground.' Here is one tomb, as yet empty, and 44 grave stones. Ages over 60 years
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The western grave yard, granted A. D. 1815, con- tains 18 stones with inscriptions. Over 60 years.
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INHABITANTS .- The number of inhabitants, accord- ing to the census of 1820, was 849. Most of these are industrious, frugal, temperate, and consequently thriving farmers. There is a due proportion of the most impor- tant mechanics, of a similar character ; such as carpen- ters, masons, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, pumpmakers, &c,
Many of the farmers are beginning to practice accor- ding to the advice of Virgil, who wrote some eighteen centuries ago ; though scarcely one of them has ever perused the Georgics ;
" Laudato ingenția rura ;
Exiguum colito :"
Praise great farms ; cultivate a small one. Or, if the reader prefer a quaint translation in verse, after the
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
manner of Poor' Richard, in the Way to Wealth, let him accept the following :
Large farms may claim admiration ; .
Small ones pay for cultivation.
In their intercourse with each other, or with stran- gers, they exhibit as much urbanity, generally speaking, as is consistent with pure republicanism.
SCHOOLS, &c .- In furnishing the means of education, this town has kept pace with most of the New England villages. It has been, for many years, divided into five school districts, and five hundred dollars a year, grant- ed for the support of free schools. Female teachers are employed in the summer season, and male instructors in the winter. Those, who take charge of the schools, are generally competent to the task ; and the rising genera- tion is well instructed in the most necessary and useful branches of education. Private teachers are occasion- ally employed ; and some are sent to schools and acad- emies in other towns. A Sunday school has been kept for several years, in the central meeting house, in the warm season of the year; and another, in the South meeting house, ever since its dedication.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS, &c .- There are two houses for public worship, and five schoolhouses, for the accommo- dation of free schools.
Eliot gives the following account of the building of the first meeting house in Natick .- " We must of neces- sity have a house to lodge and meet in, and wherein to lay our provisions and clothes, which cannot be in wig- wams. I set the Indians, therefore, to fell and square
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
timber ; and when it was ready, I went, and many of them with, me, and on their shoulders carried all the tim- ber together."
Gookin thus describes this house .- " There is one large house built after the English manner. The lower room is a large hall, which serves for a meeting-house on the Lord's-day, and a school-house on the week-days. There is a large canopy of mats raised upon poles for Mr. Eliot and his company ; and other sort of canopies for themselves and other hearers to sit under, the men and women being placed apart. The upper room is a kind of wardrobe, where the Indians hang up their skins and other things of value. In a corner of this room Mr Eliot has an apartment partitioned off, with a bed and bedstead in it." I have not been able to ascertain how long this house stood.
The second, it appears by the Proprietors' book, was finished about the year 1721, at the commencement of Mr Peabody's labours among this people. It remained during the whole of his ministry, and until the second year of Mr Badger's. 1
The third was begun in 1754; but was not finished till 1767. It was occupied through the whole of Mr Badger's ministry, which closed in 1799 ; stood several years after, and with careful attention would have last- ed to this day. But when Mr B's labours in it ceased, it was abandoned to the pelting of the pitiless storms and more pitiless school boys, and soon became as great an eyesore to the inhabitants in its immediate neighbor- hood, as it ever had been to those at a distance from it ; and on a day of general election, a number of rude fel- lows of the baser sort, to complete their frolick, demol- ished it ; and the materials, which had composed it, be-
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
came free plunder to any, who chose to convey them away.
The fourth is the present central meeting house, on Pegan plain, which was raised on the 6th of June 1799, and completed in the course of a few months. Previous to the erection of this house, namely, in 1797, a number of families in the south part, by permission of the gene- ral court, had signed off to the religious societies in Do- ver, Needham, or Sherburne. The Society worshipping here receives the income from a fund, raised by the sale of the ministerial lot, which was granted by the Indians to Mr. Peabody and his successors.
In the beginning of 1828, a number of people, be- longing to the religious societies in Natick, Needham, Dover and Sherburne agreed to build a meeting house by subscription, on the site, where those of Eliot, Pea- body and Badger had stood. They were incorporated by the name of the South Congregational Society in Natick. The act of incorporation passed the Senate and House of Representatives, Feb. 28, and was appro- ved by the Governor, March 1, 1828. Their meeting- house was raised in the beginning of June, and dedica- ted to the worship of GOD, on the 20th of November in the same year.
At the dedication of this house, the following services were performed, interspersed with music. Introductory prayer, by Rev Mr Wight of East Sudbury-Reading portions of Scripture, Rev Mr White, Dedham-Dedi- catory Prayer, Rev Mr Sanger, Dover-Sermon, Rev Dr Lowell, Boston-Concluding prayer, Rev Dr Saun. ders, Medfield .- The Sermon was printed.
There are three commodious tavern houses ; one on each of the principal roads, where travellers may gen-
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
erally find convenient accommodations ; and four stores for the retailing of foreign and domestic goods.
Most of the dwelling houses are neat and comfortable ; many of them painted white, and some of them large and handsome.“
CIVIL HISTORY .- In writing the early history of this town, the same difficulty occurs, which is so gen- erally complained of by those, who make similar at- tempts ; namely, an almost total want of ancient records. In searching among the archives of the town, I find a few loose leaves of a book, smoked and mutilated, which contain an account of a few transactions in Na- tick. One in Eliot's hand writing is dated 1650 ; the rest from 1700 to 1734-5. The chirographical part is well executed; the language used is sometimes Indi- an, sometimes English, and sometimes a mixture of the two; and the signature subjoined to most of them, ex- cepting that of the earliest date, is ' Thomas Waban, Town Clerk.'
The township of Natick was granted to the Indian con- verts, at the request of their ' Apostle Eliot,' by the in- habitants of Dedham, under the sanction of the General Court. The Indians gave to the Dedham people the township of Deerfield in exchange. The original grant contained about six thousand acres. Since that time it has experienced several additions and subtractions, in arriving at its present size snd form. To ascertain pre- cisely those alterations, would probably be as unprofita- ble, as it would be difficult.
From the page above mentioned, dated 1650, which I shall copy in what I consider its proper order, I am led to the belief, that Eliot ' gathered the Indians to- gether from their scattered kind of life into civil soci- ety,' in that year ; though the town was not laid out
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
till the year following. I shall therefore give under this date, their form of civil government, from Gookin's Historical Account of Indians, written in 1674; then subjoin some extracts from the loose leaves above men- tioned, together with such facts, as may be gathered from other sources down to the commencement of Mr Peabody's ministry.
When the Indians applied to Mr Eliot for a form of civil government, he referred them to the advice, which Jethro gave to Moses :- ' Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.'
In compliance with this counsel, about one hundred of them held an assembly, and chose one ruler of the one hundred, two rulers of fifty, and ten rulers of ten. After the rulers of ten were chosen, they placed them- selves in order, and every individual ranged himself un- der the one whom he chose.
When this was settled, they entered into the follow- ing covenant :- ' We give ourselves and our . children unto God to be his people. He shall rule us in all our affairs ; not only in our religion and the affairs of the church, but also in all our works and affairs in this world. God shall rule over us. The Lord is our judge ; the Lord is our Lawgiver; the Lord is our King ; he will save us. The wisdom which God has taught us in his book, that shall guide us and direct us in the way. O, Jehovah, teach us wisdom to find out thy wisdom in thy scriptures.'
' Let the grace of Christ help us, because Christ is the wisdom of God. Send thy spirit into our hearts,
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and let it teach us. Lord, take us to be thy people, and let us take thee to be our God.'
How long this form of government continued does not appear from any documents, which I have seen. As early as 1716, we find that they chose select men and other town officers, similar to those which are now cho- sen in the towns of Massachusetts .- Here follows a copy of the page above alluded to, now in possession of the Town Clerk of Natick ; and in Eliot's hand writing. " 1650 .- When they had thus cast themselves into this forme of Government, as it is written : then they Con- sidered how to order the Town of Natick ; and because all those Lands, or a great part at least, which belong to Natick, were the inheritance of John Speene and his brethren and kindred, therefore we thought it right that he and all his kindred should solemnly give up their right therein before the Lord, and give the same unto the publick interest, right and possession of the Towne of Naticke. They were all very willing so to do ; and therefore on a lecture day, publickly and solemnly be- fore the Lord and all the people, John Speen and all his kindred, friends and posterity gave away all their Right and interest, which they formerly had in the Land, in and about Natick, unto the public interest of the towne of Naticke, that so the praying Indians might then make a towne ; and they received nothing to themselves, saving interest in their wyers, which they had before put ; for Lands they would only take up lots, as others did, by the publick order and agreement of the towne, and at the same time they received a gratuity unto their good Contentment."
Under the foregoing, on the same page, there appears to be a similar quit claim from another family, which is
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
not entirely legible. Then follows the subjoined list of names as witnesses.
John Eliot Awonomog
Awasamog
Waban
Jethro
Ephraim
Tataswony
Sosunnow
Nohkow
Piambohoo
Monequasn*
Pohkino*
Johquonum
Nawanont
Qunpe*
Josias
Quanupionit Monat*
The names with this mark * are partly torn off at the end .- Quere. Is it not probable, that at the time of their baptism, or on some other occasion, the Indians sometimes had a Christian name prefixed to their In- dian one ; as Thomas Waban, Daniel Takawombpait ; and sometimes that they dropt their Indian name en- tirely, and assumed two Christian names ; as, Joseph Ephraim, John Thomas ?
The wyers abovementioned, or as Walker gives us leave to spell the word, wears, weirs, or wiers, were stone walls, built from each side of the river down . stream, till they nearly met each other at an angle of forty five degrees. At this point a large cage was pla- ced, formed of twigs fastened to hoops by strips of young elm, or other tough bark. The wall conducted the fish, that were passing down the river, into this cage, which was called an eel pot, where they were taken in great abundance. Four of these walls were remaining, not many years since, between the confluence of Sawin's brook with Charles river, and Loring's bridge ; but they are now removed. There is one, in a good state of preservation, about a mile from Biglow's mills, in an easterly direction, which is visible, when Newel's mill pond is low ; and another about as far below Newel's
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mills. In both these places the river is now the bounda- ry line between Needham and Dover.
When Eliot had made considerable progress in his work, Major General Gookin of Cambridge, was ap- pointed superintendant of all the Indians, who had sub- jected themselves to the provincial government. He accompanied Mr. Eliot in his missionary tours. While one preached the Gospel, the other administered civil af- fairs among them. In 1675, when Philip's war broke out, the English inhabitants generally were jealous of the praying Indians, and would have destroyed them, had not General Gookin and Mr Eliot stepped forth in their defence. Gookin died in 1687, an old man, whose days were filled with usefulness ..
1651. This year the town was laid out. It is thus described by Gookin in 1674 .- It consists of three long streets, two on the north side of the river and one on the south, with house lots to every family. There is a handsome large fort, of a round figure, palisaded with trees ; and a foot bridge over the river, in form of an arch, the foundation secured with stone.
Though the town was thus laid out with regularity, it did not probably long continue in that form. Part of the tribe are said to have resided about Farm pond in Sherburne; others about Long pond in Natick and Bul- lard's pond, now in Needham, where indeed traces of their habitations are still visible.
The trench of the circular fort, mentioned above, could be readily traced in its whole extent, when the ground was broken, preparatory to the erection of the last mect- ing house, which was built in 1828. The oldest man in town, Mr. Samuel Perry, aged 90, remembers to have stepped across the ditch, when a boy, to enter the sec- ond meeting house erected here. 4
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
Extracts from the detached manuscripts, in posses- sion of the Town Clerk of Natick.
1704 .- Natick the 22th. of June 1704 .- Jonathan Coolidge of Newtown Turns a bay mare in to Natick of three year old brand with Newtown brand.
Mr John Gondray of Watertown hath Turn a mare of tark bay branded with W. on her neer shouldor and bromised to pay one bushill for old mare and other is a Coold.
John Trobridge of New Town a mare and two Coulds a wall Eyed bromised to pay two Bushill of In- dian Corne.
1713 .- You you March ut Natick 9th 1713 noh Sol- odmons Tho. Waban sen and noh Sam Abraham and noh Wamsquon-neit Tho. Peegan Osquab Grant Jury men-Sam. Tom Constable and Sam Sokkor macho -- by Thomas Waban, Town Clerk.
1715 .- The Town Acts of Natick in the 18th Aprill 1715 .- You you matta wonk Howan vemmark kooh mokbuky vn: wattuhkonnaut wutch you : oh quombot oh noit Howan washont: Chokowo nec wuttissoon : makkow mohtukquash: vnnee wattuhkonaut noh pish oattohwaw : twenty Shillings : watcho pasuk mohtuck -you unni nashpee Tho Waban: Town Clerk you ut Qut quok you : vnnoomattooonk- Wassittukog you
kottummoook Samuel Abraham
Josiah Speen & John : wamsquon senr
At a Generall 'Town meeting Natick upon 18th day Aprill 1715th .- Then we are all agreed and mad law amongs us our Selves that non of us shall seel any Tim- bor not to ye English if any of us do seal any Timber he shall forvit twenty Shillings to the Town use and
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payd to the Town next meeting after as attesd by me Thomas Waban Town Clerk.
Natick September 24, 1715 .- At a meeting of Pro- prietors of Natick orderly warned, &c. Voted
1. That the Lands of Magunkook be sold to the Trustees of Mr Hopkin's Legacy.
2. That Capt. Thom. Waban, Sam. Abraham, Solo- mon Thomas, Abraham Speen, Thomas Pegan, Isaac Nehemiah and Benjamin Tray be a Committee or Agents for the Proprietors of Natick, and be and are ful- ly Impowered to Act in behalf of the said Proprietors ; to Agree with Captain Sewall, Mr John Leverett, Ma- jor Fitch and Mr Daniel Oliver for ye Sale of the Lands of Magunkook, and to do all things requisite in the Law for ye effectual investing the Said Lands in ye Trustees of Mr Hopkins's Legacy.
1716 .- Natick 12th of March 1716. Neemunnoo Waban & Solomon Thomas & Samuell Apraim yeuk Selectmen, qutosquah Joseph Tapamaso & Joseph Ephraim youk Jureemen qut Thomas Peegun & Isaac Speen yeuk Constableooog: neit wonk osquah Sam. Ompeetawim & Josiah Speen yeuk neese servair nanauwantamwog Ilygh ways you ut Natick.
1719 .- Natick March 16th 1719. The Town offe- sers ye year insuing. There was chosen Thos. Wa- bạn senr. Samuell Abraham : Joseph Ephraim to be the Selectmen, of ye town-& John Pehtimee junior & Thomas Sootick to be Constables &-Simon Ephraim Isaac Monequsim : A Hogs Constabls-Benj. Tray : James Wiser survairs for Hiy ways,
1720 .- The Town of Natick had agreed with Josi- ah Shonks to Imply him of the preaching at Natick of 6th months & begain at sd work 19th of December 1720 and we ougth to payd five pound at the end of the
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6th months and the Mony should be delivered before the Honorable Captain Sewall Esqr. in Boston.
1721 .- Natick September ye 13th 1721-At a meet- ing of the Proprietors Lawfully warned for that purpose. then was Granted unto Moses Smith of Needham and to his hairs forever 40 acres of land lying on the south westerly side of Peegan Hill for finishing the Meeting house if the Honoured Generall Court shall Pleas to Confirm the same and the Town hath this day Chosen Major Fullam and Liet. Thomas Sawen as our Comme- tee to see that the work be well done and we pray that the Honoured Court would pleas to accept them as such-and we have this day also Chosen Josiah Speen Solomon Thomas and Samuell Ompetawin our Com- meety to acquaint Major Fullam with the same for appribation.
1733-4 .- March 11th are the first names of Eng- lishmen, which I find on the list of the town officers, viz. Thomas Ellis, one of the tythingmen, and John Sawin, one of the constables. The rest Indians.
1734-5 .- March the 10th. This year I find the following list, composed of both nations. The Indians will be distinguished by the Italick character .- Thom- as Peegun Moderator. [Coll. Fullam present.] Se- lectmen, Deacon Joseph Ephraim, Thomas Peagun, Josiah Spean .-- Town Clerk, David Morse .-- Consta- bles, John Looker, Jeremiah Comecho .- Town Treasu- rer, David Morse .- Assessors, Ebenezer Felch, David Morse, Thomas Peagun .-- Surveyors of high ways, Thomas Ellis, Nathaniel Coochuck .-- Haywards, Jona- than Carver, William Thomas .-- Fence viewers, John Sawin, Eleazer Annepogeni, Hezekiah Broad, Nathan- iel Coochuck .--- Sexton, Thomas Peagun .--- Surveyor of Hemp and Flax, David Morse.
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I am not able to ascertain how long the two nations continued to divide the labours, honours and emolu- ments of office between them. No Indian is recorded, as having sustained any office after the township was incorporated, as a parish ; but many are mentioned in the Proprietors' Book, as committee men for laying out and disposing of the common and undivided lands.
There is in possession of the Town Clerk a book of about 170 pages, in a pretty good state of preservation, with the following indorsement on the first page.
'Natick Proprietors Third Book of records bought per their Order.
By Wm. Rider June Anno 1722. Allowed and Ac- cepted of pr. Fra Fullam Justice of Peace.'
The following is the first record in this book.
' 1719 .--- At a Generall Town Meeting of the Propri- etors, Freeholders & Inhabitants of ye Town of Natick Orderly Warned and Mett together On Monday ye 4th Day, of May 1719.
In Order to the better Stating, Distinguishing, Knowing and Setling the Proprietors & Proprietee to, the Lands in Natick, &c.
Francis Fullam, Esqr. Present at sd Meeting.
Voted Unanimously at ye above said Meeting That
Abraham Speen Simon Ephraim
James Speen Benjamin Tray
Moses Speen
Samuel Bowman
Josiah Speen
Saml. Wills Right
Isaac Speen Saml. Umpatawin
John Speen Hannah Tabomsug
Isaac Muniquasin
Solomon Thomas
John Wansamug's heirs
Israel Pomhamun
Capt. Thomas Waban
Samuel Abraham
Thomas Pegan
Thomas Nehemiah
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Shall be henceforward Allowed Held Reputed & Distin- guished to be the Only & true Proprietors of Natick .- An abstract Taken Out of the Second Book of Records For the Town of Natick-In the keeping of the Hon- ble Francis Fullam Esqr. Examd. and Attested per Wm. Rider Proprietors' Clerk for Natick.'
The probability is that the Proprietors' first and se- cond books are irrecoverably lost.
William Rider belonged to Sherburne, and was con- tinued Proprietors' Clerk and Surveyor till 1741 .- Ebenezer Felch of Natick was chosen Proprietors' Clerk and surveyor in his stead. He remained in of- fice till 1760.
John Jones, Esqr. succeeded him for a short period. He lived on the farm now belonging to Mr Loring. It is situated on a promontory in the north part of Dover, and is washed on the east and west sides and the north end by Charles river. He belonged to Mr Badger's church ; was one of his Deacons ; a Colonel in the mil- itia; one of his Majesty's Justices of the peace before the revolution, and one under the State government af- ter it ; and a celebrated land surveyor. He died Feb. 2d. 1802, aged 84.
Elijah Goodenow was the last Proprietors' Clerk. He was remarkable for retaining his faculties, both bod- ily and mental, to a good old age. When he was from sixty to seventy years old, he used to sing the Counter of Billings's music, in a very appropriate style. He died at the age of 94.
Francis Fullam, Esq. belonged to Weston, and was Superintendant over the Indians till 1741.
The Proprietors' book is chiefly filled with grants to individuals of common lands, and plans of the lots thus granted. A few of the votes there recorded are sub- joined.
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
1722-3-A proprietors' meeting was warned to be held, March 22d. among other articles, 'To grant and Legally Confirm Unto the Reverend Mr Oliver Peabo- dy their present minister Such quantity of Lands as May Suitably Incourage His Settlement So as to Live and Dye their Gospel Minister.' At this meeting ' William Rider of Sherborn was chosen Clerk for sd. Proprietors ; also Capt. Thomas Waban, Joseph Ephraim, Samuel Abram, Solomon Thomas & Benja- min Tray were unanimously Chosen a Committee to pass Deeds of Conveyance to the Reverend Mr Oliver Peabody of all Such Lands and Common rights as the Great & Generall Court Have Granted for his En- couragement to Settle in the Work of the Gospel Min- istry in Natick aforesaid .- Also it was freely voted & Granted by the said proprietors, that the Reverend Mr Oliver Peabody aforesaid his heirs and Assigns for Ev- er Shall have and Enjoy an Interest in the Common and undivided Lands in Natick afore sd. according to the proportion of a Sixty Acre Lott Provided it exceed not a fiftieth part of the said plantation of Natick.
Allowed of by Francis Fullam Justice of Peace.'
1723-4 .- March 2d. 'Revd. Mr Peabody had lib- erty to take up one acre of land for conveniency of mills, where Lieut. Sawin's new mill stands by Charles Riv- er in Natick as part of his common right in the future division (which being accounted better as the proprie- tors think) Mr Peabody shall count it as six acres on- ward of his right in the next division of the commons.'
Lots of land were granted to Mr Peabody, till the above votes were carried fully into effect. The whole amounted to two hundred and eleven acres.
1728,-June 24th. 'Voted that the Revd. Mr Pea- body during his continuance in the work of the minis-
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HISTORY OF NATICK.
try in Natick have the sole use and improvement of the ministerial Lott.'
'November 25th. At a meeting of proprietors Voted, that Mr John Goodenow shall have liberty to take up the quantity of two acres, and 44 rods by stone fort.' This fort stood on the high ground, at a small distance from the house where Mr John Jennings now lives, in a southerly direction. There are no traces of it now remaining.
"Voted, that there be a contribution for ye Revd Mr Peabody, the last Sabbath in every month. Lieut Wamsquon to hold the box."
1731-2,-Ebenezer Felch receipts for six pounds, for keeping school in Natick.
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