17th-Century Natick

**“I Heard That Word…” A Closer Look at Indigenous Experiences in Early Newton and Natick**
This online resource tells about the experiences of some Native people who chose to convert to Puritanism and live in mission settlements between 1646 and 1660. The locations of two of those settlements are now parts of Newton and Natick. This resource is informed by the writings of John Eliot and other English missionaries, the testimonies of the Massachusett and Nipmuc people who lived during this time, the work of contemporary historians, and the published words of Indigenous people today who have ancestral ties to this history.
For a printable PDF of this text, click **HERE**.

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Natick's Beginnings: Woodland cultures, John Eliot and the "Praying Indians"

Indigenous peoples thrived along the Quinobequin/Charles River for thousands of years before the arrival of European colonists. In 1651, Rev. John Eliot settled Natick as the first “Praying Town” in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Natick was incorporated as a town in 1781.

The Algonquian and English Roots of Natick

Natick and other "Praying Indian Towns" were founded by Rev. John Eliot, a Puritan missionary who preached for more than 20 years to the Algonquians of the Nipmuc, Massachusett, and Wampanoag tribes.

Politics in Early Natick: Mosaic Law

Indigenous converts in seventeenth-century Natick adapted Mosaic Law to preserve some political power under English colonial rule.

Takawampbait - Natick's Second Minister

Rev. Daniel Takawampbait (c1654-1716) was a central figure in the religious life of Natick, leading the Christian fellowship and the Natick church in the years after the death of John Eliot.

John Sassamon

John Sassamon was a highly educated Massachusett man, a schoolmaster and talented linguist, a Christian, and a founding resident of the “Praying Town” at Natick.

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John Eliot in American Literature

Nathaniel Hawthorne mentioned Rev. John Eliot in three of his novels, including The Scarlet Letter.

The Eliot Church

The current Eliot Church in South Natick is the fifth house of worship to stand on that spot since 1651.

Natick in King Philip's War

What was life like for Natick residents during King Philip’s War? The following essay was developed from a talk given by Gail Coughlin.