Natick¹

 

(nā'tĭk) , town (1990 pop. 30,510), Middlesex co., E Mass., a residential and industrial suburb of Boston, on Lake Cochituate; founded as a Native American village by John Eliot 1651, settled by colonial Americans 1718, inc. 1781. Natick is a major retailing center. Manufactures include electronic components, computer software, medical equipment, clocks, and machine parts. There is also an U.S. army research facility.

Natick, Massachusetts
Nickname: Home of Champions
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
- Town	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2000)
- Town
- Density	/sq mi (/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: http://www.natickma.org/

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].

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 called "South Natick", but is not a separate civic entity.

Natick is affectionately known by its residents as the Home of Champions, recalling the performance of the town's firefighting team at the 1891 National Hook and Ladder competition.

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 planned towns where they could continue by their own rule. ^{[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. 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 recover, and the land held in common by the Indian community was slowly sold off to white settlers to cover debts, and, by 1725, 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.

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 The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), a community performing arts venue.

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.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 41.6 km² (16.0 mi²). 39.1 km² (15.1 mi²) of it is land and 2.5 km² (1.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 6.04% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 32,170 people, 13,080 households, and 8,528 families residing in the town. The population density was 823.7/km² (2,132.9/mi²). There were 13,368 housing units at an average density of 342.3/km² (886.3/mi²). 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.

Government

Town^[1]

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:

• Carol A. Gloff, Chairman, 2008;
• Charles M. Hughes, Vice Chair, 2008;
• Joshua Ostroff, Clerk. 2009;
• John Ciccariello, 2010; and
• Kristine Van Amsterdam. 2010.

The current Town Administrator is Martha L. White.

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: ?
• County Sheriff: James DiPaola

Education

Public schools

The Natick Public School District operates the following schools:^[2]

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

Mentions in popular culture

In the Family Guy episode Da Boom, Peter and his family travel to Natick in search of a Twinkie factory after an apocalyptic Y2K incident. The Hostess factory referenced in the episode likely refers to Natick's famous Wonder Bread factory, which has been torn down and replaced by an extension of(Chicago-based) General Growth's Natick Collection (Framingham Retail).

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
• Catie Curtis, American singer-songwriter
• 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)
• Susan Still-Kilrain, graduate of Walnut Hill School in Natick, is a former NASA astronaut and pilot of space shuttle Columbia flights STS-83 and STS-94
• 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 PeopleIn controversial case in wich people said he raped over 5,000 kids,he is a filthy jew
• Abraham Lincoln,the 16th president of the United States
• Dan LaCouture, professional hockey player, current New Jersey Devil, former Boston Bruin
• Meg Mallon, professional golfer on the LPGA Tour and twice winner of the U.S. Women's Open
• Jim Nollman, author, composer, music producer
• Jackson Lenhart, Founder of the O.N.W.S. (Organization of Norwegian White Supremisists).
• Olukayode Walter Oluwole,1 of the two co founders of LANCOR technologies,creater of Konyin multilingual keyboards
• Al Parker (né Andrew Okun), gay porn actor; graduated from Natick High School (1969)
• Rob Patterson, former guitarist for Otep, touring guitarist for Korn
• Robert J. Pushaw, James Wilson Professor of Law
• Rene Rancourt, singer of the national anthem at Boston Bruins home games for the last 30 years
• Jonathan Richman, proto-punk rock icon and founder of The Modern Lovers
• Harold Shapero, American composer
• Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, married Natick native, Calvin Stowe, where she lived for a period of time
• 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
• Waban, 17th Century tribal chief
• Henry Wilson, the eighteenth Vice President of the United States, worked in Natick (as a cobbler)

Points of interest

• 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.
• 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.
• Dug Pond is a small body of water used mainly for recreation.
• 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.
• 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.

See also

• Greater Boston
• MetroWest
• Representative town meeting

References

External links

• Natick Photos
• Natick official website
• Natick Retail
• Bacon Free Library
• Natick Historical Society
• Brief history of Natick
• The Center for Arts in Natick
• Natick's Strategic Planning Initiative
• History of Chief Waban & His Conversion & Relocation to Natick
• Clarks Block Downtown, What if?

Coordinates: 42.28333° N 71.36667° W

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