Natick, Massachusetts

The Town of Natick is a suburban industrial center with a small-town feel, located on the upper basin of the beautiful Charles and Concord Rivers. Natick is nestled in the hills, a short fifteen miles west of the metropolis of Boston. An extensive complex of lakes, ponds, and the rivers offer plentiful fishing and add to the natural beauty of Natick.

The town of Natick in the earliest Colonial days was a prime target for development, possessing rich soil made for agriculture, fish-filled watercourses, and churning rivers that promised power. Established in 1650 on the picturesque Charles River, Natick had the first (and the largest) Native American praying town in the colonies, one that became a model for all other attempts to inculcate European standards into Natives.

In Colonial days, Natick was an agricultural Community with flowering orchards and rich lumbering efforts. Grist and sawmills were established, and Native American ownership and control gave way to the immigrants' dominance between 1676 and 1776. Local tradition claims that several loads of Natick men shipped out to the California gold rush in 1849 and 1850, returning with enough capital to start independent businesses in the town. In those days, easterners traveled more than two thousand miles (by foot) for nearly a year's time just to reach the opposite shore of the U. S. in the west. Often, these emigrants walked barefoot on the trail, with little extra food and clothing. The fear of disease and thievery was constant, yet tens of thousands made the trek west. A thriving shoe industry dominated the Community of Natick by the early 19th century, with the first shoe sole manufacturer had established in 1827. Natick shoes were being shipped to the southern and western markets by 1830.

The town's products, including baseballs manufactured in Natick, were shipped to Boston on the Boston and Worcester Railroad. The town saw rapid growth including an Irish, English, Nova Scotian, Italian and Armenian immigrant population who came to take jobs in the shoe plants. By the 1880's, Natick was the third largest shoe production Community in the country. In modern times, Natick has become an industrial Boston-oriented suburban Community with heavy strip development on Route 9.

But there is much more than industry to Natick, including beautiful communities, a thriving recreational calendar, and attractively maintained parks, such as the beautiful Lake Cochituate, where you can enjoy boating and picnicking. Enjoy big-city dining in a hone-town setting at its finest in Vinny T's of Boston, or enjoy seafood in Minado Japnese Seafood Buffet or Skipjack's Seafood Emporium. Enjoy hometown flavor at Joan & Ed's Deli or Pearl Street Station. Agostino's, Barleycorn's, Kelly's Roast Beef, Stockyard Food & Spirits, and Woodman's of Essex all offer cuisine that could temp any palate. With a population of 32,170 and its close proximity to Boston, Natick offers the perfect suburbia feeling, with the nearby excitement of big-city living.

Take a stroll through the Natick Historical Society and Museum, established in 1870 to preserve the long and colorful history of Natick and its outlying areas. Here, you can enjoy the museum and library, chock-full of pleasures for the eye and mind, which includes exhibits of Native American artifacts. For even more history, visitors might enjoy the melancholy drama of the Boden Lane Cemetery, which dates back to 1815 and contains remains of people who fought in the Revolutionary War. The Natick Community Organic Farm is a more lighthearted outdoor attraction. Here, children will delight in seeing the farm animals while adults will appreciate gorgeous gardens and greenhouses.

Natick is a thriving Community financially, bringing lots of commerce (and fabulous shopping) to the city. The median income for households in Natick was more than $69,000 in 2000, with the average family earning more than $85,000. Where do those Natickians spend their dough? They're happy to shop at the Natick Mall, which draws frequent consumers from Boston and other cities. For culture, visit TCAN (The Center for Arts in Natick), or check out some of the talented students at Walnut Hill School, one of the nation's foremost private schools.