[2] The name Natick comes from the language of the Massachusett Native American tribe[3] and is commonly thought to mean "Place of Hills.

[5] Natick was settled in 1651 by John Eliot, a Puritan missionary born in Widford, England, who received a commission and funds from England's Long Parliament to settle the Massachusett Indians called Praying Indians on both sides of the Charles River, on land deeded from the settlement at Dedham.

While the towns were largely self-governing under Indian leaders, such as Waban and Cutshamekin, the praying Indians were subject to rules governing conformity to Puritan culture (in practice Natick, like the other praying towns, combined both indigenous and Puritan culture and practices).

Chastened in the wake of the Mystic Massacre which occurred during the Pequot War, sincere efforts at evangelizing began.

After King Philip's War, Elliot's and a few other missionaries' opposition to the executions and enslavement of Indians were eventually silenced by death threats.

[9] In 1775, both European and Indian citizens of Natick participated in the battles of Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill, as well as serving in the Continental Army.

[12] Though Natick was primarily a farming town, the invention of the sewing machine in 1858 led to the growth of several shoe factories.

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 baseball was developed by John W. Walcott and combined with the figure-eight stitching devised by Colonel William A. Cutler.

[14] Miles 8 through 12 of the Boston Marathon run through Natick on Patriots' Day every year along Route 135/Central St., and thousands of residents and visitors line the road to watch.

South Natick, known for its scenic nature, is where the Native American settlers first arrived and began the town on the shores of the Charles River.

Housing developers like Martin Cerel lived in South Natick, and thus refrained from building major tract neighborhoods in this part of town.

It is the only community in Natick that can be separately addressed officially via the US Postal Office,[18] and street signage such as a sign along Route 16 coming from Wellesley communicates arrival in "So.

Notable landmarks include Jennings Pond, the Industrial Park on Oak St North, and the Lilja School.

Longfellow Health Club, which features a gym, pool, and tennis courts, is in East Natick off Oak St. in the Industrial Park.

The stretch of Route 9 in East Natick as one heads into Wellesley contains a multitude of ever-changing retail businesses.

The area in West Natick, along Route 135 is the most densely populated section of town, with its thousands of condominiums and apartments clustered across the street from the train station.

One of the earliest post World War II developments in West Natick, the homes are colonial in style, with street names reminiscent of the Robin Hood legend.

The homes were built in 1948 and the neighborhood remains popular due to the fact that there's no through traffic, and most of the houses have been enlarged with additions.

South of Route 9, this section began as a summer vacation area, with tiny cottages surrounding Jennings Pond.

On the westerly side of South Oak is a neighborhood of Cape style houses with streets named after World War II Generals.

Little South nomenclature extends to the east portions of Everett Street, down to Eliot St. Homes along Cottage St. were primarily built in the early 1950s and are mostly modest and well-maintained.

The best-known landmarks in Little South are a WWII monument dedicated to the fallen soldiers from Natick, and The Tobin School, a private daycare and elementary school that has two large buildings off of Cottage St. Everett St. has larger farm homes situated on generous lots.

Natick is surrounded, on three sides, by five of the eleven most affluent towns in Massachusetts[22] with Wayland to the north, Weston to the northeast, Wellesley to the east, Dover to the southeast, and Sherborn to the southwest.

[24] The members of the Board and the dates their terms end are (as of March 2023): The town is part of the Massachusetts Senate's Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex district.

Natick Center station, in the downtown area, is served by the MBTA Commuter Rail Framingham/Worcester Line.

The novel is based on her husband's childhood in Natick,[36] and it accurately details town landmarks, ministers, and inhabitants despite renaming the location to Oldtown.