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Fay Mountain in Westborough has served as a landmark for travelers across the centuries.Using Fay Mountain as a landmark, Indians crisscrossed Westborough on well worn paths: the old Connecticut Path leading west from Massachusetts Bay; the Narragansett Trail leading south, and the trail (along the present Milk Street) leading to Canada. (Westborough Historical Society & Wikipedia)Before recorded time, the area now known as Westborough was a well traveled crossroads. As early as 7,000 B.C., prehistoric people in dugout canoes followed the Sudbury and Assabet Rivers to their headwaters in search of quartzite for tools and weapons. During the period from 1200-1600 A.D., seasonal migrations brought Nipmuc Indians to hunt and fish near Cedar Swamp and Lake Hoccomocco. (Westborough Historical Society & Wikipedia Westborough, MA)
Today, Westborough stands at the crossroads of the modern highways. The Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) provides the fast way east-west across the state with connection to Connecticut while I-495 connects the north shore with New Hampshire/Maine with the south shore with Cape Cod/Rhode Island. Travelers today driving on the Mass Turnpike cross the south side of Fay Mountain along a route parallel to the Old Connecticut Path.
FAY MOUNTAIN
At 709 feet above sea level, Fay Mountain hardly qualifies as a mountain. Its "mountain" designation comes from its prominence in relation to the surrounding area. The summit of Fay Mountain is now forested, but its elevation above the area was ideal for a forest fire observation tower and air radar defense installation during modern times. The native people followed trails across Fay Mountain along a chain of hills, the "high way", leading down to Connecticut.The view west from the meadow below the summit of Fay Mountain gives a hint of the distant hills. The summit would look out across the Assabet and Nashua River valleys to the north towards Mount Wachusett (22 miles away) and the more distant hills of southern New Hampshire. Views to the east across the Sudbury River valley and west to the Blackstone River valley offered the native Indians a high observation post overlooking a broad sweep of their territory.
Viewed from Chestnut Hill in Grafton located on the Old Connecticut Path, Fay Mountain is a prominent landmark 3 miles to the east.
Fay Mountain serves as one of the places in Westborough's history related to the Old Connecticut Path along with the Jack Straw Hill, the John Oldham monument and the Old Connecticut Path historic marker.
JACK STRAW HILL
Jack Straw Hill is located next to Fay Mountain on the east side. The hill named for Jack Straw is also near the intersection of the Narragansett Path to Rhode Island and Old Connecticut Path from the Mass Bay to Connecticut followed by the Indians.Jack Straw was a famous man, — the first Indian baptized in the English colonies, taken to England from Virginia, in '' Sir Walter Raleigh's service," proving himself a faithful friend of the white man, always ready to help him by strength or stratagem ; but after all, finding that his Indian nature was the strongest part of him, he returned to this country, according to Governor Winthrop, and "turned Indian again".Jack Straw played an early role in establishing relations between the English in Boston and the native Indians of the Connecticut valley. According to Governor John Winthrop, "Wahginnacut, a sagamore upon the River Quonehtacut which lies west of Naragancet, came to the governor at Boston, with John Sagamore, and Jack Straw, (an Indian, who had lived in England and had served Sir Walter Raleigh [?],and was now turned Indian again, and divers of their sannops, and brought a letter to the governor from Mr. Endecott to this effect: That the said Wahginnacut was very desirous to have some Englishmen to come plant in his country, and offered to find them com, and give them yearly eighty skins of beaver, and that the country was very fruitful, etc., and wished that there might be two men sent with him to see the country. The governor entertained them at dinner, but would send none with him. He discovered after, that the said sagamore is a very treacherous man, and at war with the Pekoath' (a far greater sagamore). His country is not above five days' journey from us by land." Gov. John Wintrhop's Journal, April 4, 1631
After the English settlers became somewhat established in the land, the Indians themselves were often called by English names. A few places still bear these adopted names of their Indian owners. The most interesting in Westborough is Jackstraw Hill. Westborough resident William T. Forbes exploration of the history of Jack Straw Hill was reported in the Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, April 1901: "In the southeasterly part of Westborough, in this Commonwealth, a hill has borne the name of Jack Straw for more than two hundred years. As a boy, the writer played in Jack Straw Brook, climbed Jack Straw Hill, and watched the cattle feeding in Jack Straw Pasture. A deed, dated 1723, granting eighty acres of land to Jonathan Forbes, an ancestor of the writer, described the premises as situated 'at Jack Straw's Hill.' Other ancient deeds of land in the vicinity refer to the south line of Marlborough as 'Jack Straw's old line.' Efforts to ascertain the origin of this name have led me back through registries of deeds in Worcester, Middlesex and Suffolk counties, in each of -which, successively, this hill was located. I find among the Massachusetts archives at the State House, proof that many years prior to the first white settlement in that vicinity. Jack Straw's Hill was a well-known landmark. In all early deeds, maps and grants of the General Court the name is written 'Jack Straw's Hill.' During the last half-century, in all printed documents and among the people of its vicinity, it has been known and is now called, " Jackstraw Hill."
The Jack Straw monument placed at the corner of Bowman Lane and Olde Coach Road stands near the hill and brook named for him. The inscription reads:
JACK STRAW
Atop a nearby hill in the early 17th century was the wigwam of Jack Straw, a friend of Sir Walter Raleigh. He accompanied him to England and remained for several years as his servant. Returning to the colonies, he was the first Christian Indian granted land. It was in the vicinity of the reservoir and schoolhouse no. 5 in the area which later became Westborough. Schoolhouse no. 5 was located about 700' east of this site.
Coversant in English, he served the colonists and the government as interpreter with the Indians. His name has endured in Jack Straw Brook, Jack Straw Pasture, Jack Straw Hill all to the northwest of this place.
Near this spot was also the Rev. Thomas Hooker Trail (Bay Path) which became part of the old Indian trail to the Quonektacut River now known as the Connecticut River.
John Oldham
In 1633 or 1634, John Oldham led a group of ten men (which included Captain Robert Seeley), along the Old Connecticut Path from Watertown, Massachusetts to establish Wethersfield, Connecticut, the first English settlement on the Connecticut River. (Wikipedia John Oldham colonist)John Oldham was the first recorded English explorer to follow the Old Connecticut Path through Westborough in 1633, and settlers in search of fertile farmlands followed not long after. By late 1675, a few families had settled near Lake Chauncy, in the "west borough" of Marlborough. (Westborough Historical Society & Wikipedia)The John Oldham monument stands facing West Main Street at the corner of Oldham Road. West Main Street became the main route for travel from Boston to Connecticut by the early 1700's.
OLD CONNECTICUT PATH
The Old Connecticut Path historic marker stands at the corner of Ruggles Street and Mount Pleasant Street in Westborough. The marker is located at the northern base of Fay Mountain and Jack Straw Hill. The inscription suggests that the Path headed southwest up hill to go over Fay Mountain. Examining this in the field and using historical descriptions raises some question as to the exact location of the Path crossing Fay Mountain from this direction.Levi Badger Chase described and mapped the the route of the Bay Path across Westborough in his book The Bay Path and Along the Way (1919) based upon the Harriet M. Forbes' local history The hundredth town. Glimpses of life in Westborough. 1717-1817 (1889).
The map drawn by LB Chase shows the route of the Bay/Old Connecticut Path crossing the southern part of Westborough along the area of Belknap Street, south of Fay Mountain and heading down the old Fay Mountain Road into Grafton. Translating the description by Chase to the early map of Westborough shows the route crossing near Jack Straw Hill and the south side of Fay Mountain.
Based on Chase' map and descriptions by Chase and Forbes, the Old Connecticut Path historic marker at Mt. Pleasant and Ruggles Streets may have been placed about 0.5 mile north of the route of the Bay/Old Connecticut Path. (see map left - Chase route purple)A more recent description of the route of the Old Connecticut Path found in On the Beaten Path: Westborough, MA (1984) by Christina Nilson Allen used a modern street-based interpretation of early descriptions and the historic markers. "The Old Connecticut Path entered Westbrough at Belknap Street, crossed over to Warren Street, went down Mount Pleasant, up Eli Whitney Street and out to a spring on West Main Street before continuing into Grafton." (see map left - route in blue)
Research and field exploration in Hopkinton MA directly east along the Old Connecticut Path suggested an alternative route leading to Whitehall Pond and the area of Bear Hill Cemetery. Harral Ayres in his book The Great Trail of New England (1940) identified the natural Whitehall Pond (not enlarged Whitehall Reservoir) as a site where the congregation of Rev. Thomas Hooker camped. Hopkinton history includes a description of the route from Hopkinton center to Whitehall Pond at the site of the Hopkinton Mineral Springs and early Indian campsite near Bear Hill cemetery. Additional information about the route through Hopkinton to Whitehall Pond can be found at 1.65 Quansigamog - Hopkinton, MA
Field exploration established possible route from the Hopkinton Mineral Springs/Bear Hill Cemetery area thought to be where the Hooker congregation camped to Fay Mountain in Westborough (green line). An old cart path running parallel to Hill Street in Hopkinton to Lackey Street in Westborough. This is shown on the USGS topographic map as a dashed line. The 0.6 mile walk uphill from the Hopkinton Mineral Springs/Bear Hill Cemetery area follows an easy grade on the old cart path that can be traveled in under 30 minutes. Based on the topography, the route uphill to Lyford Street would cross downhill to Bowman Road in the area of the I-90 crossing (0.9 miles). Construction of I-90 erased any earlier pathways. However, it is possible to continue west parallel to the Turnpike to Adams Street (1.5 miles) and the west to meet with the route of the Bay Path (purple line).
The route west from Fay Mountain to Grafton headed down hill along Nash Road (Westborough)/Fay Mountain Road (Grafton). The construction of Massachusetts Turnpike severed the connection leaving a deep cut blasted through the hill where the road crossed. It is possible to walk along a now abandoned portion of Fay Mountain Road that retains the feel of the ancient path. Conservation lands in Grafton and Upton help to preserve this piece of historic trail. For more information on visiting the old Faye Mountain Road, visit 1.75 Hassanamesit - Grafton, Massachusetts
VISITING THE OLD CONNECTICUT PATH IN WESTBOROUGH
1. Westborough offers some wonderful places to explore along the Old Connecticut Path. The driving tour from Hopkinton to Grafton (described below) links the historic places along the Path.
2. A Westborough treasure for those who wish to get out to walk in the area of the Path may be found along the "Charm Bracelet" trails maintained by the Westborough Community Land Trust (see below).
3. Finally, the Westborough Historical Society and the Westborough Public Library offer local history resources and programs for those who interested in the heritage of the town and its people.
DRIVING TOUR: HOPKINTON TO GRAFTON, MA
Old Connecticut Path: Hopkinton to Grafton - Massachusetts (posted December 15, 2013)
The 12 mile driving tour from Hopkinton MA travels through Westborough to reach Grafton Center. The driving tour route follows lightly traveled country roads passing places of significance in the history of the Old Connecticut Path and the towns. The overview map (left - click on to enlarge) shows the relationship of the Path (purple line) with the driving tours (red line). The route of the Old Connecticut Path was likely to have been more direct than the modern roads. Construction of Interstate highways (I-90, I-495) cut the route of the Path requiring a more round-about route. The Hopkinton to Grafton driving tour begins at the intersection of West Main Street and West Elm Street in Hopkinton MA. From I-495, take the exit 21 for West Main Street. The tour can be completed in under 1 hour with no stops. Take your time along the way to enjoy the scenery and historic sites. Turn-by-turn directions available for the Hopkinton to Grafton tour using the Mapkin app for iPhone available at https://mapkin.co/mapkins/preview/s/0v5bckaa16ex6b2o3nbdhjhyhca922a9
Westborough Charm Bracelet Trail System
The Westborough Charm Bracelet is a planned network of trails throughout the town of Westborough, Massachusetts. The network will consist of three major pieces:
A roughly 28-mile loop trail around the community to connect most of the major open space areas within the town
A network of side trails to interconnect every open space, recreation area, school, and neighborhood
A set of trails to link Westborough to all the surrounding communities
Work on the Charm Bracelet has been ongoing since the year 2000 through the efforts of the Westborough Community Land Trust and the Town of Westborough Open Space Preservation Committee .
The Old Connecticut Path, Bay Path and the driving tour routes are shown in relation to the conservation areas linked by Charm Bracelet trails. Maps are available for each area:Bowman Conservation Area (Sandra Pond)
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