Pegan Hill
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Pegan Hill
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| location | Massachusetts , United States | |
| surface | 12.9 ha | |
| WDPA ID | 55554146 | |
| Geographical location | 42 ° 15 ′ N , 71 ° 18 ′ W | |
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| Setup date | 1956 | |
| administration | The Trustees of Reservations | |
Pegan Hill is the name of a 32 acres (12.9 hectare) nature reserve around the 397 ft (121 m ) high elevation of the same name in the urban areas of Dover and Natick in the state of Massachusetts in the United States . It is managed by The Trustees of Reservations organization.
history
In the middle of the 17th century, Pegan Hill marked the southern end of Natick, which was founded in 1651 at the urging of the missionary John Eliot as a so-called “ praying town ” for the Pegan Indians . The hill was named after them. From 1646 until his death 44 years later, Eliot led a mission whose declared aim was to found prayer cities for Indians who, on the basis of the teachings of Eliot, had decided to live in fortified settlements instead of their previous nomadic existence , in where they could learn more about Christianity . Since he was already able to achieve short-term successes, Eliot saw it as realistic to gradually integrate all Native Americans religiously, socially and politically into colonial society. By the end of his life he had founded a total of six other "prayer cities" in Massachusetts and Connecticut .
The flat plains around Pegan Hill were used as cultivation areas for apple trees and various types of vegetables, as well as for livestock. The stone walls that still surround the hill today are relics from that time. The hill was probably burned to gain more space. After the King Philip's War (1675–76), many of the surviving Indians moved to Natick to live under Eliot's protection. With his death in 1690, their standard of living sank rapidly as they were not accepted by the broader society and found no trading partners.
The reserve was established in 1956 as a result of a donation from the original owners to the trustees. Further parcels could be added in 1957 and 1968.
Protected area
The hill is the highest point in Natick and, geologically speaking, an Ice Age drumlin . It is overgrown with pine , oak , maple, and birch and is accessible via a 1 mi (1.6 km) hiking trail. In the southeast the Great Blue Hill can be seen in good weather .
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Property History. The Trustees of Reservations , accessed April 27, 2014 .
- ^ About Pegan Hill. The Trustees of Reservations , accessed April 27, 2014 .
Web links
- Pegan Hill in the United States Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System
- Pegan Hill on TripAdvisor
