Special to Natick Report by Jennifer Tys Richards, Research and Archives Manager, Natick Historical Society
Want to learn more? Watch “Along the Indifferent Road” and learn more about Washington’s travel through Natick, Sherborn, and Holliston.
On November 3, 1789, George Washington, the newly-elected and first President of the United States, traveled right through what is now South Natick. He was accompanied by a team of four horses, two advisors (Tobias Lear and William Jackson), a baggage wagon and driver, six servants, at least two of whom were enslaved, and his white charger, Prescott. A celebrated Revolutionary War hero, President Washington and all Americans faced an uncertain future. After all, it had only been five months since the Constitution’s ratification, and many considered the document controversial. As he prepared to lead the new nation, Washington set out on a sixty-town tour of New England. Perhaps a few fortunate Natick residents gained a glimpse of their new President as he passed through.
In October 1789, Washington left the temporary capital, then New York City, and traveled through Connecticut and Massachusetts to New Hampshire. Rhode Island had yet to ratify the Constitution, so it was not included on this tour. During the one-month journey, Washington stayed in local taverns, visited farms and businesses, and observed the Sabbath by attending churches of different denominations. In his diary, Washington noted his sometimes critical views of the local room, board, food, and general travel conditions. But these discomforts did not deter him from his goal of getting to know the people and terrain of New England.
Natick was not part of Washington’s route at first, but a snowstorm in Albany forced a change of plans, and the entourage traveled through Natick, Sherborn, and Holliston. Because of the last-minute change, none of the towns had time to prepare festivities or ceremonial parades.
So what did Washington see that early fall morning as he rode into Natick unexpectedly and unannounced? The entourage entered Natick through Needham (now Wellesley). There would have been a crisp chill in the air; winter was approaching. His first impression of Natick would have been shaped by a house that still stands today: 3 Eliot Street.
The Morse-Dana-Leach House at 3 Eliot Street. The structure appears close to the dirt road in this photograph, perhaps as it would have been during Washington’s time (photo courtesy of Natick Historical Society)
A glimpse into an early Natick family
Among the oldest homes in Natick, 3 Eliot Street still stands proudly today. It was built by David Morse in 1759 and purchased by Lieutenant Ephraim Dana on April 27, 1779. The Dana family would likely have been home when President Washington’s carriage passed by the house in the early morning. Lieutenant Ephraim Dana (1744-1792) served in several capacities as a soldier, a member of the town council, and a blacksmith. At that time, Ephraim Dana and his second wife Tabitha Jones, daughter of Esq. John Jones of Dedham, had four children. They were Rebecca (born in 1781), twins Ephraim and Tabitha (born in 1783), and Nathaniel (born in 1787). (The youngest son, Luther, arrived in 1892.) This home was in the family’s possession for over 100 years until Tabitha Dana Leach died in 1869.
While the Dana brothers lived mainly in Portland, Maine, where they engaged in mercantile pursuits, Ephriam (son), a merchant, lived in Boston. In the years before their marriage, daughters Rebecca and Tabitha built an extension of the house for a store, which they ran for many years.
In a paper read at a meeting of the Natick Historical Society on May 1, 1883, Ephraim Dana was noted as “a man of character and influence, and patriotic answering to the call of the Lexington alarm April 19, 1775.” The house “has associations of loved relatives, and congenial friends, where the good and true have lived to brighten, cheer and help.” We would love to imagine that Washington and his entourage sensed something good and true about Natick as he passed through that early morning in 1789.
Tabitha Dana Leach (1783-1863) in the doorway of the Ephraim Dana House at 3 Eliot Street. (Natick Historical Society Collections)
Tabitha Dana Leach foot stove circa 1811. (Natick Historical Society Collections)
Note: The sentence including the words “… six servants, and his white charger” originally omitted “… at least two of whom were enslaved” after the word “servants.” We have fixed this and apologize for the error.
More history posts:
- Natick’s Great Fire of 1874: Looking back 150 years later
- Natick history: The South Natick fire of 1872
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I LOVE the history post!
Exciting. I wish I had a Time Machine. One comment though… You write that in Washington’s entourage were 6 “servants.” I assume these servants were not enslaved people. If Washington had 6 slaves with him, then that would be the term you would use.
Great stuff!
I agree with M OBrien’s comment, and expanding on it…
Watching the Youtube video of the presentation (link below) recorded in 2022 called “Along the Indifferent Road with George Washington” and including Natick’s own Terri Evans it is clear that at least 2 of the “servants” were actually slaves.
I think that we need to face the reality of our history to better understand it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr8KvBcvfN0
I lived at 3 Eliot St for many years. At the time the house belonged to the Honeywell family of Wellesley. My grandfather worked for the Honeywells as a gardener. Great memories.
Thanks so much to Natick Report readers for their careful attention to this bit of Natick’s past. We apologize for the error! Research shows that at least two of the six servants were enslaved. Thanks to the editors, we’ve been able to make the correction above. For the full story on Washington’s journey through Natick, please watch “Along the Indifferent Road,” which is linked at the top of the piece. Thank you! -NHS Director, Niki Lefebvre