Grafton

Nestled in the hills 38 miles west of Boston, the area that would become Grafton originally belonged to the Nipmuc Indians. In the mid-1600s, John Eliot, a Puritan missionary, traveled throughout Massachusetts converting the natives to Christianity. He created a series of "praying Indian" villages, including Hassanamesit. In 1728, most of Hassanamesit was purchased by a group of investors, and in 1735 it was incorporated as the town of Grafton. By the early 19th century, Grafton was a national l