With an elevation of 450ft, Assabet Hill has always been a prominent feature just off the main road in Northborough center. It was originally called Liquor Hill but the name was changed to Assabet Hill in a ceremony on July 4th 1836, primarily because of the temperance movement at the time. The web link below has information about the history of the original name and the ceremony to change it. In past years, the hill and park were used as a center for town events including the 100th and 150th year celebrations and recruitment efforts for World Wars I and II. In 1909 it was donated to the town by Cyrus Gale Jr. Currently, the park at the base of the hill is very popular with its splash pad, playground and basketball court.
Photographs circa 1900 show how both the town center and hill looked during that time. The hill had fewer trees and the park was used to graze horses. My thanks to the Historical Society for providing the old photographs.
