The Pakachoag tribe of the Nipmuc nation of Native Americans were the indigenous settlers of Quinsigamond, now known as Worcester. For the Pakachoag, Worcester's Lake Quinsigamond offered fine hunting and fishing grounds a short distance from their main village on Pakachoag Hill in what is now Auburn. Mt. Wachusett was their sacred space. Worcester was first settled by the English in 1673 and was incorporated in 1684. King Philip's War and other hardships forced settlers to abandon Worcester by 1703, but in 1713 Worcester was re-settled by Jonas Rice, whose farm was located atop Union Hill. From this point forward, the community was permanently settled. Named after the historic city of Worcester, UK, Worcester was incorporated as a town in 1722 and chartered as a city in 1848.
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