Incident at Rock Meadow

In 17th century Watertown, Zachariah Smith fled charges of unlawful relations with neighbor Ruth Sawtell. The ensuing repercussions of his subsequent murder contributed to the outbreak of King Phillip’s War. Three years later, an assignation with another neighbor made Ruth Sawtell a repeat offender, and the scene of their crime was the “Great Rock” in Rock Meadow. Originally in Watertown, Rock Meadow was later part of Waltham and then Belmont. Marie Daly will tell the story of these illicit colonial trysts gleaned from online court records, and reveal the location of an important, but unrecognized, landmark in Rock Meadow. Come to this joint program of the Waltham Historical Society and the Belmont Historical Society to learn about the Great Rock, Rock Meadow and our past neighbors. Free and open to the public.