ity , ▁in ▁ 1 6 4 6 . ▁Although ▁W aban ▁lived ▁in ▁Non ant um , ▁a ▁hill ▁in ▁the ▁n ort he astern most ▁part ▁of ▁Newton , ▁the ▁area ▁around ▁the ▁present ▁village ▁of ▁W aban ▁was ▁a ▁fav ored ▁hunting ▁ground . ▁Dr . ▁Lawrence ▁Str ong , ▁in ▁his ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁town , ▁wrote : My ▁father , ▁William ▁Chamber lain ▁Str ong , ▁was ▁very ▁active ▁in ▁se cur ing ▁the ▁right - of - way ▁for ▁the ▁Boston ▁and ▁Alb any ▁Rail road ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁Newton ▁Circ uit ▁Road ▁was ▁built . ▁The ▁location ▁of ▁a ▁station ▁here ▁marked ▁a ▁potential ▁village , ▁and ▁a ▁name ▁was ▁required . ▁My ▁father ▁had ▁previously ▁lived ▁on ▁Non ant um ▁Hill ▁in ▁Bright on , ▁where ▁W aban , ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁tribe ▁Non ant um , ▁had ▁his ▁w ig w am , ▁and ▁where ▁Eli ot , ▁the ▁Apost le ▁to ▁the ▁Indians , ▁pre ached . ▁A ▁mem orial ▁marks ▁this ▁spot ▁today . ▁So ▁the ▁name ▁" W aban " ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁village ▁easily ▁suggested ▁itself ▁to ▁my ▁father . ▁I ▁am ▁told ▁W aban , ▁or ▁W aban oki , ▁means ▁" east " ▁in ▁the ▁Indian ▁tongue . ▁The ▁sp elling ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁cannot ▁be ▁held ▁to ▁co inci de ▁with ▁its ▁pron unci ation . ▁I ▁believe ▁the ▁pron unci ation ▁is ▁correct ▁and ▁the ▁correct ▁sp elling ▁would ▁be ▁either ▁Wa ub