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he
Town of Hatfield is an historic agricultural river town on
the west bank of the Connecticut River. Large land grants
were made to Governor Bradstreet and Major General Dennison
in 1659, and the town's early Colonial settlement in 1660
was compatible with Indian life. The Nonatucks reserved
their right to erect wigwams on the common, plant, hunt and
fish. In 1662, Thomas Meekins operated a grist mill on the
Mill River and in 1669 he added a sawmill. This single area
in the town remained an industrial locus for over 200 years.
The first linseed oil mill was patented and established in
1737, and cider mills were opened. Residents raised sheep
and cattle and the town was described as a "prosperous
town on a strong agricultural base." Hatfield became
one of the primary suppliers of beef and of soldiers to the
Continental Army. In 1776, 127 men of a population of 582
were serving in the army. In 1786 the town was the site of a
50-community meeting of the rebels involved in Shay's
rebellion, who were angered by the hardships and
foreclosures brought on by a cash-poor economy. When they
weren't fighting or rebelling, residents of Hatfield grew
corn and made brooms, which became a major industry in the
town. Irish, German and French Canadian immigrants, drawn to
work in building the railroads in the state, finished the
track and set up as farmers in Hatfield, as did later
arrivals from Poland, Austria and Czechoslovakia. These
newcomers created the largest immigrant population in the
county at 39.6%. The farmers raised wheat and by 1905 were
the leading tobacco and onion producers in the state. There
are still over 120 tobacco barns in Hatfield. Benefactors in
the town shared their prosperity with their neighbors.
Sophia Smith, an heiress to one of the largest fortunes in
Hatfield, used her money to create Smith college, while
Caleb Cooley Dickinson founded Dickinson Hospital in
Northampton. Main Street in Hatfield retains a remarkable
historic character, with a dense concentration of well
preserved 18th and 19th century family homes.
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