History of Deerfield, Massachusetts, USA

1673 - Deerfield is settled

Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates

1677 - Deerfield is incorporated

Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates

1704 - February 29 - French forces from Quebec and Native American forces under the command of Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville attacked the village of Deerfield, Massachusetts.
February 29, 1704 - Queen Anne's War - Deerfield Massacre - Major Jean-Baptiste de Rouville and his four brothers attack and burn an English settlement at Salmon Falls in the Connecticut River valley with a band of 250 French and Abenaki Indians, killing 43 civilians and capturing over 100; the attack was in part a religious crusade to retrieve a French church bell acquired by the Indians of New France that had been captured by a privateer, taken to Salem and sold to the people of Deerfield, who apparently were unaware of its origins; the captive English English settlers were forced to march 370 km north to Canada. Colonel Church will later attack Grand Pre, Nova Scotia, in retaliation for this guerrilla warfare; the Deerfield church bell is eventually taken to the Saut St-Louis (Caughnawaga) mission on the St. Lawrence, across from Lachine, where it still hangs in the Iroquois chapel.

canadachannel.ca/ todayincanadianhistory/ index.php/ February_29
February 29, 1704

1839 - Deerfield
Deerfield, Massachusetts
Franklin county. At the junction of Connecticut and Deerfield rivers, on the west side of the former and on both sides of the latter. The Pocumtuck of the Indians. It is 95 miles W. by N. from Boston, 4 S. from Greenfield, and 17 N. from Northampton. First settled, 1668. Incorporated, 1682. Population, in 1837, 1,952. A very pleasant town, and a place of considerable commerce. The manufactures of this place, for one year, amounted to $147,190. They consisted of leather, boots, shoes, cutlery, ($100,000) chairs, cabinet ware, palm-leaf hats, lead pipe, hair cloth and beds, wagons and carriages, pocket books, wallets, and corn-brooms. The value of wool grown, the same year, (1836) was $2,708. From the mountains in this vicinity, delightful views are obtained. Deerfield Mountain is 700 feet above the plain. Sugar Loaf Mountain rears its conical peak of red sandstone 500 feet above the river, and overlooks the ground of many sanguinary battles between the whites... Read MORE...

1845 - DEERFIELD. [Pop. 1,912. Inc. 1682.]
Deerfield was called Pocumtuck by the Indians, and was granted by the General Court to certain inhabitants of Dedham.

It is the oldest town in the county, and once included Greenfield, Shelburne, Conway and Gill.

The town is beautifully situated on Connecticut and Deerfield River. Green River also unites with the Deerfield in this town.

Deerfield Mountain rises about seven hundred feet above the river, and Sugar-Loaf Mountain, so called from its conical shape, is almost as lofty.

During Philip's War it was burned, and a fine body of about one hundred men, under Captain Lothrop, who went thither from Hadley to recover some grain that had escaped the fire, were surprised, and nearly all slain, at a place called Bloody Brook, in this town, where a monument is erected to their memory.

Deerfield was again surprised in 1704 by the French and Indians, who killed many, made prisoners of one hundred and twelve, and burned every house but one, which is... Read MORE...

1848 - Deerfield
DEERFIELD is the oldest town in Franklin county. In 1669, a tract of 8,000 acres of land was granted by the general court at Pocumtuck to a company at Dedham, embracing most of the interval lying on Pocumtuck or Deerfield river, and the plain southerly as far as Hatfield bounds. The proprietors first met at Dedham in 1670; at which time it was agreed to lay out the lots at Pocumtuck. By subsequent grants it comprehended within its limits the present towns of Deerfield, Conway, Shelburne, Greenfield, and Gill. Whether the whole was purchased from the natives does not appear. A deed, however, of a part of the early grant, is still extant; it was made to John Pynchon, Esq., of Springfield, "for the use and behoof of major Eleazer Lusher, ensign Daniel Fisher and other English at Dedham, their associates and successors" by Chauk, alais Chaque, the sachern of Pocumtuck, and his brother Wapahoale, and is dated Feb. 24, 1665, prior to the grant by government. The deed is witnessed by... Read MORE...

1854 - Deerfield
Deerfield, a post-township of Franklin county, Massachusetts, about 100 miles W. N. W. from Boston, at the junction of Deer field and Connecticut rivers, and on the Connecticut River railroad. Population, 2421.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

1859
DEERFIELD, a township in Franklin co., in Massachusetts, 95 m. W by N of Boston, intersected by a river of the same name, an affluent of the Connecticut. Pop. 1,912.
A Gazetteer of the World: Or, Dictionary of Geographical Knowledge, Publisher A. Fullarton, 1859

1869 - An echo as good as any on record is to be heard on any clear day on Zeri Smith's farm, in the Great river district of Deerfield, Mass.
Standing about sixty yards west of his barn, it will return to the speaker a sentence of ten or a dozen words with entire distinctness, and with a curiously varied intonation.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
December 4, 1869

Deerfield Massachusetts, 1890
Deerfield is the oldest and one of the most fertile and beautiful towns of Franklin County. It lies on the west bank of the Connecticut River, and has Greenfield on the north, Montague and Sunderland on the east, Whately on the south, and Conway and Shelburne on the west. The assessed area is 20,483 acres; which includes 3,247 acres of woodland.

The surface of the town is beautifully varied, here spreading out into broad and verdant intervales, there rising into picturesque and rocky eminences,— as Arthur's Seat in the northwest, the Deerfield Hills in the northeast, and in the southeast the conical mass of red sandstone named "Sugar Loaf," rising grandly from the Connecticut River to thc height of 500 feet. The summit of this mountain affords a splendid view of the valley of the Connecticut River and bordering villages. It is highly probable that this eminence, and Mount Toby on the opposite side, once formed a barrier to the waters of the river, and that a large lake then spread... Read MORE...

1895 - Deerfield
Deerfield, a post-village of Franklin co., Mass., in Deerfield township, on or near the Deerfield River, and on the Connecticut River Railroad, 33 miles N. of Springfield, and 3 or 4 miles S. of Greenfield. It contains the Deerfield Academy and High School, and 2 churches. This town ship is bounded on the E. by the Connecticut River, and is also traversed by the Troy & Greenfield Railroad. It contains a portion of Greenfield village, also a village named South Deerfield, and has 7 churches and a manufactory of pocket-books. Pop. in 1890, 2910.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott

1907 - SIGNAL WRONG; 5 KILLED. Defect in the Boston & Maine System Causes a Wreck.
DEERFIELD, Mass., Jan. 29. - Five men were killed and one seriously injured, as the result of a freight train running into the rear of a passenger train to-day, on the Fitchburg Division of the Boston & Maine Railroad, about a mile west of West Deerfield. The passenger train was stopped in a narrow cut by a signal, which it is thought was caused by a defect in the signaling apparatus. A brakeman was immediately sent behind to flag the following freight train, but did not stop it in time.

The men killed were all employes of the railroad, who were in the rear passenger car. They were George B. Busseno, G. W. Harrington, M. A. Fitzpatrick, Chauncey Cota, and R. N. Dennison. This car was burned and the bodies were consumed.
The New York Times
New York, New York
January 30, 1907

1916
Deerfield, a post-village of Franklin co., Mass., in Deer-field township (town), on the Boston and Maine and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Rs., 33 miles N. of Springfield. It contains the Deerfield Academy. The town is bounded on the E. by the Connecticut River. The banking point is Greenfield. In 1704 Deerfield was taken and almost entirely destroyed by the French and Indians, the inhabitants being massacred or carried into captivity. Pop. of the town in 1900, 1969.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher

2023 - Deerfield, Massachusetts is a charming town with a rich history and plenty of things to see and do. Here's a list to get you started:
Historic Deerfield: Begin your journey with a visit to Historic Deerfield, an authentic 18th-century New England village. Stroll down the well-preserved streets lined with beautifully restored colonial homes. The Flynt Center of Early New England Life and the Memorial Libraries are also worth exploring for a deeper understanding of the town's history.

Deerfield River: If you enjoy outdoor activities, the Deerfield River offers opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. The scenic beauty along the river makes it a great spot for a leisurely stroll as well.

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory: Experience the enchanting world of butterflies at Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory. Walk through lush gardens filled with thousands of colorful butterflies from around the world. It's a magical and serene experience.

Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation: For panoramic views of the Pioneer Valley, hike up Mount Sugarloaf. The moderately challenging trail leads to a summit where you... Read MORE...