History of Greenfield, Massachusetts, USA

1686 - Greenfield is settled

Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates

1753 - The town of Greenfield is incorporated

1839 - Greenfield
Greenfield, Massachusetts
County town, Franklin county. This town lies on the W. side of Connecticut river, and is washed by Green river, an excellent mill stream, a branch of the Deerfield. The village is situated about 2 miles from Connecticut river, and is very beautiful and flourishing. There is a woolen mill in Greenfield with four sets of machinery; and manufactures of boots, shoes, leather, hats, iron castings, chairs, cabinet and tin wares, saddles, harnesses, trunks, stove and lead aqueduct pipe, iron work, guns, pistols, rifles, coaches, wagons, books, &c. The total amount of manufactures, for the year ending April 1, 1837, was $164,844. The value of wool, the product of 2,153 fleeces, sheared in 1837, was $3,404. There is an academy for young ladies in this town, a farming school for young men, and some iron and copper ores. Greenfield lies 95 miles W. by N. from Boston and 22 N. from Northampton. Incorporated, 1753. Population, 1830, 1,540; 1837, 1840.
The New England Gazetteer containing descriptions of all the states, counties and towns in New England: also descriptions of the principal mountains, rivers lakes, capes, bays, harbors, islands and fashionable resorts within that territory. By John Hayward, author of the Columbian Traveller, Religious Creeds, &c. &c. Boston: John Hayward. Boyd & White, Concord, N.H. 1839

1845 - GREENFIELD. [Pop. 1,756. Inc. 1753]
Greenfield was once a part of Deerfield, and is now the county town.

It is situated on the western bank of the Connecticut, and is divided by Green River, a branch of the Deerfield.

In 1676, Captain Turner, with about one hundred and sixty mounted men, returning from a successful slaughter of the Indians, at the Falls between Gill and Montague, was killed here with many of his men. The remnant, under Captain Holyoke, escaped to Hatfield, through Deerfield, which had been burned the year before.

The chief part of Greenfield is built on an elevated plain. The soil is generally good, some sheep are raised, and the chief article manufactured is satinet.

Distance from Boston 88 miles.
An Elementary Geography for Massachusetts Children by William Bentley Fowle and Asa Fitz, 1845
Get it HERE!

1848 - Greenfield
This town was formerly a part of Deerfield. It was incorporated as a town in 1753. Rev. Edward Billings, the first minister of the first Congregational church in this town, was a native of Sunderland; he settled here in 1754. He was succeeded by Rev. Roger Newton, D. D., in 1761. Rev. Gamaliel S. Olds was settled as colleague in 1813; he resigned in 1816, and became professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in the University of Vermont and in Amherst college. His successor was Rev. Sylvester Woodbridge, who was succeeded by Rev. Amariah Chandler in 1832. Rev. Titus Strong, D. D., the present rector of the Episcopal church, was instituted by Rt. Rev. Bishop Griswold, in 1814. The first pastor of the second church was Rev. Charles Jenkins, who was settled in 1820; his successors have been Rev. Wm. C. Fowler, Rev. C. S. Henry, Rev. Th. Bellows, and. Rev. Saml. Washburn. The first minister of the Unitarian Congregational church was the Rev. Winthrop Bailey, who was installed in... Read MORE...

1853 - Congregationalist Dog
There is a dog at Greenfield, Mass., who is strictly sectarian in his religious notions. His master is a Baptist, but the dog is a Congregationalist, and after accompanying his master to the Baptist church, he goes regularly to the Congregational church himself, and sleeps during the entire service.
genealogybank.com
Albany Evening Journal
Albany, New York
October 1, 1853

1854 - Greenfield
Greenfield, a post-township in Franklin co., Mass., on the Connecticut river railroad, 100 miles W. by N. from Boston. The village contains several churches, 1 bank, and 3 news paper offices. Population, 2580.
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
GREENFIELD, the cap. of Franklin co., in Massachusetts, 92 m. W of Boston. Pop. 1,756.
A Gazetteer of the World: Or, Dictionary of Geographical Knowledge, Publisher A. Fullarton, 1859

1882 - Destructive Tornado in Franklin County, Mass.
A destructive storm of wind and bail passed over a portion of Franklin county, Mass., last Sunday evening. At Greenfield huge trees were uprooted, and the air was filled with flying fences, shingles, rails, and timbers. Several barns and houses were unroofed, while other barns were completely demolished. One man was so seriously injured that his life is despaired of, and another was badly hurt. At Ashfield the storm was the worst ever known, and all along its course as far as Bernardston, for a width of about a quarter of a mile, orchards and groves were leveled, buildings unroofed, and windows and chimneys demolished. The damage to buildings, crops and timber is variously estimated at from $20,000 to $25,000.
Vermont Phoenix
Brattleboro, Vermont
June 2, 1882

1886 - FEARFUL RAILROAD ACCIDENT - An Express Train Plunges Down an Almost Perpendicular Precipice.
The Coaches Take Fire and the Wounded Passengers are Burned to Death

The Disaster Caused by the Sinking of the Track

A Partial List of the Injured.

GREENFIELD, Mass., April 7. - A terrible disaster occurred on the Fitchburg railroad to-night, midway between Bardwell's ferry and West Deerfield station, the east bound passenger train, due at Greenfield at 6:05 P. M., going over an embankment 200 feet high. Six bodies have already been taken out of the ruins and it is not known how many others were killed. The train was the eastern express, and consisted of a baggage car, smoker, sleeping car, mail car and two ordinary passenger cars. The train was in charge of Conductor FORSTER, with HERBET LITTLEJOHN as engineer. The point where the accident occurred is the most dangerous on the road. Trains run on the edge of an embankment 200 feet above the Deerfield river. The bank is steep and covered with huge bouilders[sic] and masses of rock.

When the train arrived at this point the ... Read MORE...

Greenfield Massachusetts, 1890
GREENFIELD, the shire town of Franklin County, is one of the most charming towns in the Connecticut Valley. It lies nearly in the geographical centre of the county, on the Fitchburg Railroad and Connecticut River Railroad, 106 miles west by northwest of Boston, and 36 miles north of Springfield. It is bounded on the north by Leyden and Bernardston, east by Gill and Montague, on the south by Deerfield, and west by Shelburne.

The assessed area is 10,636 acres; and of this 2,425 acres are woodland, in which grow thriftily beech, pine, maple and elm, chiefly. There is quite an extent of red sandstone formation; and the range of greenstone trap which commences near New Haven finds its termination here. The land is level, with the exception of some beautiful eminences on the eastern and western borders, which are considered an extension of the Deerfield Mountains; and the soil, especially in the intervales of Green River, is excellent, being, for the most part loam, with clay... Read MORE...

1895 - Greenfield
Greenfield, a beautiful post-village, capital of Franklin co., Mass., in Greenfield township, near the W. bank of the Connecticut River, and 2 miles above the mouth of the Deerfield River, 106 miles W. by N. of Boston, and 36 miles N. of Springfield. It is on the Connecticut River Railroad where it crosses the Fitchburg Railroad, 30 miles E. of the Hoosac Tunnel. It contains a court-house, 7 churches, 3 national banks, 2 savings-banks, a high school, 2 public libraries, and a newspaper office. It is a favorite summer resort. The township, which is intersected by Green River, has manufactures of cutlery, tools, boots and shoes, machinery, &c. About 550 men are employed near the village in the manufacture of fine table-cutlery. A part of the village is in Deerfield township. Pop of Greenfield township in 1890, 5252.
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

1900 - Franklin County - Greenfield - Fatal Fall from a Piazza Roof
Mrs. Luke M. Thornton met with an accident yesterday morning while shaking a rug from the roof of a piazza at her home on Chapman Street and died from the injuries at 6 o'clock last evening. The roof was icy which caused her to lose her footing and fall face down, to the frozen ground, a distance of 15 or 20 feet.

She was unconscious when picked up, and did not regain consciousness. Her skull was fractured, jaw broken on both sides, head badly hurt, aside from the fractured skull, and her body terribly shaken by the fall. She stepped on the roof of the piazza, as usual to shake her rugs, probably unaware that she incurred any danger in so doing. As the roof, which is slightly sloping, was icy, she lost her balance in leaving forward, as the marks on the roof show. She was carried into the house, and Dr. G. P Twichett ? summoned. Her husband, who is employed as engineer at the electric light station, was carried home in a team which was hastily pressed into service for that purpose. ... Read MORE...

1916
Greenfield, a post-village, capital of Franklin co., Mass., in Greenfield township (town), near the W. bank of the Connecticut River, 2 miles above the mouth of the Deerfield River, and 36 miles N. of Springfield, on the Boston and Maine R. It contains a court-house, high-school, and public libraries, and is a favorite summer-resort. The town, which is intersected by the Green River, has manufactures of table- and other cutlery, tools, boots and shoes, machinery, silver-ware, agricultural implements, baby-carriages, etc. Pop. of the town in 1900, 7927.
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

1957 - July 1 - WRLP TV channel 32 in Greenfield/Keene/Brat, MA (IND) 1st broadcast

historyorb.com

Here's a list of places to go and things to do in Greenfield:
1. Poet's Seat Tower: Start your visit with a hike up to Poet's Seat Tower, located in the Rocky Mountain Park. It offers panoramic views of the town and the Connecticut River Valley. It's especially stunning during the fall foliage season.

2. Green River Swimming & Recreation Area: Cool off during the summer months by taking a dip in the Green River. The recreation area features a sandy beach, picnic tables, and walking trails.

3. Franklin County Fairgrounds: If you're in town during the Franklin County Fair (usually in September), don't miss it. It's a classic slice of Americana with rides, livestock shows, and fair food.

4. Energy Park: This unique outdoor space features sculptures, gardens, and interactive installations. It's a great place to take a leisurely stroll and enjoy some public art.

5. Arts and Culture: Greenfield has a thriving arts scene. Check out the Arts Block for live music and events, the Greenfield Gallery for local art, or the Hawks & Reed Performing ... Read MORE...