Milestones in Town History

1675 - 1719 Hadley Residents requested and received from the town individual grants of land south of Mt Holyoke. Permission was granted for lumbering and operating sawmills in preparation for building. Fishing, hunting, pasturing had long been carried on there by Hadley men.

1720 Certain sections of this land were laid out by vote of the Town of Hadley for which the pioneers-to-be drew shares according to their rateable property.

1725 Settlement was begun, chiefly by younger men, women and their families. Actual settling had been delayed by Indian depredations in the region.

1732 This settlement became the "South Precinct of Hadley", with limited self-government, on condition that it settle "a learned and orthodox minister" in two years.

1976 Old Firehouse Museum dedicated on July 4th.

1990 Town Meeting voted to have 5 selectmen.

1992 Town Meeting voted approval for renovation of old bank site on Bridge Street for new police station.

1997 Town acquiring from James River Corp. 244 acres of land for future development of recreation and conservation.