text:
Buckland, Massachusetts

Buckland is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,816 at the 2020 census. The town shares the village of Shelburne Falls with neighboring Shelburne. The town center at Shelburne Falls is the western end of the Bridge of Flowers, a local tourist attraction.

Buckland is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Buckland was first settled in 1742 as "No Town", as it was not currently part of either the village of Charlemont or Ashfield, which the land belonged to as one large town. A sawmill was set up that year by Othneil Taylor and Asaph White, and eventually settlement occurred. However, the townspeople did not want to cross the Deerfield River or travel the long distance to Ashfield Village to attend services, so they petitioned the Massachusetts General Court for a separate incorporation. The town was incorporated on April 14, 1779, as Buckland, presumably named for the abundant hunting in the area.

Buckland was the birthplace of Mary Lyon, founder of the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, now known as Mount Holyoke College.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 51.5 km2, of which 50.9 km2 is land and 0.5 km2, or 1.05%, is water. Buckland is located in western Franklin County, and is bordered by Charlemont to the north, Shelburne to the northeast, Conway to the southeast, Ashfield to the south, and Hawley to the west. Buckland's town center is located 13 mi west of Greenfield, 40 mi north-northwest of Springfield, and 103 mi west-northwest of Boston.

Buckland is bounded on the north and east by the Deerfield River. Clesson Brook and Clark Brook flow northward through town towards the river, with the former forming the main valley in the town. To either side of the valley lie several hills, including Walnut Hill, Drank Hill and Snow Mountain to the west and Mary Lyon Hill and Moonshine Hill to the east, both of which are between the two brooks. A small state forest occupies part of Moonshine Hill.

A short section of Massachusetts Route 2, known as the Mohawk Trail, passes through the northeast corner of town. The nearest interstate, Interstate 91, passes through nearby Greenfield.

There is a park and ride lot located on Route 2, near the bridge over the river to Shelburne Falls. South of the river, the freight rail line passes from Conway in the east towards the Hoosac Tunnel through the mountains to the west. Buckland lies along the Charlemont bus line of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA), but has no scheduled stops in town (the nearest being in Charlemont and Shelburne Falls). The nearest Amtrak station is in Greenfield, and the nearest small air service is at Turners Falls Municipal Airport. The nearest national air service is at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,991 people, 772 households, and 542 families residing in the town. By population, Buckland ranks ninth out of the twenty-six towns in Franklin County, and 291st out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 101.8 PD/sqmi, which ranks seventh in the county and 280th in the Commonwealth. There were 839 housing units at an average density of 42.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.53% White, 0.45% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population.

There were 772 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,833, and the median income for a family was $51,420. Males had a median income of $38,684 versus $24,977 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,033. About 3.5% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Buckland employs the open town meeting form of government, and is governed by a board of selectmen and an administrative assistant. The town offices, police station and fire station are all located in Shelburne Falls, with the Buckland Public Library and the town's post office located near the geographic center of town. The nearest hospital, Franklin Medical Center, is located in Greenfield, as are most of the nearest state offices. The town is patrolled by the Second Barracks of Troop "B" of the Massachusetts State Police, headquartered on the Shelburne side of Shelburne Falls.

On the state level, Buckland is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as part of the 1st Franklin District, represented by Natalie Blais. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is part of the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden District, represented by Paul Mark.

On the national level, Buckland is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district and has been represented by Richard Neal of Springfield since January 2013, and is represented in the United States Senate by Ed Markey, and Elizabeth Warren. Neal was redistricted from Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district due to Massachusetts's loss of one seat in the House after reapportionment following the 2010 United States Census.

Education
Buckland is a member of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, along with Ashfield, Charlemont, Colrain, Hawley, Heath, Plainfield, Rowe, and Shelburne. Students attend Buckland-Shelburne Regional Elementary School, which also serves the neighboring town of Shelburne which serves K–6. High school students then attend Mohawk Trail Regional High School. Mohawk Trail Regional's athletics teams are nicknamed the Warriors, and their school colors are blue and gold. There are several private, religious and charter schools located in the Greenfield area, with the most prominent being Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Northfield Mount Hermon School in Gill, the Academy at Charlemont in Charlemont, Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, and Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield.

The nearest community college, Greenfield Community College, is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private colleges, including members of the Five Colleges and Seven Sisters, are located southeast in the Northampton area.

title: Buckland, Massachusetts


text:
Charlemont, Massachusetts

Charlemont is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,185 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Charlemont was first colonized by Moses Rice (1694–1755) who purchased 2200 acre on April 23, 1743, that been previously set off as Boston Township Number 1 in 1735 by the Great and General Court. The town was along the distant frontier at the time, and was the subject of several raids by Native Americans. While plowing in the fields one day, Rice was shot and wounded by Indians lying in ambush. They also shot and killed another man, Phineas Arms, at the same time and captured Moses' eight-year-old grandson Asa, who had been riding the plow horse. Moses was taken to the adjoining woods, scalped, and left for dead, but Asa was carried off to Canada. The town was incorporated as Charlemont in 1765, most likely named for the town in County Armagh, Ulster, Ireland. The town was mostly rural, with farming being the main industry until the advent of the railroad, which traveled through town towards the Hoosac Tunnel. Today the town industry also includes tourism, with a ski area and other tourist areas along the Mohawk Trail.

In the years preceding the Revolutionary War, as Charlemont's citizens grew increasingly dissatisfied with British rule, Rev. Jonathan Leavitt was installed as the minister of Charlemont's Congregational Church. Born in Walpole, New Hampshire, and graduate of Yale College, Rev. Leavitt arrived in Charlemont in 1767, but his Loyalist sympathies grated on his congregation.

By 1777 the situation came to a stand-off: Leavitt refused to accept his salary in rapidly depreciating colonial currency. So the town voted to simply close the church, and it stationed a constable at the door to bar the offending reverend. But Leavitt would not be deterred: He moved his sermons to the schoolhouse, where he held forth until 1785, when he was finally dismissed. He sued for his salary, as well as his loss on the depreciated colonial currency, and was awarded £700.

Leavitt's descendants continued to remain in Charlemont and the surrounding region, and several—including Col. Roger Hooker Leavitt, who represented Charlemont in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and his brother Hart Leavitt—became notable operators of stations on the Underground Railroad, sheltering many escaped slaves on their journeys northward.

Revolutionary War soldier and historian Lemuel Roberts helped his father establish a farm in Charlemont before leaving to fight in the Siege of Boston.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 68.3 km2, of which 67.2 km2 is land and 1.1 km2, or 1.55%, is water. Charlemont is located in the western part of the county, with a small portion making up the western county line with Berkshire County. The town is bordered by Rowe to the northwest, Heath to the northeast, Colrain and Shelburne to the east, Buckland to the southeast, Hawley to the southwest, and Savoy and Florida to the west. Charlemont is 18 mi west of Greenfield, 45 mi north-northwest of Springfield, and 106 mi west-northwest of Boston.

Charlemont's eastern border is marked by the junction of the North River and the Deerfield River, the latter flowing eastward through town. The majority of town lands lie north of the river, except for a strip along the entire Hawley town border. The town is surrounded by the eastern Berkshires, with the western part of town being dominated by Todd Mountain and the Mohawk Trail State Forest. Several other lower peaks dot the land north and town of the river, including Bald Mountain and Westfield Mountain north of the center of town, and, just over the Hawley town line, Mount Peak and Mount Institute. There are also several brooks through town, with Mill Brook lying near the town center (the site of a covered bridge).

Much of the length of the Deerfield in town is followed by the Mohawk Trail, also known as Massachusetts Route 2. Near the center of town, the road also junctions with, and shares a short, 0.6 mi concurrency with Route 8A. Along the southern bank of the river, a stretch of the Guilford Rail System leads freight trains from Greenfield towards the Hoosac Tunnel in neighboring Florida, towards New York. The nearest interstate, Interstate 91, is several miles to the east along Route 2. The town lies at the westernmost point of the Charlemont-Greenfield line (Route 41) of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA), with a scheduled stop at the Federated Church. The nearest regional bus and air service is in Greenfield and North Adams, the nearest Amtrak rail service is in Pittsfield, and the nearest national air service is at Albany International Airport in New York.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,358 people, 524 households, and 353 families residing in the town. By population, Charlemont ranks eighteenth of the 25 towns in Franklin county, and 314th out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 52.0 PD/sqmi, which ranks fifteenth in the county and 310th in the commonwealth. There were 628 housing units at an average density of 24.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.07% White, 0.29% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.

There were 524 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,548, and the median income for a family was $50,962. Males had a median income of $37,500 versus $26,667 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,577. About 6.5% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Charlemont employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a Select board. The town has its own police, fire and public works departments. The town's library, Tyler Memorial Library, is connected to the regional library network. Charlemont lies halfway between hospitals in North Adams (North Adams Regional Hospital) and Greenfield (Franklin Medical Center). Greenfield is also the site of most of the county's public services, courthouses and the county jail.

On the state level, Charlemont is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as part of the Second Berkshire district, represented by Paul Mark, which covers central Berkshire County, as well as portions of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is part of the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County and the western portions of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The town is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Station of Troop "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, Charlemont is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented by Richard Neal of Springfield since January 2013. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate by Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren.

Education
Charlemont is a member of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, along with Ashfield, Buckland, Colrain, Hawley, Heath, Plainfield, Rowe, and Shelburne. Students attend Hawlemont Regional Elementary School, which also serves the neighboring town of Hawley which serves K–6. High school students then attend Mohawk Trail Regional High School. There is a private academy in town, the Academy at Charlemont, and other private and religious schools in nearby towns.

The nearest community college, Greenfield Community College, is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private college is Williams College in Williamstown, with several others located southeast in the Northampton area.

Points of interest

 * Alpine skiing:  Charlemont is well known for its alpine ski area, Berkshire East Ski Area. Other ski areas once located in Charlemont include Sawmill Hill, the Mohawk Trail Skiers Project, and Snow White.  Berkshire East is open from late fall until early spring and features snowmaking and night skiing.
 * Camping: Country Aire Campground/RV Park is located on Route 2 in Charlemont, on the Mohawk Trail.
 * Hiking: There are multiple popular mountain hikes in Charlemont, accessible via official and unofficial trails, such as Mount Institute, Negus Mountain, Pocumtuck Mountain, and Todd Mountain.
 * Water rafting:  White water rafting is very popular in Charlemont. Crabapple Whitewater and Berkshire Whitewater are two popular whitewater rafting operations on the Deerfield River. The scenic Mohawk Trail passes through the community.
 * Mohawk Park: This small roadside park along Route 2 features Hail to the Sunrise, a statue in tribute to the area's Native American heritage.
 * Mountain Biking: In the summer of 2015, the lift accessed, Thunder Mountain Bike Park will open on the slopes of Berkshire East Ski Area.
 * Zip Lines: Since 2009, there have been four zip line canopy tours operated in Charlemont, Berkshire East Canopy Tours features three tours, Zoar Outdoor, one tour, and Experience Based Learning also operations zip-lines.

Notable people

 * Catharine Webb Barber (1823–1893), newspaper editor, author
 * Robert S. Houston (1820–1902), Wisconsin state legislator, stonemason, and dairy farmer, was born in Charlemont
 * Celeste M. A. Winslow (1837–1908), author

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Charlemont, Massachusetts


text:
Colrain, Massachusetts

Colrain is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,606 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Colrain was first settled in 1735 as "Boston Township No. 2", organized into an independently governing town body in 1745, and was officially incorporated on June 30, 1761.

Although originally named Colrain in 1745, and officially incorporated under that name in 1761, the town spelled its name (and appeared on maps) as "Colraine" for over 112 years until in 1873 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts insisted that the town begin to spell its name as it was officially incorporated.

Colrain has nine historic village areas: Elm Grove, Lyonsville, Foundry Village, Shattuckville, Griswoldville, Colrain City, Catamount Hill, Stewartville, and Gimletville. Much of the town's land area lies outside of these villages.

Colrain City (which constitutes the town center), was originally named as a joke during the mid 19th-century, since the small village was clearly anything but a city. Located in the valley at the base of Chandler Hill, a contemporary satirical poem suggested that the inexplicable grouping of houses was populated by people who had failed to climb the road leading over the hill. The center has remained almost completely unchanged over the last 150 years, and was declared a historic district in 2006.

In May 1812, Colrain was the first town in the United States to fly the U.S. flag over a public schoolhouse. The schoolhouse was located in the hill-top village of Catamount.

Many of the original settlers were immigrants from Ireland and Scotland, and it is said that the town was named in honor of Lord Coleraine, an Irish peer. According to local tradition, Lord Coleraine was so well pleased by this that he sent a fine bell to the townspeople for their new meeting house. Unfortunately, the bell never arrived. Apparently, so the story goes, it was sold by the unscrupulous agent to whom it was entrusted, and was installed in a church in Boston. An alternative claim is that when in transit, the crew of the ship encountered a problem and the ship went down with the bell and was never to be found again.

During the period of King George's War, Colrain was an active military front. Colrain was home to four forts at this time: Fort Morrison (also called "North Fort"), Fort Morris (also called "South Fort"), Fort Lucas (built near the town meeting house on Chandler Hill), and Rev. McDowell's Fort (a private fort built by Rev. Alexander McDowell which included his home). All of these were palisaded garrison houses, and were used as protection against frequent Indian attacks. Forts Lucas and Morrison were garrisoned during the war by the Massachusetts colonial militia, and there is also some evidence that British royal troops used Fort Morrison briefly. After King George's War, colonial troops were withdrawn and the forts were used for local defense until the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in 1754, when the forts were renovated and garrisons of colonial militia were once again installed at Forts Lucas and Morrison, where they would remain for the duration of the nine-year war. This was a source of considerable irritation for the townspeople, who were obligated to house the garrison troops in their homes. At the close of the Seven Years' War in 1763, colonial militia troops were permanently withdrawn, and the era of Colrain's military significance drew to a close. With the end of the French and Indian Wars the danger of Indian attacks was greatly lessened, and the forts were abandoned by the end of the 1760s.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 112.4 km2, of which 111.7 km2 is land and 0.7 km2, or 0.59%, is water. The town ranks second in area of the county's 26 towns, and twenty-fifth of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. Until the expansion of New Salem after the building of the Quabbin Reservoir in the 1930s, Colrain was the largest town in the county. It is located on the northern border of the county and state, with Windham County, Vermont. The town is bordered by Halifax and Guilford, Vermont, to the north, Leyden to the east, Greenfield to the southeast, Shelburne to the south, Charlemont to the southwest, and Heath to the west. Colrain's town center is located 9 mi northwest of Greenfield, 45 mi north of Springfield, and approximately 100 mi west-northwest of Boston.

Colrain is located in the northeastern part of the Berkshires, with the many hills divided by the rivers which run through town. With the exception of a 0.65 mi stretch, near the Vermont border, the entirety of the eastern border lies along the Green River, which flows through neighboring Greenfield into the Deerfield River. The east and west branches of the North River also meet in the town and flow into the Deerfield River, just south of the town along the Shelburne-Buckland town line. The town is also home to two state forests, Catamount State Forest to the southwest, and half of the H.O. Cook State Forest to the northwest.

The main road through Colrain is Massachusetts Route 112, whose northern terminus is in town at the Vermont state line. It is a common route for ski traffic headed to Mount Snow, Vermont. The road closely follows the East Branch of the North River south to its junction with the West Branch, before following the main branch southward towards Massachusetts Route 2 in Shelburne. The nearest interstate, Interstate 91, is accessible in Greenfield. There is no rail, bus or air service in town, with the nearest bus and Amtrak service in Greenfield, and the nearest air service in Turners Falls. The nearest national air service can be found at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Climate
In a typical year, Colrain, Massachusetts temperatures fall below 50 F for 205 days per year. Annual precipitation is typically 49 inches per year and snow covers the ground 80 days per year or 21.9% of the year. It may be helpful to understand the yearly precipitation by imagining 10 straight days of moderate rain per year. The humidity is below 60% for approximately 18.4 days or 5% of the year.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,813 people, 686 households, and 478 families residing in the town. By population, Colrain ranks tenth in Franklin County, and 293rd in Massachusetts. The population density was 41.8 PD/sqmi, which ranks nineteenth in the county and 318th in the Commonwealth. There were 776 housing units at an average density of 17.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.65% White, 0.33% Asian, 0.00% Black 0.11% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.

There were 686 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. Of all households, 23.8% were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,076, and the median income for a family was $46,518. Males had a median income of $32,800 versus $24,125 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,948. About 4.6% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Colrain employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen. The town has its own police and fire departments, as well as emergency services. The town's library, Griswold Memorial Library, is connected to the regional library network. The town also has its own post office as well. The nearest hospital, Franklin Medical Center, is in Greenfield.

On the state level, Colrain is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as part of the Second Berkshire district, represented by Paul Mark, which covers central Berkshire County, as well as portions of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is part of the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester district, represented by Jo Comerford, which includes most of eastern Franklin County and much of eastern Hampshire County. The town is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Station of Troop "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, Colrain is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented by Richard Neal of Springfield since January 2013. Massachusetts is represented in the United States Senate by Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey.

Education
Colrain is a member of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, which covers six towns on the elementary level and most of western Franklin County on the upper levels of education. Colrain Central School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grades, and students from grades 7–12 attend Mohawk Trail Regional High School in Buckland. There is a private school, the Academy at Charlemont, in neighboring Charlemont, and several other private and religious schools are located in the region.

The nearest community college, Greenfield Community College, is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private college was Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT until 2020, with several others located southeast in the Northampton area.

Notable people

 * William Apess, Pequot writer, preacher, and activist
 * Danford Balch, first man legally hanged in Oregon
 * Joseph Denison, first President of Kansas State University, abolitionist minister
 * Almira Edson, watercolorist
 * Lorenzo Lyons, missionary to the Kingdom of Hawaii
 * Samuel R. McClellan, Wisconsin state senator
 * Elizabeth Perkins, actress
 * Samuel Taggart, Congregational minister and US congressman

title: Colrain, Massachusetts


text:
Conway, Massachusetts

Conway is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,761 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
English colonists first settled Conway in 1762 as the southwestern portion of the Town of Deerfield. The town was eventually separated and was officially incorporated in 1767. The town was named after General Henry Seymour Conway, a leader in the British House of Commons during the repeal of the Stamp Act. (Conway, New Hampshire, as well as other towns across the country, were also named for him.) The town was known for its sheep farming and other agrarian pursuits in its early years, with some industry along the South River. This was washed out in a dam break in 1869. Today the town is primarily a farming community.

Bardwell's Ferry Bridge, built in 1882, is an historic lenticular truss bridge spanning the Deerfield River between Conway and Shelburne. Today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The town's Field Memorial Library was donated by native son Marshall Field in honor of his parents. It was designed by architects Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, and completed in 1901.

On February 25, 2017, an EF1 tornado touched down in Conway. The tornado caused significant damage to localized areas. It was the first tornado in the month of February in Massachusetts' recorded history.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 98.1 km2, of which 97.6 km2 is land and 0.5 km2, or 0.47%, is water. Conway is in the central part of the county, and is bordered by Shelburne to the north, Deerfield to the east, Whately to the southeast, Williamsburg to the south, Goshen to the southwest, Ashfield to the west, and Buckland to the northwest. Included within the town boundaries are the historic neighborhoods of Burkville and Shirkshire. Conway is 10 mi southwest of Greenfield, 32 mi north-northwest of Springfield, and 99 mi west-northwest of Boston.

Conway lies south of the Deerfield River, which comprises most of its northern border. The Bardwell's Ferry Bridge connects Conway to Shelburne across the Deerfield River. The town lies along the South River, which flows from Ashfield to the Deerfield River through the town, with many brooks feeding it as well as the nearby Mill River through Deerfield. The town is dotted with forests and hills, and is home to several state forests, including Conway State Forest, South River State Forest, and the Poland Brook State Wildlife Management Area.

Massachusetts Route 116 passes through the center of town, from Ashfield in the east towards Deerfield, along its way towards Springfield. Deerfield also has the nearest exits of Interstate 91, the nearest interstate highway to the town. A stretch of freight rail passes through the northern part of town, along the banks of the Deerfield River, between Deerfield and the Hoosac Tunnel to the west. The nearest passenger rail service can be reached at the Amtrak station in Greenfield, with the nearest bus service in Deerfield. The nearest small airport is in Turners Falls, with the nearest national air service being at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,809 people, 692 households, and 512 families residing in the town. By population, Conway ranked twelfth of the twenty-six towns in Franklin County, and 295th of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 48.0 PD/sqmi, which ranked sixteenth in the county and 312th in the Commonwealth. There were 749 housing units at an average density of 19.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.73% White, 0.17% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.

There were 692 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. Of all households, 18.8% were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $56,094, and the median income for a family was $62,917. Males had a median income of $41,146 versus $32,273 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,605. About 2.5% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Conway employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen and a Town Administrator. The town offices, police station, fire station, post office and Field Memorial Library (donated to the town by Marshall Field and named for his family) are all located in the center of town. The nearest hospital, Franklin Medical Center, is located in Greenfield, as are most of the nearest state offices.

On the state level, Conway is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by the First Franklin district, which includes the southeastern third of Franklin County and towns in north central Hampshire County. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is represented by the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes all of Berkshire County, as well as much of western Franklin and Hampshire Counties. The town is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Barracks of Troop "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, Conway is part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented in the US Congress by House Rep Richard E. Neal (D) since 2012. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate by Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren.

Education
Conway is a member of Frontier Regional and Union 38 School Districts, which also includes Deerfield, Whately and Sunderland. Each town operates its own elementary school, with Conway Grammar School serving the town's students from kindergarten through sixth grades. All four towns send seventh through twelfth grade students to Frontier Regional High School in Deerfield. There are several private, religious and charter schools located in the Greenfield and Deerfield area, with the nearest being the Deerfield Academy.

The nearest community college, Greenfield Community College, is located in Greenfield. The nearest state colleges are Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest state universities are Westfield State University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private colleges, including members of the Five Colleges and Seven Sisters, are located southeast in the Northampton area.

Notable people

 * Brian Bram, illustrator for Harvey Pekar's American Splendor
 * Jack Chesbro, Hall of Fame pitcher, retired and died here
 * John Crowley, author
 * Marshall Field, Marshall Field and Company founder
 * Moses Hayden, former US Congressman
 * Holly Hobbie, author of children's books
 * Archibald MacLeish, Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Librarian of Congress
 * Erin McKeown, singer-songwriter
 * Socrates Nelson, Minnesota State Senator
 * Hortense May Orcutt, educator
 * William Collins Whitney, financier, Secretary of the Navy 1885–1889
 * Austin Eli Wing, Michigan politician

title: Conway, Massachusetts


text:
Deerfield, Massachusetts

Deerfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Settled near the Connecticut River in the 17th century during the colonial era, the population was 5,090 as of the 2020 census. Deerfield is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area in western Massachusetts, lying 30 mi north of the city of Springfield.

Deerfield includes the villages of South Deerfield and Old Deerfield, which is home to two museums: Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association and Historic Deerfield, Inc. Historic Deerfield is designated as a National Historic Landmark district, and the organization operates a museum with a focus on decorative arts, early American material culture, and history. Its eleven house museums offer interpretation of society, history, and culture from the colonial era through the late nineteenth century. The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association operates Memorial Hall Museum, which opened in 1880, as well as the Indian House Memorial Children's Museum and Bloody Brook Tavern. The site of early 18th century colonial battles including the Raid on Deerfield, the town is a center of heritage tourism in the Pioneer Valley.

Deerfield has numerous schools, including Deerfield Academy, a private secondary preparatory school; Frontier Regional High School; Deerfield Elementary; and two separate private junior boarding schools, Bement School, which is co-ed, and Eaglebrook School, which is a school for boys.

Pre-colonial history
For several decades during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, Deerfield was the northwesternmost outpost of New England settlement. It occupies a fertile portion of the upper Connecticut River Valley now known as the Pioneer Valley. It was vulnerable to attack because of its position near the Berkshires highlands. For these reasons it was the site of intertribal warfare and several Anglo-French and Indian skirmishes during its early history.

At the time of the English colonists' arrival, the Deerfield area was inhabited by the Algonquian-speaking Pocumtuck nation, who settled a major village by the same name.

Settlement and incorporation
After the "Praying Indians" were given 8000 acres in what is today Natick, the General Court gave the Dedham proprietors 8000 acres in compensation. The question of how to handle the additional grant puzzled the town for some time. There were those who wanted to sell the rights to the land and take the money, while others wanted to find a suitable location and take possession.

The Town sent Anthony Fisher, Jr., Nathaniel Fisher, and Sgt. Fuller to explore an area known as "Chestnut Country" in 1663. They reported back two weeks later that the area was hilly, with few meadows, and was generally unsuitable for their purposes. After a potential location was claimed by others before Dedham could do so, a report was received about land at a place known as Pocomtuck, about 12 or 14 miles from Hadley. It was decided to claim the land before others could do so.

Joshua Fisher, Ensign John Euerard, and Jonathan Danforth were assigned by the selectmen to go and map the land in return for 150 acres. Two weeks later he appeared before the board, demanding 300 acres instead. The selectmen agreed, provided that he provide a plot map of the land. Fisher's map and report were submitted to the General Court, and they agreed to give the land to Dedham provided that they settle the land and "maintain the ordinances of Christ there" within five years.

Daniel Fisher and Eleazer Lusher were sent to purchase the land from the Pocomtuc Indians who lived there. They contracted with John Pynchon, who had a relationship with the native peoples there, and he obtained a quitclaim deed from them. Pynchon signed a treaty with the Pocumtuck, including a man named Chaulk. But Chaulk had no authority to deed the land to the colonists and appeared to have only a rough idea of what he was signing. Native Americans and the English had different ideas about property and land use; this, along with competition for resources, contributed to conflicts between them.

Pynchon submitted a bill for £40 in 1666 but a tax on the cow commons to pay it was not imposed until 1669. By that time the bill had risen to over £96, and he was not paid in full until 1674.

The drawing of lots took place on May 23, 1670, by which time many rights had been sold to people from outside of Dedham or one of her daughter towns. Before that even happened, Robert Hinsdale's son Samuel moved into the area and began squatting on the land. He was eventually joined by his father and brothers.

Hard feelings arose at the distance of the new settlement from Dedham and the fact that the proprietors were not strictly "a Dedham company." On May 7, 1673, the General Court separated the town of Deerfield, with additional lands, provided they establish a church and settle a minister within three years.

Post-incorporation
The Pocumtuck were much reduced in number by the time the settlers arrived, as they had been victims of infectious diseases and war with the more powerful Mohawk. The settlers forcibly expelled the few Pocumtuck who remained; the Pocumtuck in turn sought French protection in Canada from the English colonists. At the Battle of Bloody Brook, on September 18, 1675, during King Philip's War, the dispossessed Indians destroyed a small force under the command of Captain Thomas Lathrop before being driven off by reinforcements. Colonial casualties numbered about 60. At dawn on May 19, 1676, Captain William Turner led an army of settlers in a surprise retaliatory attack on Peskeompskut, in present-day Montague, then a traditional native gathering place. Turner and his men killed 200 natives, mostly women and children. When the men of the tribe returned, they routed Turner's forces; Turner died after being wounded at Green River.

In the predawn hours of February 29, 1704, during Queen Anne's War, joint French and Indian forces (including 47 Canadiens and 200 Abenaki, along with some Kanienkehaka (Mohawk), Wyandot, and a few Pocumtuck, all under the command of Jean-Baptiste Hertel de Rouville) attacked the town in what became known as the Raid on Deerfield. They razed much of the settlement and killed 56 colonists, including 22 men, 9 women, and 25 children. The attackers took 112 captives, including women and children, and forced them on a months-long trek to Montreal, nearly 300 miles to the north. Many died along the way; others were killed because they could not keep up.

In this period, there was an active trade in ransoming captives among both the English and French. Deerfield and other communities collected funds to ransom the captives, and negotiations were conducted between the colonial governments. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony released the French pirate Pierre Maisonnat dit Baptiste, Canada arranged redemption of numerous Deerfield people, among them the prominent minister John Williams. He wrote a captivity narrative about his experience, which was published in 1707 and became well known. One of those captured and ransomed was Mehuman Kellog, the first white child born in Deerfield and a descendant of Robert Hinsdale.

In addition to ransoming captives, because of losses to war and disease, families of the Mohawk and other tribes often adopted younger captives into their tribes. Such was the case with Williams's daughter Eunice, who was 8 years old when captured. She became thoroughly assimilated and at age 16 married a Mohawk man. They had a family and she stayed with the Mohawk for the rest of her life. Most of the Deerfield captives eventually returned to New England; others remained by choice in French and Native communities, such as Kahnawake, for the rest of their lives.

As the frontier moved north, Deerfield became another colonial town with an unquiet early history. In 1753 Greenfield was set off and incorporated. During the early nineteenth century, Deerfield's role in Northeast agricultural production declined. It was overtaken by the rapid development of the Midwestern United States as the nation's breadbasket, as transportation to eastern markets and New York City was enhanced by construction of the Erie Canal and later railroads.

During the Colonial Revival movement of the late nineteenth century, Deerfield citizens rediscovered the town's past. Residents founded the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in 1870 and erected monuments to commemorate various events, including the Bloody Brook and 1704 attacks. In 1890 Charlotte Alice Baker returned to Deerfield to restore her family home, the Frary House. Baker was assisted by the Boston architectural firm Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge, and her project was one of the first in historic preservation in western Massachusetts.

Local historian George Sheldon wrote an account of the town's early history that was published in the late nineteenth century. By this time South Deerfield and other New England villages were already absorbing a new wave of Eastern European immigrants, particularly from Poland. The new people influenced Deerfield's demographics and culture. They were mostly Catholic peasants, who built their own churches. Working first as laborers, they formed a community later known as Old Polonia. Twentieth-century immigrants from Poland tended to be more educated but settled in the larger cities. Immigrants in smaller communities followed different paths, and their descendants often moved to cities for more opportunities.

Today, heritage tourism is Deerfield's principal industry and is important to the Pioneer Valley. "Historic Deerfield" has been designated as a National Historic Landmark district, containing eleven house museums and a regional museum and visitors' center. It focuses on decorative arts, early American material culture, and history. Its eleven house museums offer interpretation through the late nineteenth century. The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association operates the Memorial Hall Museum, which opened in 1880; and the Indian House Memorial Children's Museum and Bloody Brook Tavern. Deerfield is a center of heritage tourism in the Pioneer Valley near the Connecticut River. The Yankee Candle Company is an example of one of many commercial businesses associated with this history.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 86.6 km2, of which 83.9 km2 is land and 2.8 km2, or 3.17 percent, is water. Deerfield is located in the northern Pioneer Valley and is bordered by Greenfield to the north, Montague to the northeast, Sunderland to the southeast, Whately to the south, Conway to the west, and Shelburne to the northwest. The town center is located 8 mi south of Greenfield, 29 mi north of Springfield, and 93 mi west of Boston.

Deerfield's northern point is located at the confluence of the Deerfield and Connecticut rivers, with the former flowing through the northwestern corner of the town and the latter forming the eastern border of the town. Several brooks and the Mill River also flow through the town. North Sugarloaf Mountain rises above the Connecticut in the southeastern corner, providing a panoramic view of the valley and the town center. The Pocumtuck Range rises along the eastern side of town north of Sugarloaf.

Interstate 91 passes from south to north through the central part of town, crossing the Deerfield River near the river's southernmost bend. The interstate is paralleled by U.S. Route 5 and Massachusetts Route 10, which run concurrently through the town. Route 116 also passes through town, combining with Routes 5 and 10 for a one-mile stretch, briefly passing into Whately before separating and crossing through the southern part of town and over the Connecticut River at the Sunderland Bridge. All three routes historically crossed through the center of the village prior to the construction of I-91 but were rerouted to a more direct route, closer to the highway.

A portion of the Springfield Terminal freight rail line passes through the town before branching off eastward and westward around Greenfield. The nearest Amtrak passenger service is in Springfield; a stop in Greenfield is in operation as part of the rerouting of Amtrak's Vermonter route. Deerfield has bus service through Peter Pan Bus Lines; the nearest small air service is in Gill and Northampton. The nearest national air service is Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,125 people, 2,053 households, and 1,350 families residing in the town. The population density was 158.2 PD/sqmi. There were 2,181 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 95 percent White, 0.8 percent African American, 0.1 percent Native American, 1.9 percent Asian, 0.5 percent from other races, and 1.8 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.6 percent of the population.

There were 2,053 households, out of which 26.3 percent had their own children under the age of 18 living with them; 52.4 percent were married couples living together, 9.4 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2 percent were nonfamilies. Individuals made up 26.3 percent of all households. The average household size was 2.33, and the average family size was 2.83.

As of the American Community Survey of 2015, the median income for a household was $74,853, and the median income for a family was $83,859. Men who worked full-time year-round had a median income of $70,873 versus $49,115 for similar females. The per capita income for the town was $38,379. Four percent of families and 7.5 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6 percent of those under age 18 and 7.8 percent of those age 65 or over.

Government
Deerfield employs the open town meeting form of government and is led by a board of selectmen. The town has its own police, fire, and public works departments. The fire department and the post office both have two branches, in South Deerfield (where most of the town offices are) and in Old Deerfield Village, near Memorial Hall and the Old Town Hall. The town's Tilton Library is connected to the regional library network and is located in South Deerfield. The nearest hospital, Franklin Medical Center, is located in Greenfield, as are many regional state offices.

Deerfield is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by the First Franklin district, which includes the southeastern third of Franklin County and towns in north central Hampshire County. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate by the Hampshire and Franklin district, which includes much of eastern Franklin and Hampshire Counties. The town is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Barracks of Troop B of the Massachusetts State Police.

Deerfield is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district and has been represented by Jim McGovern of Worcester. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate by senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren.

Education
Deerfield is the central member of Frontier Regional and Union 38 School Districts, which also includes Conway, Whately, and Sunderland. Each town operates its own elementary school, with Deerfield Elementary School serving the town's students from kindergarten through sixth grades. All four towns send seventh through twelfth grade students to Frontier Regional School in the town. Frontier's athletics teams are nicknamed the Red Hawks, and the team colors are red and blue. There are many art programs available during and after school at Frontier. Private schools in the town include the Bement School (a coeducational boarding school for grades K–9), the Eaglebrook School (a private boys' boarding school for grades 6–9), and Deerfield Academy, a private school for grades 9–12. There are other private schools in the Deerfield area.

The nearest community college, Greenfield Community College, is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams and the nearest state universities are the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Westfield State University. The nearest private colleges are Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College.

Notable people

 * Frank Boyden (1879–1972), Headmaster of Deerfield Academy
 * Alon Bement (1876–1954), an American artist, arts administrator, author, and educator, whose family helped found Deerfield
 * Francis John Higginson (1843–1931), rear admiral in U.S. Navy, raised in Deerfield
 * Irwin Rose (1926–2015), biologist, Nobel prizewinner, died in Deerfield
 * George Sheldon (1818–1916), Deerfield town historian and justice of the peace; leader of one of the first preservation societies in the United States
 * Jennie Maria Arms Sheldon (1852–1938), curator of Deerfield's Memorial Hall Museum
 * Lucy Terry (c. 1730–1821), African-American poet, slave in Deerfield
 * John Williams (1817–1899), Episcopal bishop, born in Deerfield

title: Deerfield, Massachusetts


text:
Erving, Massachusetts

Erving is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,665 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area.

History
Erving is located along the Mohawk Trail. The area was part of the Pocomtuc Indian Nation, whose villages included Squawkeag in what is now Northfield, and Peskeompscut in what is now Turners Falls. Eventually, most of the native population was displaced and/or sold into slavery as a result of King Philip's War and a series of massacres of local Indian villages.

Subsequently, Erving was first settled by white settlers in 1801 and officially incorporated—it being nearly the last unincorporated land in Massachusetts—in 1838. What is now Erving was once the farm of John Erving, the first colonial in the area. Noted in the 19th century for timber and grazing, the town had seven sawmills, two chair factories, one pail factory, one children's carriage factory, and one bit-brace factory. Large numbers of railroad ties and telegraph poles were cut in the abundant forests here, as many as 1,495,000 in one year. Today, Erving has a school, a police and fire department, public library, several small stores and restaurants. The biggest employer in town is Erving Industries, a paper mill with history to Holyoke, Massachusetts - 'Paper City era'.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 14.4 sqmi, of which 13.9 sqmi is land and 0.5 sqmi (3.61%) is water. The Millers River, a tributary of the Connecticut River, passes through the town.

The terrain of Erving is hilly and rugged; most of the developed area of the town is located along the river. Northfield Mountain and its peaks occupy much of the northern two-thirds of the town. The mountain is the location of a pumped storage hydroelectric facility.

Erving is situated along Route 2, a heavily traveled state highway.

Outdoor recreation
The town is home to a number of topographic features popular among outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Erving State Forest has recreation and seasonal camping facilities. The Millers River is used for fishing and whitewater kayaking. Northfield Mountain hosts cross country ski trails, hiking trails, and rock climbing ascents, including the 114 mile (183 km) Metacomet-Monadnock Trail and the Farley Ledges rock climbing area.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,467 people, 600 households, and 400 families residing in the town. The population density was 105.7 PD/sqmi. There were 630 housing units at an average density of 45.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.80% White, 0.14% African American, 0.82% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.41% from other races, and 1.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population.

There were 600 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,039, and the median income for a family was $47,212. Males had a median income of $35,511 versus $26,711 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,107. About 4.7% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Erving is home to one elementary school, the Erving Elementary School. Middle/High School students attend Great Falls Middle School, and Turner Falls High School in Montague.

title: Erving, Massachusetts


text:
Gill, Massachusetts

Gill is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,551 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The campus of Northfield Mount Hermon School is located in the Mount Hermon section of the town.

By sheer coincidence, "Gill" is the only full municipality of the 351 towns and cities currently administered in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts whose name has characters entirely in alphabetical order. No letter in "Gill" appears later than another letter that comes after it in the English alphabet. This quality is unique for any currently existing Massachusetts town name, as of early 2024.

History
Prior to the arrival of English colonists, the Massachusetts portion of the Connecticut River valley was occupied by the Nipmuc, an Algonquin-speaking tribe. A site on the river near the great falls shows evidence of human habitation dating back 10,000 years or more. In the 1670s the Nipmuc had a village called Peskeompscut in that area. During King Philip's War in 1676, Captain William Turner led 150 colonists in an attack on this settlement, in which 100-200 Indians (mostly women, children, and elderly) were slain. The falls came to be known as Turners Falls after Turner, who was slain in the battle. (The falls thereafter gave that name to the village of Turners Falls in neighboring Montague.)

Gill was first settled in 1776 and was officially incorporated in 1793. The town is named in honor of Moses Gill, a member of Massachusetts' Executive Council who became lieutenant governor in 1794 and acting governor in 1799 when Governor Increase Sumner died.

The first town meeting was held December 18, 1793, with Moses Bascom as moderator. Elected officers were Moses Bascom Jr. as town clerk and treasurer, Moses Bascom, William Smalley and Noah Munn as selectmen and assessors, and David Squires as constable.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 38.3 km2, of which 35.6 km2 is land and 2.7 km2, or 6.96%, is water.

Gill is located on the west bank of the Connecticut River, which flows along the town's eastern and southern edges. The river forms most of the town's boundary with Northfield, to the east, and separates the town from Erving to the southeast, and Montague to the south. The Fall River, a small tributary, forms the boundary with Greenfield to the southwest. Continuing clockwise, the town shares land boundaries with Bernardston in the northwest, and a portion of Northfield to the north.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,363 people, 537 households, and 373 families residing in the town. The population density was 97.5 PD/sqmi. There were 560 housing units at an average density of 40.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.43% White, 0.29% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 0.37% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.73% of the population.

There were 537 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,750, and the median income for a family was $61,339. Males had a median income of $35,402 versus $26,613 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,381. About 3.9% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Gill is home to one elementary school, the Gill Elementary School. Middle/High School students attend Great Falls Middle School, and Turner Falls High School in Montague.

Points of interest

 * Northfield Mount Hermon School
 * French King Bridge
 * Gill–Montague Bridge
 * Renaissance Community, a commune (1968–1988)
 * Turners Falls Dam

Notable people

 * Bryan Callen, American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and podcaster
 * E. Stevens Henry, U.S. Representative
 * Sereno Merrill, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
 * Matt Striebel, Professional lacrosse midfielder

title: Gill, Massachusetts


text:
Hawley, Massachusetts

Hawley is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 353 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Hawley was first settled in 1760 as Plantation Number 7, by a group from Hatfield. The town was called the "Hatfield Reserve" until it was officially incorporated in 1792. The town was named for Joseph Hawley of Northampton, a local leader in the American Revolution. Hawley's main industries were forestry and, eventually, recreation. The town originally included the land of its neighbor, Plainfield, which split off in the early nineteenth century.

Today, the town has very little industry. There are a few remaining farms, artisans and small businesses, though most people commute from the town, work from home or work for municipalities. The town has no gas stations, convenience stores, or liquor stores. Hawley does not have a police department, but does have a fire department.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.9 sqmi, of which 30.9 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi (0.06%) is water. The town is located at the southwestern corner of Franklin County, with Hampshire County to the south and Berkshire County to the west. The town is bordered by Charlemont to the north, Buckland to the east, Ashfield to the southeast, Plainfield to the south, and Savoy to the west. Hawley is located 22 mi west of Greenfield, 45 mi north-northwest of Springfield, and 110 mi west-northwest of Boston.

Hawley is located among the northern Berkshires, with the northern edge of town falling to the valley of the Deerfield River. Several brooks and the Chickley River flow into the river through town. The town is home to Hawley Bog, one of the few bogs in Massachusetts to be preserved in its natural state. There are several small peaks in town, with the highest being Parker Hill to the south. The hill lies within Kenneth Dubuque Memorial State Forest, which has several recreation sites for all seasons. Mohawk Trail State Forest also extends into the town from Charlemont and Savoy, in the northwest corner of town. Between the two forests lies Stump Sprout Cross-Country Ski Area, which also provides other recreational activities off-season. A portion of Berkshire East Ski Area also lies within town, with the base of the area being in Charlemont.

The main road through town is Massachusetts Route 8A, which connects Route 116 to the south with Route 2 to the north. Route 2, the Mohawk Trail, passes just north of the town line for most of the town border. The nearest interstate, Interstate 91, can be accessed in nearby Greenfield. There is no rail, air or bus service in town. The town is roughly equidistant from the two nearest points for rail and air service, Greenfield and North Adams. The nearest Amtrak service is in Pittsfield, and the nearest national air service is at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Climate
Hawley has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb).

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 336 people, 137 households, and 99 families residing in the town. By population, Hawley ranks 25th out of the 26 towns in Franklin County, and 347th out of 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 10.9 PD/sqmi, which ranked 25th in the county and 348th in the Commonwealth. There were 192 housing units at an average density of 6.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.32% White, 0.30% African American, 0.89% Asian, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.30% of the population.

There were 137 households, out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $38,125, and the median income for a family was $46,875. Males had a median income of $30,833 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,333. About 11.8% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Hawley employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen and an administrative assistant. The town only has two full-time employees with most being part-time or volunteer, as in the case with the fire department and emergency services. There is no library or post office in Hawley; neighboring Charlemont provides these services. The nearest hospitals are in Greenfield and North Adams.

On the state level, Hawley is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as part of the Second Berkshire district, represented by Paul Mark, which covers central Berkshire County, as well as portions of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is part of the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, represented by Ben Downing, which includes all of Berkshire County and the western portions of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The town is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Station of Troop "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, Hawley is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and has been represented by Richard Neal of Springfield since January 2013. Massachusetts is currently represented in the United States Senate by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey.

Education
Hawley and neighboring Charlemont make up the Hawlemont Regional School District, a sub-district of the nine-town Mohawk Trail Regional School District, which serves much of western Franklin County. Town students attend the Hawlemont Regional Elementary School in Charlemont from pre-kindergarten through sixth grades, and all students in the district attend Mohawk Trail Regional High School in Buckland. There is a private academy, the Academy at Charlemont, in Charlemont as well, and other private and religious schools are in nearby towns.

The nearest community college, Greenfield Community College, is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private college is Williams College in Williamstown, with several others located southeast in the Northampton area.

Notable people

 * David Dunnels White, Medal of Honor nominee, for the capture of Major General Custis Lee, son of Robert E. Lee, at the Battle of Sailor's Creek, Virginia on April 6, 1865. He is buried in the Bozrah cemetery in East Hawley.
 * Alice Parker, composer

title: Hawley, Massachusetts


text:
Heath, Massachusetts

Heath is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 723 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Heath was first settled in 1765 as a part of Charlemont. The town, as well as neighboring Rowe, separated, and Heath was officially incorporated in 1785, just a few days after its new neighbor. The town is named after William Heath, Major General of Massachusetts and Brigadier General in the national army during the American Revolution.

General Heath had been the commanding officer and friend of Col. Hugh Maxwell, a local citizen who suggested the town be named in his honor. In 1784 Maxwell, who was severely wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill by a bullet through his shoulder, was chosen to represent Heath at the General Court in Boston and obtain a division of the town from Charlemont. Accordingly, the new town was incorporated on February 14, 1785.

Chloe Maxwell, daughter of Col. Maxwell, was married to prominent local landowner and state legislator abolitionist Roger Leavitt. Their son was the Congregational minister, lawyer, social reformer, editor and fervent abolitionist Rev. Joshua Leavitt, who after his graduation from Yale College was the first lawyer to practice in Heath. (Rev. Leavitt soon gave up law for the ministry, training at Yale Theological Seminary and settling in Stratford, Connecticut, before decamping for New York City and a career that included the editorship of The Emancipator. ) Members of the Leavitt family of Heath and Charlemont provided stops on the Underground Railroad, and in some cases sheltered slaves like Basil Dorsey who were fleeing the South.

The town had some farming and other small industry in the nineteenth century, but much of it is gone now, leaving the town as a rural area. One of its more distinctive industries was a straw hat business, where palm fronds were imported from the Carolinas to be woven by women and children during their free time. Each year, the Heath Agricultural Society hosts the Heath Fair, a small agriculturally-focused fair held two weekends before Labor Day.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.9 sqmi, of which 24.9 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi, or 0.08%, is water. Heath lies along the Vermont border between Franklin and Windham counties. Heath is bordered by Whitingham and Halifax, Vermont, to the north, Colrain to the east, Charlemont to the south and southwest, and Rowe to the west. Heath is located 17 mi northwest of Greenfield, 49 mi north-northwest of Springfield, and 106 mi west-northwest of Boston.

Heath is located in the northeastern portion of the Berkshires, with the highest point being Burnt Hill to the southeast. Heath is fed by the West Branch of the North River, which originates near the state line and heads south-eastward towards Colrain. Several brooks also feed into this and the nearby Deerfield River, and there is a large settlement around Papoose Lake, which drains into the Taylor Brook and eventually the North River.

Massachusetts Route 8A runs from Charlemont towards its terminus at the Vermont border, where it becomes Vermont Route 8A (this route, however, never rejoins Vermont Route 8, but rather joins Vermont Route 112). Route 8A is the main link between Heath and Charlemont, where it meets Massachusetts Route 2 (the Mohawk Trail) and provides access to the region. The nearest expressway, Interstate 91, is accessible in Greenfield. The town has no rail, bus or air service. The nearest bus and small air service is in Greenfield and Turners Falls, respectively, and the nearest Amtrak service is in Greenfield. The nearest national air service can be reached at Albany International Airport in New York.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 805 people, 292 households, and one family residing in the town. By population, Heath ranks twenty-first of the twenty-six towns in Franklin County, and 332nd out of the 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The population density was 32.3 PD/sqmi, which ranks twentieth in the county and 327th in the Commonwealth. There were 648 housing units at an average density of 26.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.76% White, 0.50% Asian, 0.37% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 292 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. Of all households, 19.9% were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,536, and the median income for a family was $55,938. Males had a median income of $32,188 versus $25,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,777. About 6.5% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

During the 1970s and 1980s, many families from New York, Connecticut, and Maine moved to Heath.

Government
Heath employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen and an administrative assistant. The town has its own police and fire departments, as well as a post office. The town has a library, Heath Free Public Library, which is connected to the regional library network. The nearest hospital is the Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield.

On the state level, Heath is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as part of the Second Berkshire district, represented by Paul Mark, which covers central Berkshire County, as well as portions of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is part of the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district, represented by Ben Downing, which includes all of Berkshire County and the western portions of Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The town is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Station of Troop "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, Heath is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, and is represented by Richard Neal. Massachusetts is represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren and junior Senator Ed Markey.

Education
Heath is a member of the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, which covers six towns on the elementary level and most of western Franklin County on the upper levels of education. Heath Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grades, and students from grades 7–12 attend Mohawk Trail Regional High School in Buckland. There is a private school, the Academy at Charlemont, in neighboring Charlemont, and several other private and religious schools are located in the region.

The nearest community college, Greenfield Community College, is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private college is Williams College in Williamstown, with several others located southeast in the Northampton area.

Notable people

 * Elsa Bakalar, garden designer
 * Robert McAfee Brown, Presbyterian minister, theologian, and activist; made his summer home in Heath
 * Felix Frankfurter, Supreme Court Justice; made his summer home in Heath
 * Jonathan Leavitt, first minister of Charlemont, longtime resident of Heath
 * Alastair Maitland, Diplomat and consul-general retired in Heath
 * Reinhold Niebuhr, made his summer home in Heath, where in 1934 he first delivered the famous Serenity Prayer
 * Jackson Temple, Justice of the California Supreme Court, was born in Heath

title: Heath, Massachusetts


text:
Leverett, Massachusetts

Leverett is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,865 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Leverett is one of the southernmost towns of Franklin County, located west of Shutesbury and Wendell, east of Sunderland, south of Montague, and north of Amherst. Leverett was originally part of Sunderland (named Swampfield at that time).

The first non-indigenous settlement was established in 1750, and the settlers officially petitioned Sunderland to become their own town in 1774. The town was named for John Leverett, the twentieth Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In 1985, a Buddhist monastic order called Nipponzan Myohoji erected a large monument in Leverett. This structure, known as the New England Peace Pagoda, is considered the first of its kind in North America. Two historic Evangelical churches are also located in Leverett, North Leverett Baptist and Moore's Corner Church, the latter of which was founded by a protégé of evangelist Dwight L. Moody.

The Boston Globe ran a story in 2005 describing Leverett and its neighboring town, Shutesbury, as one of "America's Broadband Black Holes". In 2017 Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced grant funding for high speed broadband in several towns, including Leverett.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 23.0 sqmi, of which 22.9 sqmi are land and 0.1 sqmi (0.61%) is water. Leverett is located on the edge of the Pioneer Valley and the hills of northwestern Massachusetts, just east of the Connecticut River. The southwestern corner of town is relatively flat plains, while the rest is dominated by hills, the tallest of which is Brushy Mountain, with an elevation of 1260 ft.

Several brooks drain through the town, all heading toward the Connecticut River. Leverett Pond is the town's largest body of water, lying near the center of town. A small part of Mount Toby State Forest crosses into the town from the west. The town's most famous geological feature, however, is Rattlesnake Gutter, a boulder-filled chasm near the geographic center of town.

Leverett is located along the southern border of Franklin County, north of Hampshire County. The town is bordered by Montague to the north, Wendell to the northeast, Shutesbury to the east, Amherst to the south, and Sunderland to the west. There are four small villages in the town, Leverett Center, East Leverett, North Leverett and Moores Corner. North Leverett begins at the intersection of Montague Road and Cave Hill Road, extending north to the Montague and Wendell borders. A fifth, Hillsboro, was a former village with an independent post office there until it was disestablished in 1934.

From Leverett Center, Leverett is 14 mi south-southeast of the county seat of Greenfield, 27 mi north of Springfield, and 86 mi west of Boston.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,663 people, in 632 households, and 448 families residing in the town. The population density was 72.8 PD/sqmi. There were 648 housing units at an average density of 28.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.31% White; 0.24% African American; 0.54% Native American; 1.38% Asian; 1.62% from other races; and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population.

Of the 632 households, 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them; 58.5% were married couples living together; 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present; and 29.0% were non-families. Of all households 19.9% were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24; 22.1% from 25 to 44, 35.7% from 45 to 64; and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

The median income for a household was $63,203, and the median income for a family was $73,333. Males had a median income of $45,078 versus $36,607 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,891. About 1.6% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
There are no interstates or limited-access highways in the town; the nearest, Interstate 91, lies west of town, across the Connecticut River. The only state route to pass through town, Route 63, runs through Leverett's western side, heading from Amherst into Montague. The route runs roughly parallel to the New England Central Railroad freight line. The nearest general aviation airport is Turners Falls Airport in Montague, and the nearest national air service is at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut.

Education
The town is part of the Erving School Union #28 for grades PK–6 along with the towns of Shutesbury, New Salem, Wendell, and Erving, and the Amherst Regional School District along with Amherst, Pelham, and Shutesbury. Leverett has one elementary school, which serves grades PK–6. Students in Leverett then attend Amherst Regional Middle School for grades 7–8, and high school students attend Amherst Regional High School.

Notable people

 * Erastus Salisbury Field, nineteenth century painter, whose works are held in Historic Deerfield, the D'Amour Museum of Fine Art in Springield, and the National Gallery in Washington DC
 * Paula Green, founder of the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding
 * Michael Kittredge, founder of the Yankee Candle Company

title: Leverett, Massachusetts


text:
Leyden, Massachusetts

Leyden is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 734 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Immediately prior to English settlement, the area was occupied by the Wabanaki people. English colonists first settled in Leyden in 1737 as part of "Fall Town", which also included Bernardston and Colrain. The town was set off from Bernardston in 1784, but it was not incorporated as a town until February 22, 1809. The town was named for the city of Leiden, Netherlands, refuge of the Pilgrims before colonizing the Americas. Leyden had several small industries in the eighteenth century, including grist mills, wood product mills, and dairying, but today the largest industry is maple sugar production. The town also has a reservoir which supplies the town of Greenfield. The Dorrellites, a utopian sect founded and led by William Dorrell, was active in Leyden in the 1790s. The Brotherhood of the Spirit commune was founded in Leyden in 1968.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.7 km2, of which 46.4 sqkm is land and 0.3 sqkm, or 0.66%, is water. Leyden lies on the northern Massachusetts border, south of Windham County, Vermont. The town is bordered by Guilford, Vermont, to the north, Bernardston to the east, Greenfield to the south, and Colrain to the west. The town center lies 9 mi north of Greenfield, 47 mi north of Springfield, and 96 mi west-northwest of Boston.

Leyden lies along the eastern edge of the Berkshires, with the town mostly lying along the valleys of the Green River (which also forms the western border) and the branches of Glen Brook. The majority of the town away from the brooks is forested, and the town has a small state forest and a wildlife management area within its borders. The confluence of the main and east branches of Glen Brook is dammed to form the Greenfield Reservoir, before the brook flows southward into Greenfield and meets the Green River.

Leyden is one of only a handful of towns in Massachusetts which does not have any state routes (nearly half of such towns are on the islands of Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands). There are state routes, U.S. routes and interstates in the neighboring towns, with Interstate 91 passing to the south and east of town. The nearest bus and passenger train service is in Greenfield, and the nearest small air service in Turners Falls. The nearest national air service is at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 772 people, 277 households, and 219 families residing in the town. By population, Leyden ranked 22nd out of the 26 towns in Franklin County, and 333rd out of 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 42.9 PD/sqmi, which ranked 18th in the county and 316th in the Commonwealth. There were 306 housing units at an average density of 17.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.45% White, 0.39% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.13% Asian, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.26% of the population.

There were 277 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. Of all households, 16.2% were made up of individuals, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,385, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $40,192 versus $29,659 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,076. About 3.4% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Leyden employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen and an administrative assistant. Leyden has its own fire department as well as a library connected to the regional library network. Police services are provided by Bernardston Police Department. The nearest hospital, Franklin Medical Center, is in neighboring Greenfield, as are most of the nearest state services.

After redistricting in 2023, Leyden is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as part of the First Franklin district, represented by Natalie Blais. In the Massachusetts Senate, the town is part of the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester district, represented by Joanne Comerford. Leyden is part of the Eighth Massachusetts Governor's Council district and is represented by Tara Jacobs. The town is patrolled by the Second (Shelburne Falls) Station of Troop "B" of the Massachusetts State Police.

On the national level, Leyden is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, by Richard Neal. John Olver of Amherst who represented the town in the House from June 1991 to January 2013, retired when redistricting placed him and Rep. Neal in the same district. Massachusetts is represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren (D) and junior Senator Ed Markey (D), who won a special election in June 2013 to fill the seat vacated by Secretary of State John Kerry.

Education
Leyden is a member of the Pioneer Valley Regional School District, which includes several northern border towns to the east. The district is essentially operated in two portions; the towns each have their own semi-independent elementary schools, with students attending Pioneer Valley Regional School in Northfield from seventh through twelfth grades. As of 2019, Pearl Rhodes Elementary School has been closed. Students now attend Bernardston Elementary School for K–6. There are private, parochial and charter schools in Greenfield and other nearby communities, with the most prominent private school being Deerfield Academy in nearby Deerfield.

The nearest community college, Greenfield Community College, is located in Greenfield. The nearest state college is Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and the nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The nearest private colleges, including members of the Five Colleges and Seven Sisters, are located southeast in the Northampton area.

Notable people

 * Henry Kirke Brown (1814–1886), sculptor, most notably for the equestrian statues of Winfield Scott in Scott Circle, Washington, D.C., and George Washington at Union Square in New York City
 * Charles C. Carpenter (1834–1899), United States Navy rear admiral, rose to command of the Asiatic Squadron
 * Charles N. Davenport (1830–1882), Vermont attorney and politician
 * John Leonard Riddell (1807–1865), noted scientist, author and politician, developed the first practical binocular microscope and was melter and refiner at the New Orleans Mint during the American Civil War

title: Leyden, Massachusetts


text:
Millers Falls, Massachusetts

Millers Falls is a census-designated place (CDP) in the towns of Montague and Erving in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,139 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area.

History
Located along the Mohawk Trail, Millers Falls was first established in 1824 as an agricultural community, named Grout's Corner after first settler Martin Grout (1790–1865). In the 1860s, however, the local growth of railroads stimulated development, as the New London Northern Railroad bought the Amherst & Palmer railroad in 1864 and in 1866 extended its line to a connection with the Vermont & Massachusetts at Grout's Corner. With this new railroad juncture, the abundant water power of the falls at Grout's Corner provided a perfect place to establish mills. The village's present name derives from the Millers Falls Manufacturing Company (later the Millers Falls Company), established on the Millers River in 1868, and famed for its fine hand tools.

The central portion of the village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

Geography
Millers Falls is located at 42.57917°N, -72.49333°W (42.579154, -72.493414), near the border with Erving, Massachusetts.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.4 km$2$ (0.9 mi2), of which 2.3 km$2$ (0.9 mi2) is land and 0.1 km$2$ (0.04 mi2) (3.26%) is water. The village is drained by the Millers River, a tributary of the Connecticut River.

Millers Falls is crossed by Massachusetts Routes 2 and 63.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 1,072 people, 439 households, and 273 families living in the CDP. The population density was 465.1/km$2$ (1,198.1/mi2). There were 472 housing units at an average density of 204.8/km$2$ (527.5/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.18% White, 0.28% African American, 1.03% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 2.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.12%.

Of the 439 households 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 27.3% of households were one person and 13.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.95.

The age distribution was 22.9% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.

The median household income was $37,337 and the median family income was $41,711. Males had a median income of $34,886 versus $24,375 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,768. About 1.8% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

title: Millers Falls, Massachusetts