(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved. Contact us for information about using this image.
label levels:
The town of Hatfield, Massachusetts, was incorporated in 1670. The fertile soil of the Connecticut River Valley made Hatfield a successful agricultural community. Hatfield farmers fattened cattle that were sold to markets in larger towns and cities. The reputation of this Hatfield beef prompted General Washington to station an officer in Hubbard?s Tavern to purchase meat for the troops in the Continental Army. In addition to agriculture, grist mill and a saw mill, and a linseed oil mill prospered. In the early 19th century broom corn became a major cash crop and the production of corn brooms was a wide-spread domestic industry. In the second half of the century tobacco became the major crop. Much of the land in town is still used for cash crops like asparagus, corn and potatoes.