Hadley Massachusetts 350th Anniversary
Town Has Survived Indian Attacks, Floods and a Failed Witch Hanging
According to its official history, Hadley dates back to 1659 when a Connecticut religious congregation decided to relocate in what is now western Massachusetts. The congregation purchased, from the local Indians, a parcel of fertile land in a crescent of the winding Connecticut River and started a town that has typified the American spirit over the past three and a half centuries
The town’s people have dedicated 2009 to a year-long celebration of its growth, the preservation of its rural charm and it's 350 year history, which has been more interesting than easy.
Though it purchased its site from Indians, Hadley was building a palisade less than 20 years later to protect itself against Indian attacks.
Angel of Hadley
According to the Hadley town website, a former English judge named William Goffe showed up just in time to help the town repulse a 1676 Indian attack. For helping to save Hadley and other heroic acts attributed to him, Goffe has been called "The Angel of Hadley." An original play by that name is performed by the Hopkins Academy Drama Club for the 350th anniversary..
Less celebrated, but recorded on the town website, is the legend of "Half Hanged" Mary Webster, who is said to have been Hadley's "most notable witch." A Boston court acquitted her of "familiarity with the devil." She was later "hung, unsuccessfully" by a group of young Hadley men, but lived 11 more years.
Hadley’s population in 2005 was estimated at 5,166, with above-average educational and income levels. It maintains an open town meeting type of government. The town is extremely proud of the area's five universities, including Smith, Amherst, Mount Holyoke College for Girls, Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts,
Connecticut River Floods
The area has encountered a string of natural disasters, including:
- More than a dozen well-remembered floodings from the Connecticut and Fort rivers between 1692 and 1936.
- A 1755 earthquake;
- An 1877 hurricane.
- An 1888 blizzard.
Late in the 18th Century, Hadley became known as the broomcorn capital of the world. But the soil was eventually depleted by the corn and was replaced by tobacco and vegetables as the area's top crops.
Recruited Irish and Polish Immigrants
The town recruited Irish and Polish immigrants from Ellis Island to work the farms and restore the once-rich soil. Hadley still maintains a Polish Cultural Center and Polish Genealogy Society. In the 2,000 census 30% of the population claimed Polish ethnic roots.
Early in the 20th Century, Hadley became the asparagus capital of the world, until disease ruined that crop in the 1950s. Today the town still grows many vegetables, including pumpkins.
Clarence Hawkes Tribute
A website and special 2009 calendar have been produced to observe the town’s 350th birthday. They list 43 anniversary events from January through November. The events include:
- A kickoff dinner dance
- A tribute to Clarence Hawkes, the blind naturalist
- A contest for old Hadley photographs
- Tours of the Hadley Farm Museum and the Porter-Phelps-Hunting House Museum
- A Memorial Day parade
- Tours of the Town Common and the Hockanum Schoolhouse
- A polka party, block party and Fall harvest supper
- A road race and a stagecoach ride
- Lectures and readings on Hadley historic events
New Orleans Kinship
Not listed among the anniversary events is an annual Mardi Gras celebration in the town’s senior center. The frequent floods, the hurricane and its location in the crescent of a major river, along with the necessity to guard against the river changing its course, give Hadley a surprising kinship to New Orleans. Its witchcraft folklore might also be compared to New Orleans voodoo legends.
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