After 4,000 years of silt being carried into
the Lake and settling on the bottom, Lake Hitchcock drained
around 8,000 BC, forming the Pioneer Valley and leaving behind a
rich soil, the richest in New England. It is rare to find a
stone when plowing in most parts of Hadley. There are no stone
walls in Hadley!
Early Farmers
Native Americans are first believed to have
farmed in the Valley around 1000 AD.
Hadley's Settlers:
All the families that settled in Hadley in
1659 farmed. Land in the Great Meadows, and the Hockanum Flats
were divided into lots for growing crops in the 1660s.
Forty acres and other flats were cultivated. As some of
the towns people went into other work - ferryman, grist miller,
blacksmith, tavern keeper- they still farmed. The Great
Meadows, Hockanum Flats and Forty Acres area are still farmed
today.
A grist mill was essential to the settlers.
The first corn mill and dam were built in 1673 on the Mill River
in North Hadley. Because the mill was four miles out of town,
it was dangerous to travel to, for fear of Indian attack. It
was built there because of the water power. Robert Boltwood
was the first owner. The mill was burned by Indians in 1677.
Hopkins Schools became the owner, and received the profits from
the mill until 1865. The mill and dam were destroyed several
times by fires and floods. The last corn was ground
at the grist mill in 1925.
Beginning about 1685, turpentine was collected
from the great pine forests to the east and shipped to Hartford
then Boston. Turpentine was an important crop through the
early 1700s, it was discontinued by the 1750s.
The land in what is now Amherst was laid out
in lots in 1701. The land in what is now South Hadley was
laid out in lots in the 1720s. The lots were divided
between Hadley inhabitants, and a few Hatfield ones. The
land was mostly used for timber and hunting. It still was not
felt safe to settle there.
From statistics printed in 1771, there were 99
families in 1765, 88 houses, 82 barns, 13 shops, 2 gristmills,
and 2 sawmills. Livestock at least 3 years old included
122 horses, 124 oxen, 122 cows, 603 sheep, and 179 swine.
Acres of tillage land were 1421, and 11,517 bushels of grain
were raised. 232 acres were mowed, producing 249 tons of
hay. There were 687 acres of fresh meadow with 590 tons of
hay mowed. There were an additional 376 acres of pasturage
from other sources. Crops included barley, flax, peas,
oats, rye, corn, meslin, wheat, potatoes, and pumpkins (Judd pg
384-5)
In 1767, Simeon Smith of Amherst was the first
to bring goods and crops to Boston by land. Prior to this,
goods were shipped to Hartford then to Boston.
By the mid to late 1800s, many of the farms on
the original lands were getting run down, as some of the
descendants of the towns founders went into industry or left
town to try their luck out west. Even the California gold
rush lured some Hadley residents. Irish and French
Canadian immigrants were attracted to Hadley by the farm work
available. They worked hard and saved, and soon were able
to buy some of the old farms. Immigrants from Poland and
other Eastern European countries came later in the century.
The immigrants brought with them farming skills and knowledge,
they revitalized Hadley's farming and added their influence and
culture to the town.
Jekanowski Farm, photo courtesy of Frank Zalot
In the mid 1800s, farmers began growing
tobacco. The business thrived until the 1960s when the big
tobacco companies moved elsewhere for cheaper land and labor,
and crops were devastated by viruses. Tobacco is still an
important crop in Hadley, though a risky one. Many years
the crop is worthless, due to a virus or mold (as it is this
year). Other years, the crop survives, and brings in a
much higher price per acre than any other crop a farmer can
grow. Many farmers in town take the chance, often getting
crop insurance to help them out in the unsuccessful years. The tobacco
is used primarily to wrap cigars, so the appearance of the leaf is
an important aspect. Many of the tobacco barns seen in
town today were built after the 1938 hurricane, as most earlier
barns were flattened during the 1936 flood and 1938 hurricane.
Tobacco, Kelley Farm, 1939
photo courtesy of Patsy Lewis
Tobacco, Kelley Farm, 1953
photo courtesy of Patsy Lewis
Tobacco, Kelley Farm, 1969 (Eddie driving)
photo courtesy of Patsy Lewis
Other Firsts
1895, onions first raised as a cash crop
Onion Field, courtesy of Miriam Pratt
1910, Montgomery Rose became the first
commercial rose grower in the area
Montgomery Rose in the 1950s
1917, the first tractor was used in Hadley
1920, set onions introduced in Hadley
1929, produce trucking began in Hadley,
increasing the available markets for Hadley's crops
A few years ago, Norm Barstow, Sr. remembered
which farms grew asparagus in Hadley between 1945 and 1950 that
Barstow Trucking would pick up
the crop at to bring to market. He listed 112 farms.
Hockanum Rd:
Russell, Thayer, L.H. Barstow, H. Barstow, O.
Johnson, Drozdal
Lawrence Plain Rd:
Kulas, T. Sadlowski, Bill Chmura, Haluszczak,
Yarrows, Joe Zenzayer, Joe Kostek, Dec, Gnatek, Bob Martin, Zenzayer, Berestka, Sobasko, G. Kostek, W. Zack, C. Chmura, C.
Wanat
East Street:
Bliznizk, Bokaj, Bemben, Sanders, Wzorek, J. Kozera,
Wiater, Filkoski, Sadlowski, Kostek, L. Shuszdak, Waskiewicz,
Gnatek
Middle Street:
F. Greskiewicz, Maslanka, Parker, Wanczyk, P.
Brown, P. Banas, P. Kosior, B. Waskiewicz, J. Mish, Chunglo,
Samilowicz, Frodyma, Vandoloski, Tolper, Szafir
West Street:
Zuchowski, Bemben, Punska, R. Smsith, F. Drozdal,
J. Zigmont, Wanczyk, Dec, Koloski, Rodak, Regish, Zabowski, Dec,
Yarrows, Westort, Martula, Byron, Waiter, Narog, Kozera, Procon,
Rytuba, Kuzia Drozdal, Gesiorek
North Hadley:
Klimoski, Sessions, Pipczynski, Kushi, Boisvert,
Berestka, Klemyk, Kucharski, Yezierski, Sarsynski, Mokrzecki,
Niedbala, Konieczny, Zuzgo, Kokoski, Hibbard, Russell, Lesko
Russell Street:
Korash, Forman, Kowal, Zalot, Romanowski, Kieras,
Burak, Muraski, Wnukoski, Kusek, Banas, Fill, Witkos
Hartsbrook: Chunglo, Bemben, Wojewoda, Kermensky, Wanczyk
photo by Sandy Pipczynski
In the 2005 Hadley street listing, there were
40 residents who listed their profession as farming. This
does not include the farmers who are listed as retired, or farm as a side
business.
Farming
today
Half of Hadley's almost 16,000 acres are
farmed today. The town has diverse farming activities, with
dairy farms, goats, sheep and pig farms, horse farms, beef cattle, the UMASS farm,
a bison farm, and a variety of crops: tomatoes, potatoes, corn,
Indian corn, asparagus,
tobacco, squashes, cucumbers, hay, onions, grains, cabbages,
lettuces, fruits, berries, apples, herbs, beans, eggplants, peppers, pumpkins, maple sugaring,
Christmas trees, nursery stock and more. The 2009
Agricultural Map lists 35 farms. The farm tours this year are
a great way to see some of these farms. It is easy to be
impressed with the innovation and hard work seen there.
Talking with the farmers, their deep love of the land and their
pride in what they do shine through. Seasonal farm workers
come to town from Jamaica, Mexico, South America and other
places.
Wally Hibbard June 2009, photo by Marge Barrett-Mills
Wally Czajkowski with his tomato and tobacco crops, July 2009
The Grist Mill's gone? No problem,
Michael Doctor grinds corn into corn meal at the Food Bank Farm
while riding a modified bicycle
from Rocky Hill Road
from Roosevelt Street, Aug '09
Hadley has shown its commitment to preserving
farming and farmland. 2400 acres are protected under the
Commonwealth's Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR)
program. Hadley has the most acreage under APR in the state.
Around 4,000 acres are under the Chapter 61A program for reduced
real estate taxes. Several land trusts work with the
state to help preserve Hadley's land, including the Kestrel
Trust and the Valley Land Fund. Seven farmers entered 149 acres
into the APR program in 2009 alone. Look for the "Forever
Farmland" sign next to APR protected land in town. The town's Community
Preservation Act (CPA) provides taxpayer money for land
preservation, too. Residents support farming by buying
local produce. All in the area benefit from the scenic
views, open farmland and fresh produce.
Hadley's Dairy Farms
There are six dairy farms operating in Hadley:
Allard Farm, run by the Goulet Family
Allard Farm, photo courtesy of Ellie Niedbala
Barstow's Longview Farm, by the Barstow Family
2009 Farm Tour
Haying in the 1950s on the Barstow Farm
Cook Farm, run by the Cook Family
Cook Farm
Devine Farm, by the Devine Family
Devine Farm
Hartsbrook Farm, run by the West family
Hartsbrook Farm
Mapleline Farm, run by the Kokoski Family
Mapleline Farm
Hadley Farm Museum
The farm museum is a town treasure and a tourist
destination. It is filled with a diverse collection of
farm implements, tools, equipment, wagons and more. The
museum building is in a barn that was built in 1782 on grounds
of the Porter-Phelps-Huntington House. In 1929, the
barn was given to Henry Johnson, who moved it two miles to the
center of town. The move
involved cutting down more than 10 trees, moving telephone
poles, and stopping traffic on the Central Massachusetts
Railroad. Henry and his brother Clifton had acquired land from
the First Congregational Church of Hadley, for the purpose of
starting a farm museum. Most of the original items in the
museum were from Henry's extensive personal collection.
The museum is open from mid May to Mid October, Friday and
Saturday 11 to 4, and Sunday 1 to 4. Admission is $5 for
adults and $3 for seniors and students, children under 12 are
free. A trip to the museum is a wonderful way to learn
about Hadley's farming history.
Hadley Farm Museum
A glimpse inside
The Farm Museum Stage Coach
You can take a ride on October 24
during the History Fair Weekend
