Whately

Whately was incorporated on April 24, 1771, not long after the 55 people living there petitioned for separation from Hatfield because of the long distance they lived from the center of town. Hatfield had agreed to set off the district at their town meeting in May, 1770, and the boundary lines were already carefully drawn and agreed upon.

The original draft of the Act of Incorporation passed through its many readings in the House of Representatives and received consent from the Council with no name. The original papers show the name of the town was inserted by Governor Thomas Hutchinson in honor of his British friend in Parliament, Thomas Whately, from whom he had received much political help.

The town got right down to business after being incorporated, holding its first town meeting May 6, 1771 at the house of Daniel Morton, innkeeper.

The First Congregational Church was formed on August 21, 1771, with 19 men, 25 women and listed separately, one slave. The first pastor was Reverend Rufus Wells from Deerfield.

Many of Whately's first citizens were descended from the people who settled Hadley and Hatfield. Among them were Lucius Allis, Samuel Baldwin, Robert Bardwell, Samuel Dickenson, John Field, David Graves, Richard Morton, Moses Sanderson, David Scott and John White.

Whately is the site of the first gin distillery in the state. Water power gave rise to many mills - saw, grist, cider and woolen - as well as chair and coffin factories. Ore deposits were used in an iron works and pottery was made from clay. Many other shops and mills flourished.

However, Whately has always primarily been an agricultural area with commercial crops that include apples, cider, hay, maple products, tobacco and vegetables during this century.