Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: old-book passages.
The Hatfield post office opened in 1886, the earliest record of the town by name.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Hatfield’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Hatfield.
Hatfield was originally called Fair Fight, and under the latter name was laid out in 1883 by James Hatfield. A post office called Hatfield has been in operation since 1886.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Hatfield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Provided nevertheless, and be it further enacted. That the treasurer of the town of Hatfield be, and he is hereby impowered and directed to pay the town treasurer of the said town of W^hately, and for the use of the said town, such a proportion of the sum of Thirty Pounds, which was raised by the town of Hatfield at their meeting on the first Monday in December last, for providing Preaching in the said town of Hatfield in the year then next ensuing, as has been assessed upon the inhabitants
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After the division of the Commons according to the vote of the town of Hatfield, passed 21 Oct., 1684, confirmed in 1716, and reconfirmed in 1735, it was discovered that after settling the boundary line between the towns of Deerfield and Hatfield, that several of the most northerly lots did not run through to Chestnut Plain street, which was the western boundary of the second division of Commons, as they should. We find that the town of Hatfield passed the following preamble and vote
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Hatfield taken, and two men wounded, at Nortbfield.* June 18, 1724, Benjamin Smith, son of Joseph S. of Hatfield, was slain, and Aaron Wells and Joseph Allis taken, when they were loading hay, about 3 miles from Hatfield village. June 27, 1724, Ebenezer Sheldon, Thomas Colton and a friendly Indian were killed, about a mile north of the present village of Greenfield. July 10, 1724, Lt. Timothy Childs and Samuel Allen were wounded in Deerfield meadow. Aug. 26, 1724,
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The town of Hatfield was incorporated on the 3 1st of May, 1670, and a copy of the act from the printed records, is annexed.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
The Hatfield post office opened in 1886, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2016