Represented here are items from our collection that document and showcase the history of the town of Hatfield, Massachusetts, founded in 1670. It was originally settled as the "West Side" of Hadley, MA (founded 1659), just across the Connecticut River. Hatfield was originally a frontier village, then a colonial town, and a thriving farming community known for its fertile soil. Hatfield has been home to several prominent local benefactors, including Oliver Smith (founder of Smith Charities), Caleb Cooley Dickinson (founder of the Cooley Dickinson Hospital), and Sophia Smith (founder of Smith College in Northampton, MA, and Smith Academy in Hatfield, MA).