Charlemont, Massachusetts

Charlemont is a town located in Western Massachusetts lying to the north of the Deerfield River, some ten miles west of Greenfield. It has some rich farm lands along the Deerfield River, but most of the township is hill country. In 1735, the town of Boston petitioned successfully for additional land and Boston Township Number 1 was created; its southern half became Charlemont in 1765. Some settlement followed the township's creation but was slowed by the "Old French War" (King George's War, 1744-48), and by the fact that the town was on the front line between English and French America. The first meeting-house was built in 1753. The British built a chain of forts on the northern edge of the town to protect it, fortifications that were tested during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). The town of Buckland split off of Charlemont in 1779 and in the 1785 the town lost its northern third to the newly formed towns of Heath and Rowe (originally Myrifield). In the 1800s Charlemont benefited from some small-scale mining and from the Troy and Greenfield railroad, which carried the products of the town's small industries to market. In general though, the town survived through agriculture. In the 1900s its major industry shifted to tourism as it capitalized on its scenic terrain and its position on the "Mohawk Trail."