Settlement Granby was once part of
Hadley, as were other towns, as part of Hadley
Equivalent Lands. Old Hadley was first settled in 1659 by people from
Hartford and
Wethersfield, Connecticut. These settlers left
Connecticut because of religious differences within their communities. John Pynchon was commissioned to buy wilderness land for their new community. In 1658, Pynchon negotiated a deed with three
Norwottuck sachems: Chickwalloppe (alias Wawhillowa), Umpanchela (alias Womscom), and Quonquont (alias Wompshaw). The deed reserved land for a cornfield for the Norwottuck and promised rights to hunt, fish and set up
wigwams within the negotiated land. Ownership was transferred to the settlers and confirmed by the
General Court. These original boundaries include part of present-day Granby. In August 1662, Pynchon negotiated a deed with Awonunsk, her husband Wequagon, and her son Squomp, for land also in present-day Granby, South Hadley and Belchertown. Ownership was transferred to the settlers and Awonunsk and her family were paid in 150 fathoms of
wampum (approximately 54,000 wampum beads), 10 coats, and 2 yards of cloth, among other items. The deed also promised rights for the Norwottuck to hunt, fish, collect wood, and set up wigwams on the commons.
Separation from Hadley and South Hadley Granby was settled in 1727. In November 1727, residents of what are now South Hadley and Granby petitioned the General Court to form a precinct within the Town of Hadley. This petition was granted on July 4, 1732, creating Hadley's South Precinct. In 1753, the precinct was granted district status. From 1751 through 1761, the district was deadlocked over whether to build a new meetinghouse west of Cold Hill, in present-day South Hadley, or to its east, in present-day Granby. In the Summer of 1761, the district's west side began constructing a meetinghouse without town meeting approval. In response, a group of 27 east side residents and three west side residents tore down the partially constructed meetinghouse. In 1762, the General Court split the district into an east and west parish, each with its own meetinghouse. With tensions between the parishes still high, the General Court set off the east parish as the Town of Granby, being incorporated on June 11, 1768.
20th century Granby is one of only three towns in Massachusetts whose local telephone service is not furnished by the former
Bell System as Granby has maintained its own service,
Granby Telephone & Telegraph, since 1903. The other two such towns are
Richmond and
Hancock, both in
Berkshire County. ==Geography==