Amherst, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Genealogy

Brief History

 * Amherst, Massachusetts at Wikipedia
 * Named for Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
 * Establishment and former town name(s)


 * 13 February 1759: Part of Hadley established as the district of Amherst. (Prov. Laws, Vol. IV, p. 173.)
 * 23 August 1775: Made a town, by general act under which districts became towns.
 * Archiac name: Hadley Third Precinct


 * Section/Villages within the town: Amherst Fields, Amherst Woods, Cushman, East Amherst, Echo Hollow, Factory Hollow, Flat Hill, Hampshire Village, Mill Valley, North Amherst, Orchard Valley, The Curragh, South Amherst

Extinct section/villages within the town: Amherst City, Blackbird Island, Broad Gutter, Centre Village, Clark's Mill, Crow Hill, Depot, Amherst East Parish, East Village, Fairgrounds, Irish Hill, Kelloggville, North Amherst City, Amherst North Parish, Nuttingville, The City, The Patch, Slab City, Struthersville, West Amherst, Westville

The earliest known document of the lands now comprising Amherst is the deed of purchase dated December 1658 between John Pynchon of Springfield and three native inhabitants, referred to as Umpanchla, Quonquont and Chickwalopp.[3] According to the deed, "ye Indians of Nolwotogg (Norwottuck) upon ye River of Quinecticott (Connecticut)" sold the entire area in exchange for "two Hundred fatham of Wampam &amp; Twenty fatham, and one large Coate at Eight fatham wch Chickwollop set of, of trusts, besides severall small giftes" [sic]. Amherst will celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2009. The Amherst 250th Anniversary Celebration Committee has been established to oversee the creation and implementation of Town-wide activities throughout 2009. Boundary Changes


 * 15 January 1789: Part of Hadley annexed.
 * 28 February 1811: Part of Hadley annexed.
 * 18 February 1812: Part of Hadley annexed.
 * 17 February 1814: Part of Hadley annexed.
 * 17 February 1814: Part of Hadley annexed.
 * 01 March 1815: Bounds between Amherst and Hadley established and parts of each town annexed to the other town.
 * 1) History of Town of Amherst 1731-1896


 * Google Books
 * Family History Library


 * 1) Essays on Amherst's history
 * 2) The handbook of Amherst, Massachusetts
 * 3) The history of the Black population of Amherst, Massachusetts, 1728-1870

Town Clerk
The town clerk is responsible for these records, and so most originals can be found at the town clerk's office

4 Boltwood Ave Amherst, MA 01002 Phone: 413-259-3035 Fax: 413-259-2499 Email: [mailto:townclerk@amherstma.gov townclerk@amherstma.gov] Website
 * Amherst Town Hall 4 Boltwood Avenue Amherst, MA 01002 Ph: 413-259-3002 Email: info@amherstma.gov

Town Reports
Many annual town reports for Amherst have been digitized and are available on the town's website. Search the year and "annual report."

Adjacent Towns
Hampshire Co.:  Belchertown | Granby | Hadley | Pelham | South Hadley | Franklin Co.:  Leverett | Shutesbury | Sunderland

Cemeteries

 * Town of Amherst Cemetery Records, covering North, West and South Cemeteries
 * Wildwood Cemetery

Church Records
Congregational
 * 1) A record of the observance of its two hundredth anniversary by the First Congregational Church in Amherst, Massachusetts: November 4-5, 1939
 * 2) Amherst, Massachusetts, its history and its people: with manual of Second Congregational Church of Amherst, its membership list from 1782-1924

Maps

 * 1) USGS GNIS FID 608974
 * 2) Google
 * 3) Hometown Locator