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Immigrants from England made their way in the wilderness and settled into new towns. This page will explore the town of Medfield Massachussets.
We find this year in Medfield forty-one proprietors, including Abiel Wight, posthumous daughter of John. p.63 from book -The History of the Town of Medfield Massachussets
Book: The History of the town of Medfield Massachussets https://ia600306.us.archive.org/14/items/historyoftownofm00tild/his...
The story of Medfield begins in Dedham, which originally included the territory that is now Medfield as well as several other towns. Dedham was incorporated in 1636 and by 1640 Dedham men started farming and pasturing animals along the broad meadows and continuous plains of our area. The land was perfect for farming because of the Indian custom of burning the fields each November to provide grazing for wild game. Our area was first known as Dedham Village.
In November of 1649, Dedham held a town meeting which approved the laying out of an area for a new town. This was accomplished in the early spring of 1650 and corresponds very nearly with the boundaries of the present town. The thirteen original settlers paid fifty pounds to the inhabitants of Dedham in compensation for the land. Ralph Wheelock, a graduate of Cambridge University, considered the founder of Medfield, proceeded with Thomas Wright and Robert Hinsdale to the new settlement, which was finally incorporated as the 43rd town in Massachusetts on June 2, 1651. Eighteen new men were accepted as townsmen and grants of land made to them in 1651.
Education was very important from the start of the settlement. In 1655 the settlers voted fifteen pounds "to establish a schoule for the education of the children." Ralph Wheelock became the first schoolmaster in the schoolhouse (site of the old post office on the corner of Janes Avenue and North Street). A later school on the site Dr. Stagg's office on Pleasant Street was named after Ralph Wheelock, as is the present elementary school on Elm Street.
By 1660 the town was laid out and new families admitted, thus increasing the population to 234. During the King Philip War in 1675, Medfield became the frontier town when Mendon was abandoned. In February of 1676 approximately 1,000 Indians, under the command of Monaco, burned 32 houses, two mills, and many barns. Eight people were killed, including Timothy Dwight, the original owner of the Dwight Derby House on Frairy Street. Two streets serve as reminder of those fateful days- Philip and Metacomet (Philip's real Indian name). After King Philip was killed in August of 1676, the indomitable settlers rebuilt and repaired the damage to their farms and mills, with monetary assistance from the provincial legislature. For more history, please read the following source: http://www.town.medfield.net/index.cfm/page/History/pid/21362