Palmer, Hampden County, Massachusetts Genealogy

Description
Palmer is composed of four separate and distinct villages: Depot Village, typically referred to simply as "Palmer" (named for the ornate Union Station railroad terminal designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson), Thorndike, Three Rivers, and Bondsville. The villages began to develop their distinctive characters in the 18th century, and by the 19th century two rail lines and a trolley line opened the town to population growth. Today, each village has its own post office, and all but Thorndike have their own fire station.
 * Palmer, Massachusetts at Wikipedia

Palmer was originally a part of Brimfield but separated after being too far from Brimfield. Palmer's first settler was John King. King was born in Edwardstone, Suffolk, England, and built his home in 1716 on the banks of the Quaboag River. The area as then known was called "The Elbow Tract". In 1731, a deed to land in today's Palmer renamed the town 'New Marlborough' after Marlborough, Massachusetts in today's Middlesex County. In 1731, residents of the borough renamed the town 'Kingsfield', after the aforementioned John King. Though in some papers in the Massachusetts General Court, it was referred to as the Elbow. A large group of Scots-IrishPresbyterians followed, arriving in 1727. Finally in 1752, it was named Palmer after Chief Justice Palmer. In 1775, Massachusetts officially incorporated Palmer.[4][5]

Depot Village became Palmer's main commercial and business center during the late 19th century and remains so today. Palmer's industry developed in Bondsville. During the 18th century, saw and grist mills were established by the rivers, and by 1825 Palmer woolen mills began to produce textiles. The Blanchard Scythe Factory, Wright Wire Woolen Mills, and the Holden-Fuller Woolen Mills developed major industrial capacity, and constructed large amounts of workers' housing. By 1900, Boston Duck (which made heavy cotton fabric) had over 500 employees in the town. The 20th century brought about a shift of immigrants in Palmer from those of French and Scottish origin to those of primarily Polish and French-Canadian extraction.

(From Wikipedia)
 * History of the town of Palmer, Massachusetts : Early Known as the Elbow Tract: Including records of the plantation, district and town 1716-1889 With a Genealogical Register

Populated Places
Includes Neighborhoods, Villages, Unincorporated Communities, Districts, and Census-Designated Places:

Adjacent Towns
Hampden Co.:  Brimfield | Ludlow | Monson | Wilbraham | Hampshire Co. Belchertown | Ware | Worcester Co.: Warren | West Brookfield

Town Records
In New England most original vital records of birth, marriage, and death can be found at the town clerk's office

Palmer Town Clerk
4417 Main St Palmer, MA 01069 Phone: 413-283-2608 Fax: 413-283-2637 Email: [mailto:townclerk@townofpalmer.com townclerk@townofpalmer.com] Website

Vital Records
Search the Vital Records of Palmer Massachusetts to the year 1850

Resources
For more County and State resources see:

Cemeteries

 * Palmer Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * Hampden County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places

Search within the History of the town of Palmer, Massachusetts : early known as the Elbow Tract : including records of the plantation, district and town 1716-1889

City Directories

 * 1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1901-1914 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1879-1965 U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995, Palmer at Ancestry - index and images ($),some years may be missing
 * 1879-1965 Massachusetts, U.S., City Directories, Palmer at Ancestry - index and images ($),some years may be missing
 * Various Dates U.S. City Directories, 1860-1960 at MyHeritage - index and images ($) some towns and years may be missing

Maps
This selection incudes town, county, state, and historical maps
 * Boundary Map of Palmer at HomeTownLocator
 * Massachusetts County Map at Mass.gov
 * McConnell's Historical Maps of the United States at Library of Congress
 * Old Maps of Massachusetts at Old-Maps.com
 * Palmer at FamilySearch Places
 * Palmer at Google Maps
 * Palmer at Mapcarta
 * Massachusetts Maps State Page

Military
Some Records are Searchable by Town

Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
For more Revolutionary War Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
 * United States Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

Civil War, 1861-1865
For more Civil War Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865
 * United States Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865

World War I, 1917-1918
For more World War I Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918
 * United States Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918

World War II, 1941-1945
For more World War II Military Records see:
 * Massachusetts Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945
 * United States Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945

Family History Centers & Affiliate Libraries

 * Hartford Connecticut Family History Center
 * Manchester Connecticut Family History Center
 * Worcester Massachusetts Family History Center
 * Berkshire Athenaeum - an affiliate library
 * Chicopee Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Jones Library Inc. - an affiliate library
 * Thomas J. O'Connell Memorial Library-New England Civil War Museum and Research Center - an affiliate library