Outline of its Early History
1660 - 1688

1660     A Grant was made by the General Court on May 31, 1660. The Condition was
20 families be resident within 3 years. Four men came from Ipswich, MA. in the
summer of 1660. John Warner, John Ayers, William Pritchard, and
one unknown man.

1665    The First three or four families settled in 1665. John Warner was probably the first to come over the narrow Bay Path to the banks of the Quaboag River, followed by William Prichard, John Younglove, and Thomas Parsons. Steps were taken to buy the land from the Indians through Lieut. Thomas Cooper of Springfield.

1667    On May 15, 1667, because of failure to get settlers, the
Grant was declared void. However, time was extended for one year.
Capt. John Pynchon of Springfield and four local men were appointed
by the General Court to handle all prudential affairs.

1673    On the petition of October 10, 1673, a Township was granted by
the General Court. The settlers requested the name be changed
from "Quaboag Plantation" to "Brookfield". Lieutenant Cooper's
"deed of land purchase from the Indians" was transferred to the
settlers. Incidentally, in this year the first mail on the continent
of North America passed through Brookfield, by post rider, from
New York to Boston. (And also passed through the areas, that later
became West Brookfield and East Brookfield.)

1675    Twenty families now resided in Brookfield. A meeting house had been built.
On August 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of 1675, during King Philip's War,
the Siege of Brookfield took place on what was Prichard's Hill in Quaboag Plantation.
The inhabitants were saved by taking refuge in the Fortified House (Ayers' Tavern).
This was also burned by the Indians shortly thereafter.

1675 to 1685     The town was abandoned for about ten years. The
fields lay waste.

1686   Resettlement of the town. The General Court refused to allow
a local committee to manage affairs. The Court appointed, instead, a Spring-
field committee, - Maj. John Pynchon, Samuel Partridge, Eden Pumry,
Samuel Porter, and Luke Hitchcock. All prudential affairs were managed by
the Springfield committee for 32 years.

1688   Settlers prepared to abandon the town for the second time
because of reports of Indian murders committed at Northfield.
Abandonment was prevented by Major Pynchon who sent soldiers
"ordering and requiring their continuance". Fort Gilbert was erected
to protect the new settlement.

Today Quaboag Plantation is made up of 6 towns:  Brookfield, North Brookfield, West Brookfield, East Brookfield, New Braintree, and Warren. The Town which is now West Brookfield encompasses the site of the first settlement of Quaboag Plantation. Today, known as Foster Hill.