Editing Cummington, Massachusetts (section)

== History ==
Cummington was first settled in 1762 and was officially incorporated in 1779. It was named after Colonel John Cumings, the original landholder.<ref>[http://www.cummington-ma.gov/History.php Town of Cummington - History]</ref>

The first [[Congregational church|Congregational Church]] minister was Rev. James Briggs of [[Norton, Massachusetts]], and a graduate of [[Yale College]] around 1775.<ref>William W. Streeter and Daphne H. Morris, Editors, ''The Vital Records of Cummington, Massachusetts 1762-1900'' (Hartford, CT: William W. Streeter and D. H. Morris, 1979)</ref> Briggs was the son of Deacon James and Damaris (White) Briggs, and the husband of Anna Wiswall.

Although a small town, several [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] patriots are buried there, including Nathaniel Holbrook, Seth Wilder Sr., and Seth Wilder Jr.

Noted poet and newspaper editor [[William Cullen Bryant]] was born in Cummington, and returned for many years to summer in the town. His house is now preserved and open to the public as the [[William Cullen Bryant Homestead]]. The town hosts the Cummington Fair every August on the town's fairgrounds. The fair features many events, including adult and [[4-H]] exhibition halls, a craft barn, [[vaudeville]] stage, antique car parade, oxen pull, and an assortment of fair rides, games, and food stands.

The town was the subject of a 1945 documentary film, ''The Cummington Story'', about the welcome given to a group of European refugees.<ref>[[Arthur Knight (film critic)|Arthur Knight]]. ''The Liveliest Art: A Panoramic History of the Movies'', New York: Mentor, n.d. p. 254.</ref>