Editing Hinsdale, Massachusetts (section)

== History ==
Originally part of Northern Berkshire Township Number 2 and including all of [[Peru, Massachusetts|Peru]] and parts of [[Middlefield, Massachusetts|Middlefield]] and [[Dalton, Massachusetts|Dalton]], the town was first settled in 1763 and officially incorporated as "Partridgefield" in 1771. Named for Oliver Partridge, one of the three purchasers of the town (along with Governor [[Sir Francis Bernard, 1st Baronet|Francis Bernard]]), the Western Parish officially broke away from its eastern half and incorporated in 1804, renaming itself for the family of Rev. Theodore Hinsdale,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=2979|title=Profile for Hinsdale, Massachusetts|publisher=[[ePodunk]]|access-date=April 25, 2010|archive-date=June 8, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608213010/http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=2979|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n156 157]}}</ref> who also owned an important woolen mill.  The mill was the center of economic activity in town until the [[Great Depression]], when it closed.

Hinsdale, along with neighboring Dalton, is home to two historic long-distance routes: the [[Appalachian Trail]] (a [[National Scenic Trail]]) and the [[Boston and Albany Railroad]], on which operates the [[Lake Shore Limited (New York Central Railroad train)|''Lake Shore Limited'']] passenger rail service that has run continuously from [[Boston]] to [[Chicago]] since 1897.<ref>{{cite web | title=Train Service to Hinsdale | url=http://www.dalton-ma.gov/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={6FE851D6-8125-4FFC-9DAC-A60AF1EAD9A5}&DE={283B42C3-911C-4A09-9C11-156D0CD3DF34} | work=History | publisher=Masons of Berkshire Co | date=March 2011 | access-date=March 4, 2011}}</ref> The Hinsdale train depot located in the town center was closed in 1954,<ref>{{cite web | title=Train Service to Hinsdale | url=http://eastbrookfielddepot.com/history/ | work=B&A RR Station, Hinsdale, Mass. | publisher=East Brookfield Depot Foundation | date=March 2011 | access-date=March 4, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710163549/http://eastbrookfielddepot.com/history/ | archive-date=July 10, 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and the actual intersection of the two corridors lies at the also decommissioned train depot just north in Dalton.