The Town of Granby is a rural suburban town on the outskirts of the Holyoke metropolitan area. Settled around 1727, and incorporated in 1768, the town is dominated in the north by the Holyoke range of hills and has a rugged terrain which hampered agricultural development as the limited water resources hindered industrial development. However, despite these obstacles, settlers developed farms and some limited industries which made up the town’s economic foundation. They grew grains, turnips, pumpkins and hops, and small distilleries were open by 1812 using the surplus grain produced. Dairy farming, making buttons and palm leaf hats followed these in economic importance in the 19th century.


However, by 1875, local industry was gone and agriculture, primarily dairy farming, was the staple in Granby. The town still retains the huge, well known milk bottle which houses a dairy bar. Granby retains its historic charm, accentuated by its original meeting house green, a fine neoclassical library and a good stock of Greek revival houses.

The large portion of the Holyoke Mountain Range in Granby serves as a key recreational attraction. Also notable is the Granby Dinosaur Museum, which is renowned for its collection of local dinosaur tracks. One footprint discovered in 1973 is from a Theropod dinosaur estimated to have been 50 feet in length. Professor Peter M. Galton of the University of Bridgewater determined the fossil to be the first record in the world of a Theropod of such magnitude of the Triassic Age. Other attractions include the historical Aldrich Mills and the Granby Congregational Church, on the town’s picturesque Common.