The area was part of the Pocomtuc Indian Nation, whose villages included Squawkeag in what is now Northfield, and Peskeompscut in what is now Turners Falls.

Eventually, most of the native population was displaced and/or sold into slavery as a result of King Philip's War and a series of massacres of local Indian villages.

[3] Subsequently, Erving was first settled by white settlers in 1801 and officially incorporated—it being nearly the last unincorporated land in Massachusetts—in 1838.

Large numbers of railroad ties and telegraph poles were cut in the abundant forests here, as many as 1,495,000 in one year.

[4] Today, Erving has a school, a police and fire department, public library, several small stores and restaurants.

The biggest employer in town is Erving Industries, a paper mill with history to Holyoke, Massachusetts - 'Paper City era'.

The terrain of Erving is hilly and rugged; most of the developed area of the town is located along the river.

The town is home to a number of topographic features popular among outdoor recreation enthusiasts.