(The villages are unofficial neighborhoods representing clusters of buildings in an otherwise rural town.)

[3] What is now Huntington was first settled by Europeans in 1760, mostly migrants from Norwich, Connecticut who logged the land's valuable timber.

[4]: 9  Settlers were mainly subsistence farmers, who also raised animals, caught fish, tapped maple trees, and manufactured their own domestic goods.

[4]: 7  It was resold, and the three new proprietors allowed the 19 existing settlers to remain on the condition they build houses, clear land, and hire a Protestant minister.

[5][4]: 13  In 1841, the Western Railroad (later part of the Boston and Albany Railroad) was constructed, drawing settlers and enabling profitable manufacturing to the vicinity of the stop, known as Chester Village to distinguish from the Chester Factories stop.

[6]: 12 Jurisdictional boundaries split streets and in some cases houses, causing problems with transportation of school children and law enforcement.

[6]: 12 In the Colonial Massachusetts tradition, Norwich initially functioned as both a secular town government and a church parish.

[6]: 22–23 The Huntington Textile Company supplied cloth to the U.S. military during the World Wars, but closed in 1952.

U.S. Route 20 follows the lower Westfield River and its West Branch through the town, leading southeast 12 miles (19 km) to the city of Westfield and northwest 23 miles (37 km) to Lee.