One of the first residents of Hatfield, Hampshire, MA, he ran a grist mill on the Mill River as early as 1662 and later added a sawmill. (Hatfield Hist. Commission) From a real estate listing of the property: The history of the Old Mill building in Hatfield, most recently the office space for The Valley Advocate newspaper, is rich, dating back to the time of the town's settlement. In 1661, when the first pioneers traveled up the Connecticut River from Springfield and towns further south, one of their main concerns was how they would grind their grain. These citizens turned over to Thomas Meekins, one of their own, all rights to a lot on the Mill River, formerly known as the Capawank River. With an adjacent waterfall created by natural red sandstone formations, this mill had power, and it became the center of industry and commerce in the town for the next three centuries. Eight years after Thomas Meekins built the gristmill he built a sawmill on the north side of the waterfall. These mills took on great importance in the region after other area mills were destroyed in Indian attacks, beginning in 1675. To protect their investments, settlers garrisoned the Meekins' mills.

On Oct 16, 1660, he was part of a group of residents at Braintree who were granted an 8 acre plantation outside of town. This became the town of Mendon, but Thomas was not noted in later documentation of settlement. (NEHGR 21:380)

Savage’s: THOMAS, Braintree, s. of the preced. b. in Eng. came, no doubt, with his f. and mo. 1633, "serv. to our br. Edmund Quincy," as on adm. to the ch. 30 Mar. foll. he is call. was freem. 25 [[vol. 3, p. 192]] May 1636, had Joseph, bapt 5 May 1639, at Boston, and at Braintree, Sarah, b. 24 Apr. 1641; and Thomas, 8 June 1643; was rep. 1644; rem. to Roxburg there had Hannah, bapt. 13 Mar. 1647; and John, 28 Jan. 1649, d. in May foll. and his w. Sarah d. in childbed, 21 Jan. 1651, says. the ch. rec. wh. adds "she was a gracious woman, and left a good savor behind her." The Braintree rec. ment. that Helen M. was drown. 3 Dec. 1638; and she may have been ch. but more prob. sis. of this man. He rem. to Hadley, with sec w. Elizabeth m. says rec. of R. 14 Feb. 1651 (unless this be antedat.) wh. d. 1683 without ch. and he d. 10 Dec. 1687. He had ds. Mary, I suppose b. at Braintree, wh. m. at Nathaniel Clark of Northampton, bore him two ds. and in 1669 m. John Allis of Hatfield; and Hannah, w. of Joseph Belknap, wh. d. 26 Dec. 1688, to share his prop. acc. his will, with heirs of his only s. v

Died in childbirth. [214]