History-Events
1692: Dutch settlers arrive in the Berkshires
Dutch settlers from the Hudson Valley begin moving to the Berkshires. They set up farms on the eastern slope of Mt. Washington.
1705: Mohican Indians cede land to Dutch under Patents of Westenhook
Land in Massachusetts is obtained from the Indians at small cost under the Patents of Westenhook first by Dutch and later by English settlers. Westenhook applies to a tract of land lying west of Sheffield and Great Barrington.
1725: English settlers arrive in the Berkshires
The first English settlers arrive in Sheffield in 1725-26. They find six Dutch families already settled there.
1733: Sheffield becomes first incorporated town
Purchased from Mohican Indians in 1724, Sheffield becomes an incorporated town in 1733. It harbors the Colonel Ashley House, the oldest home in the country, which was built in 1735.
1761: Pittsfield is founded
Pittsfield, which is the capital of the Berkshires, was founded in 1761. It is named after the British Prime Minister William Pitt who took up the cause of the American colonies.
1767: The Quakers settle in Adams
The Quakers first settle in Adams. They build their meetinghouse, which survives as a historical landmark, 15 years later.
1774: First open resistance to British rule in America
On August 18, 1774, a rebellious mob chases out of Great Barrington Royal judges in what becomes the first open resistance to British rule in America.
1793: Williams College is founded
Williams College is established as a liberal arts college on June 22, 1793 after it receives its charter from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Colonel Ephraim Williams bequeaths his estate in 1755 for the setting up of a free school but the trustees decide to enlarge it to a college.
1783: Elizabeth Freeman wins her emancipation
Elizabeth Freeman becomes the first American slave to be emancipated after she sues for her freedom at the court in Sheffield.
1801: The first paper mill is set up at Dalton
The first paper mill in the Berkshires is set up at Dalton. It has produced paper for all U.S. currency since 1879.
1804: The first broadcloth is produced
Arthur Scholfield, along with his brother John, manufactures the first broadcloth in America in Pittsfield. It is produced from fleece of merino sheep bred in the Berkshires.
1820: Susan B. Anthony is born in Adams
Susan B. Anthony, a native of Adams, becomes famous for her tireless campaigns for women’s suffrage, temperance and emancipation. She moves to New York and later becomes the first woman to cast her vote in an election for which she is arrested and fined.
1850: Nathaniel Hawthorne comes to the Berkshires
The famous author of the Scarlet Letter lives near Lenox from 1850 to 1860. While here he completes his celebrated work and writes two other novels- The House of the Seven Gables and The Blithedale Romance.
1851: Herman Melville completes Moby Dick
Herman Melville completes Moby Dick in Pittsfield. He lives here till 1856.
1853: First plate glass produced
The Cheshire Glass Company produces the first plate glass in the nation at Cheshire.
1855: First free library established
The country’s first free library is established at Lenox.
1870: The Gilded Age begins
The Gilded Age introduces the railroad into the Berkshires and opens up the region to outsiders. Many plush mansions are built all over the region by prominent Americans. The Berkshires becomes the favorite haunt of many writers, artists and inventors, apart from millionaires.
1875: The Hoosac Tunnel is built
An engineering marvel of its time, the Hoosac Train Tunnel runs for three miles connecting North Berkshire with the east. It cost more than $21million.
1886: William Stanley invents the electric transformer
William Stanley of Great Barrington invents the electric transformer which made possible the transmission of electric power over long distances. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1858, he moves to Great Barrington in 1885 with his family due to ill health.
1894: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is established
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is established in North Adams. It is one of the smallest of the nine state colleges and offers both graduate and under-graduate programs.
1902: Edith Wharton builds The Mount in Lenox
Literary celebrity and heiress Edith Wharton moves from New York to Lenox in 1902 to create her celebrated home The Mount, a monument to good taste in stark contrast to prevailing Victorian sensibilities. It is while she is here that she writes many of her novels. She moves to France after having lived at The Mount for over 10 years.
1920: Chesterwood is set up
Renowned sculptor moves to the Berkshires and sets up his studio and summer home in Stockbridge.
1942: Queen Wilhelmina visits the Berkshires
Holland’s Queen Wilhelmina is in exile in America in 1942. She spends the summer at Lee.
1948: First parking meters installed in Pittsfield
The first parking meters in the country are installed in Pittsfield in 1948.
1953: Norman Rockwell moves to Stockbridge
Norman Rockwell, famous artist and illustrator, lives at Stockbridge from 1953 till his death in 1978. He is best known for his Saturday Evening Post illustrations.
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