Berkshire County Historical Society

Wednesday, January 25, 5:30 pm

Why Here? The Rise of Berkshire County Industry

Drive around the county, and it’s hard to miss the large, brick building on the corner, behind the trees, or down the street. They’re in almost every town, over 500 of them in the Berkshires by the end of the 1800s, producing glass, cloth, iron, paper, shoes, rakes, or dozens of other goods sold to the farthest reaches of the planet. Join historian John Dickson to explore the forgotten world of these mills, their owners and innovators and the ancestors who worked in them. 

This free event will take place on zoom – please call 413-442-1793 or email melville@berkshirehistory.org to request the zoom link.

The Invisible Community: African Americans in Berkshire County was a project  of the Berkshire County Historical Society in the late 1990s. Ethnic groups, most notably the African-American community, have traditionally been overlooked in histories of Berkshire County. The Invisible Community project intended to collect information on the historic presence of African-Americans in Berkshire County, and the role that community has played in the county’s history. Partially funded by a grant from Mass Humanities, this collection includes information concerning specific Berkshire residents, oral histories, as well as institutions & events associated with the African-American community in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Click here to listen to oral history recordings or read transcriptions.