The Historical Society occasionally transcribes manuscripts and articles from our occasional scholarly journal, Berkshire History. Here are a few:
History of the Pittsfield Riding and Polo Club, unpublished manuscript by Zenas Colt, 1983. Accession #2017.25. Transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2017.
Historical Paper about Pittsfield by Mayor Allen Bagg 1937 Read at the dedication of the new home of the Women’s Club of Pittsfield, 42 Wendell Avenue. Thursday evening, September 16, 1937. An interesting and informative paper about the history of central Pittsfield and of 42 Wendell Avenue (now the Whitney Center for the Arts).
“Mumbet: Folklore and Fact” by Arthur Zilversmit (1932-2005). Published in Berkshire History (Spring 1971) Vol. I, No. 1. This was the occasional journal published by the Berkshire County Historical Society. This article, about Elizabeth Freeman, transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2017
“The Berkshire Athenaeum” by Eric D. Kelly. Published in Berkshire History (Spring 1971) Vol. I, No. 1. This article, about the first building of Pittsfield’s library, transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2017.
“Literary Life in Nineteenth-Century Berkshire County” by Luther Stearns Mansfield. Published in Berkshire History (Spring 1976) Vol II, No. 1. This article, an extensive overview of Berkshire’s literary history, is a bit dated, but still very useful. Transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2018.
World War II: A Berkshire Housewife’s Chronicle by Bertha E. Prew. Published in Berkshire History (Spring 1983) Vol III No. 2. A fascinating and unvarnished account of life on the home front. Mrs. Prew worked in a Pittsfield factory supplying materials to the Manhattan Project. Transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2018.
Samuel Harrison: A Black Chaplain in the Civil War, excerpted by Denis Lesieur. Published in Berkshire History (Fall 1982) Vol III No. 1. Selected passages from Rev. Harrison’s short memoir originally published in 1899. Rev. Harrison was Chaplain for the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Regiment. Transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2018.
Berkshire’s Medical College by Lee C. and Karen D. Drickamer. Published in Berkshire History (Fall 1982) Vol V No. 1. The Berkshire Medical Institution educated over 1,000 doctors in Pittsfield, 1822-1867. Transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2018.
A Civil War General and a Private by Bette Roan. Published in Berkshire History (Fall 1983) Vol IV No. 1. A few notes about General William Bartlett and Private Edward Stearns, by a descendant. Transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2018.
The Great Barrington Fair in the 1910s by Emily G. Smith. Published in Berkshire History (Fall 1983) Vol IV No. 1. Reminiscences by a woman who attened the fair as a young girl. Transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2018.
Konstantin Konstantinovich Paluev (1896-1958) by Samuel Sass. Published in Berkshire History (Fall 1982) Vol III No. 1. Born in czarist Russia, Paluev was an engineer at GE and a leading citizen of Pittsfield. Transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2018.
A Womanly Woman of Sheffield by Lillian Preiss. Published in Berkshire History (Spring 1984) Vol IV No. 2. Educator, editor, philanthropist, public servant and friend of the Indians, Mary Dewey, leader of “Sheffield’s womanly women,” more than held her own during the male-dominated nineteenth century. Transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2018.
Berkshire Gravestones and their Carvers by James Parrish. Published in Berkshire History (Spring 1984) Vol IV No. 2. The history of some of the stone carvers of Berkshire County. Transcribed by Hunter Gero, 2018.
William Stanley Lighted a Town and Powered an Industry. Published in Berkshire History (Fall 1985) Vol. VI No. 1. A double-length issue devoted to electrical engineer William Stanley. By Bernard A. Drew, Gerard Chapman, and Samuel Sass. Transcribed by Megan Magner, 2018.