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. These massive factories were 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. This virtual lecture by John Dickson will explore the forgotten world of these mills, their owners and innovators and the ancestors who worked in them.  

John Dickson is on the board of the Berkshire County Historical Society. He also serves on the Pittsfield Historic Commission, is a docent at Arrowhead and teaches classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Dickson is a retired Foreign Service officer with the US Information Agency from 1984–1999 and with the US State Department from 1999–2010.

To receive the zoom link, please contact BCHS at melville@berkshirehistory.org or call 413-442-1793.