1.
Berkshire
–
Berkshire is a county in south east England, west of London. It was recognised as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of Windsor Castle by the Queen in 1957, Berkshire is a county of historic origin and is a home county, a ceremonial county and a non-metropolitan county without a county council. Berkshire County Council was the main county governance from 1889 to 1998 except for the separately administered County Borough of Reading, in 1974, significant alterations were made to the countys administrative boundaries although the traditional boundaries of Berkshire were not changed. The towns of Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage were transferred to Oxfordshire, Slough was gained from Buckinghamshire, since 1998, Berkshire has been governed by the six unitary authorities of Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham. It borders the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Greater London, Surrey, according to Asser, it takes its name from a large forest of box trees that was called Bearroc. Berkshire has been the scene of notable battles through its history. Alfred the Greats campaign against the Danes included the Battles of Englefield, Ashdown, Newbury was the site of two English Civil War battles, the First Battle of Newbury in 1643 and the Second Battle of Newbury in 1644. The nearby Donnington Castle was reduced to a ruin in the aftermath of the second battle, another Battle of Reading took place on 9 December 1688. It was the only military action in England during the Glorious Revolution. Reading became the new county town in 1867, taking over from Abingdon, boundary alterations in the early part of the 20th century were minor, with Caversham from Oxfordshire becoming part of the Reading county borough, and cessions in the Oxford area. On 1 April 1974 Berkshires boundaries changed under the Local Government Act 1972, Berkshire took over administration of Slough and Eton and part of the former Eton Rural District from Buckinghamshire. 94 Signal Squadron still keep the Uffington White Horse in their insignia, the original Local Government White Paper would have transferred Henley-on-Thames from Oxfordshire to Berkshire, this proposal did not make it into the Bill as introduced. On 1 April 1998 Berkshire County Council was abolished under a recommendation of the Banham Commission, unlike similar reforms elsewhere at the same time, the non-metropolitan county was not abolished. Berkshire divides into two distinct sections with the boundary lying roughly on a north-south line through the centre of Reading. The eastern section of Berkshire lies largely to the south of the River Thames, in two places the county now includes land to the north of the river. Tributaries of the Thames, including the Loddon and Blackwater, increase the amount of low lying land in the area. Beyond the flood plains, the land rises gently to the county boundaries with Surrey, much of this area is still well wooded, especially around Bracknell and Windsor Great Park. In the west of the county and heading upstream, the Thames veers away to the north of the county boundary, leaving the county behind at the Goring Gap
2.
Latin
–
Latin is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. The Latin alphabet is derived from the Etruscan and Greek alphabets, Latin was originally spoken in Latium, in the Italian Peninsula. Through the power of the Roman Republic, it became the dominant language, Vulgar Latin developed into the Romance languages, such as Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Romanian. Latin, Italian and French have contributed many words to the English language, Latin and Ancient Greek roots are used in theology, biology, and medicine. By the late Roman Republic, Old Latin had been standardised into Classical Latin, Vulgar Latin was the colloquial form spoken during the same time and attested in inscriptions and the works of comic playwrights like Plautus and Terence. Late Latin is the language from the 3rd century. Later, Early Modern Latin and Modern Latin evolved, Latin was used as the language of international communication, scholarship, and science until well into the 18th century, when it began to be supplanted by vernaculars. Ecclesiastical Latin remains the language of the Holy See and the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. Today, many students, scholars and members of the Catholic clergy speak Latin fluently and it is taught in primary, secondary and postsecondary educational institutions around the world. The language has been passed down through various forms, some inscriptions have been published in an internationally agreed, monumental, multivolume series, the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum. Authors and publishers vary, but the format is about the same, volumes detailing inscriptions with a critical apparatus stating the provenance, the reading and interpretation of these inscriptions is the subject matter of the field of epigraphy. The works of several hundred ancient authors who wrote in Latin have survived in whole or in part and they are in part the subject matter of the field of classics. The Cat in the Hat, and a book of fairy tales, additional resources include phrasebooks and resources for rendering everyday phrases and concepts into Latin, such as Meissners Latin Phrasebook. The Latin influence in English has been significant at all stages of its insular development. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, English writers cobbled together huge numbers of new words from Latin and Greek words, dubbed inkhorn terms, as if they had spilled from a pot of ink. Many of these words were used once by the author and then forgotten, many of the most common polysyllabic English words are of Latin origin through the medium of Old French. Romance words make respectively 59%, 20% and 14% of English, German and those figures can rise dramatically when only non-compound and non-derived words are included. Accordingly, Romance words make roughly 35% of the vocabulary of Dutch, Roman engineering had the same effect on scientific terminology as a whole
3.
Massachusetts
–
It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south, New Hampshire and Vermont to the north, and New York to the west. The state is named for the Massachusett tribe, which inhabited the area. The capital of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England is Boston, over 80% of Massachusetts population lives in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, a region influential upon American history, academia, and industry. Originally dependent on agriculture, fishing and trade, Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution, during the 20th century, Massachusetts economy shifted from manufacturing to services. Modern Massachusetts is a leader in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance. Plymouth was the site of the first colony in New England, founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, in 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of Americas most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem witch trials. In 1777, General Henry Knox founded the Springfield Armory, which during the Industrial Revolution catalyzed numerous important technological advances, in 1786, Shays Rebellion, a populist revolt led by disaffected American Revolutionary War veterans, influenced the United States Constitutional Convention. In the 18th century, the Protestant First Great Awakening, which swept the Atlantic World, in the late 18th century, Boston became known as the Cradle of Liberty for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution. The entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts has played a commercial and cultural role in the history of the United States. Before the American Civil War, Massachusetts was a center for the abolitionist, temperance, in the late 19th century, the sports of basketball and volleyball were invented in the western Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke, respectively. Many prominent American political dynasties have hailed from the state, including the Adams, both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also in Cambridge, have been ranked among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world. Massachusetts public school students place among the top nations in the world in academic performance, the official name of the state is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While this designation is part of the official name, it has no practical implications. Massachusetts has the position and powers within the United States as other states. Massachusetts was originally inhabited by tribes of the Algonquian language family such as the Wampanoag, Narragansett, Nipmuc, Pocomtuc, Mahican, and Massachusett. While cultivation of crops like squash and corn supplemented their diets, villages consisted of lodges called wigwams as well as longhouses, and tribes were led by male or female elders known as sachems. Between 1617 and 1619, smallpox killed approximately 90% of the Massachusetts Bay Native Americans, the first English settlers in Massachusetts, the Pilgrims, arrived via the Mayflower at Plymouth in 1620, and developed friendly relations with the native Wampanoag people. This was the second successful permanent English colony in the part of North America that later became the United States, the event known as the First Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World which lasted for three days
4.
United States
–
Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
5.
County seat
–
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is used in the United States, Canada, Romania, China, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, county towns have a similar function. In the United States, counties are the subdivisions of a state. Depending on the state, counties may provide services to the public, impose taxes. Some types of subdivisions, such as townships, may be incorporated or unincorporated. The city, town, or populated place that houses county government is known as the seat of its respective county, a county seat is usually, but not always, an incorporated municipality. The exceptions include the county seats of counties that have no incorporated municipalities within their borders, such as Arlington County, Virginia, likewise, some county seats may not be incorporated in their own right, but are located within incorporated municipalities. For example, Cape May Court House, New Jersey, though unincorporated, is a section of Middle Township, in some of the colonial states, county seats include or formerly included Court House as part of their name. Most counties have only one county seat, an example is Harrison County, Mississippi, which lists both Biloxi and Gulfport as county seats. The practice of multiple county seat towns dates from the days when travel was difficult, there have been few efforts to eliminate the two-seat arrangement, since a county seat is a source of pride for the towns involved. There are 36 counties with multiple county seats in 11 states, Coffee County, for example, the official county seat is Greensboro, but an additional courthouse has been located in nearby High Point since 1938. For example, Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County, Florida, in New England, the town, not the county, is the primary division of local government. Historically, counties in this region have served mainly as dividing lines for the judicial systems. Connecticut and Rhode Island have no county level of government and thus no county seats, in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine the county seats are legally designated shire towns. County government consists only of a Superior Court and Sheriff, both located in the shire town. Bennington County has two towns, but the Sheriff is located in Bennington. In Massachusetts, most government functions which would otherwise be performed by county governments in other states are performed by town governments. As such, Massachusetts has dissolved many of its county governments, two counties in South Dakota have their county seat and government services centered in a neighboring county
6.
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
–
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. The population was 44,737 at the 2010 census, although the population has declined in recent decades, Pittsfield remains the third largest municipality in western Massachusetts, behind only Springfield and Chicopee. In 2005, Farmers Insurance ranked Pittsfield 20th in the United States as Most Secure Place To Live among small towns with fewer than 150,000 residents, in 2006, Forbes ranked Pittsfield as number 61 in its list of Best Small Places for Business. In 2008, Country Home magazine ranked Pittsfield as #24 in a listing of cities east of the Mississippi. In 2009, the City of Pittsfield was chosen to receive a 2009 Commonwealth Award, Massachusetts highest award in the arts, humanities, in 2010, the Financial Times proclaimed Pittsfield the Brooklyn of the Berkshires, in an article covering its recent renaissance. In 1738, a wealthy Bostonian named Col. Jacob Wendell bought 24,000 acres of lands known originally as Pontoosuck and he planned to subdivide and resell to others who would settle there. He formed a partnership with Philip Livingston, a kinsman from Albany, New York, and Col. John Stoddard of Northampton. Mrs. Deming was the first and the last of the original settlers, solomon Deming died in 1815 at the age of 96. Royal Governor Sir Francis Bernard named Pittsfield after British nobleman and politician William Pitt, by 1761 there were 200 residents, and the plantation became the Township of Pittsfield. Brown wrote in his winter 1776-77 handbill, Money is this mans God, Pittsfield was primarily an agricultural area, because of the many brooks that flowed into the Housatonic River, the landscape was dotted with mills that produced lumber, grist, paper, and textiles. The town was a metropolis by the late 19th century. Stanleys enterprise was the forerunner of the internationally known corporate giant, thanks to the success of GE, Pittsfields population in 1930 had grown to more than 50,000. On October 8,2015, SABIC announced it would relocate its headquarters from Pittsfield to Houston, General Dynamics occupies many of the old GE buildings, and its workforce is expanding. Much of General Dynamics local success is based on the awarding of government contracts related to its information systems. Roosevelt, Massachusetts Governor Winthrop Murray Crane, secretary to the president George Bruce Cortelyou, Craig was killed, he was the first Secret Service agent killed while on a presidential protection detail. Roosevelt, whose face and left shin were badly bruised, nearly came to blows with the trolley motorman, Madden was later charged with manslaughter, to which he pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to six months in jail and a heavy fine, in 2004, historian John Thorn discovered a reference to a 1791 by-law prohibiting anyone from playing baseball within 80 yards of the new meeting house in Pittsfield
7.
United States Census Bureau
–
The United States Census Bureau is a principal agency of the U. S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureaus primary mission is conducting the U. S. Census every ten years, in addition to the decennial census, the Census Bureau continually conducts dozens of other censuses and surveys, including the American Community Survey, the U. S. Economic Census, and the Current Population Survey, furthermore, economic and foreign trade indicators released by the federal government typically contain data produced by the Census Bureau. The Bureaus various censuses and surveys help allocate over $400 billion in federal funds every year and help states, local communities, the Census Bureau is part of the U. S. Department of Commerce and its director is appointed by the President of the United States. The Census Bureau now conducts a population count every 10 years in years ending with a 0. Between censuses, the Census Bureau makes population estimates and projections, the Census Bureau is mandated with fulfilling these obligations, the collecting of statistics about the nation, its people, and economy. The Census Bureaus legal authority is codified in Title 13 of the United States Code, the Census Bureau also conducts surveys on behalf of various federal government and local government agencies on topics such as employment, crime, health, consumer expenditures, and housing. Within the bureau, these are known as surveys and are conducted perpetually between and during decennial population counts. The Census Bureau also conducts surveys of manufacturing, retail, service. Between 1790 and 1840, the census was taken by marshals of the judicial districts, the Census Act of 1840 established a central office which became known as the Census Office. Several acts followed that revised and authorized new censuses, typically at the 10-year intervals, in 1902, the temporary Census Office was moved under the Department of Interior, and in 1903 it was renamed the Census Bureau under the new Department of Commerce and Labor. The department was intended to consolidate overlapping statistical agencies, but Census Bureau officials were hindered by their role in the department. An act in 1920 changed the date and authorized manufacturing censuses every 2 years, in 1929, a bill was passed mandating the House of Representatives be reapportioned based on the results of the 1930 Census. In 1954, various acts were codified into Title 13 of the US Code, by law, the Census Bureau must count everyone and submit state population totals to the U. S. President by December 31 of any year ending in a zero. States within the Union receive the results in the spring of the following year, the United States Census Bureau defines four statistical regions, with nine divisions. The Census Bureau regions are widely used. for data collection, the Census Bureau definition is pervasive. Title 13 of the U. S. Code establishes penalties for the disclosure of this information, all Census employees must sign an affidavit of non-disclosure prior to employment. The Bureau cannot share responses, addresses or personal information with anyone including United States or foreign government, only after 72 years does the information collected become available to other agencies or the general public
8.
Massachusetts's 1st congressional district
–
Massachusettss 1st congressional district is located in western and central Massachusetts. The largest Massachusetts district in area, it covers about one-third of the state and is more rural than the rest and it has the states highest point, Mount Greylock. The district includes the cities of Springfield, West Springfield, Pittsfield, Holyoke, the shape of the district underwent some changes effective from the elections of 2012, after Massachusetts congressional redistricting to reflect the 2010 census. The entire Springfield area is included in the new 1st district, richard Neal, a Democrat from Springfield, represents the district. In Hampshire County, Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Granby, Huntington, Middlefield, Plainfield, South Hadley, Southampton, Westhampton, Williamsburg, in Worcester County, Brookfield, Charlton, Dudley, East Brookfield, Southbridge, Sturbridge, and Warren. When the District was created it covered part of eastern Massachusetts, franklin County, Towns of Ashfleld, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Greenfield, Hawley, Heath, Leyden, Monroe, Rowe, and Shelburne. Hampshire County, Towns of Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Huntington, Middlefield, Plainfield, hampden County, City of Holyoke and towns of Blandford, Chester, Granville, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Tolland, and Westfield. Hamdpen County, Cities of Holyoke and Westfield, towns of Blandford, Chester, Granville, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, and Tolland. Hampshire County, Towns of Belchertown, Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Huntington, Middlefield, Pelham, Plainfield, Southampton, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worcester County, Towns of Athol, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, and Templeton. 1963, Berkshire County, Cities of North Adams and Pittsfield, hampden County, Cities of Holyoke and Westfield. Towns of Blandford, Chester, Granville, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Towns of Amherst, Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Hadley, Hatfield, Huntington, Middlefield, Pelham, Plainfield, Southampton, Westhampton, Williamsburg, and Worthington. Worcester County, Towns of Athol, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston,1972, Berkshire County, All cities and towns. Hampden County, Cities of Holyoke and Westfield, Towns of Agawam, Blandford, Chester, Granville, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Tolland, and West Springfield. Towns of Amherst, Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Hadley, Hatfield, Huntington, Middlefield, Pelham, Plainfleld, Southampton, Westhampton, Williamsburg, and Worthington. Worcester County, Towns of Athol, Barre, Hardwick, Hubbardston, New Braintree, Oakham, Petersham,1973, Berkshire County, All cities and towns. Franklin County, All towns except Orange, hampden County, Cities of Holyoke and Westfleld. Towns of Agawam, Blandford, Chester, Granville, Montgomery, Russell, Southwick, Tolland, in Middlesex County, Ashby, Pepperell, Townsend. Massachusettss congressional districts List of United States congressional districts Martis, Kenneth C, the Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress
9.
Time in the United States
–
The time zone boundaries and DST observance are regulated by the Department of Transportation. The clocks run by these services are synchronized with each other as well as with those of other international timekeeping organizations. It is the combination of the zone and daylight saving rules, along with the timekeeping services. The use of solar time became increasingly awkward as railways. American railroads maintained many different time zones during the late 1800s, each train station set its own clock making it difficult to coordinate train schedules and confusing passengers. Time calculation became a problem for people travelling by train. Every city in the United States used a different time standard so there were more than 300 local sun times to choose from, Time zones were therefore a compromise, relaxing the complex geographic dependence while still allowing local time to be approximate with mean solar time. Railroad managers tried to address the problem by establishing 100 railroad time zones, operators of the new railroad lines needed a new time plan that would offer a uniform train schedule for departures and arrivals. Four standard time zones for the continental United States were introduced at noon on November 18,1883, the conference therefore established the Greenwich Meridian as the prime meridian and Greenwich Mean Time as the worlds time standard. The US time-zone system grew from this, in all zones referred back to GMT on the prime meridian. It is, within about 1 second, mean time at 0°. It does not observe daylight saving time and it is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. For most purposes, UTC is considered interchangeable with GMT, standard time zones in the United States are currently defined at the federal level by law 15 USC §260. The federal law establishes the transition dates and times at which daylight saving time occurs. As of August 9,2007, the time zones are defined in terms of hourly offsets from UTC. Prior to this they were based upon the solar time at several meridians 15° apart west of Greenwich. Only the full-time zone names listed below are official, abbreviations are by common use conventions, the United States uses nine standard time zones. The Central standard time zone, which comprises roughly the Gulf Coast, Mississippi Valley, the Mountain standard time zone, which comprises roughly the states that include the Rocky Mountains
10.
Eastern Time Zone
–
Places that use Eastern Standard Time when observing standard time are 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time. Eastern Daylight Time, when observing daylight saving time DST is 4 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time, in the northern parts of the time zone, on the second Sunday in March, at 2,00 a. m. EST, clocks are advanced to 3,00 a. m. EDT leaving a one-hour gap, on the first Sunday in November, at 2,00 a. m. EDT, clocks are moved back to 1,00 a. m, southern parts of the zone do not observe daylight saving time. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 ruled that daylight saving time would run from the last Sunday of April until the last Sunday in October in the United States, the act was amended to make the first Sunday in April the beginning of daylight saving time as of 1987. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended daylight saving time in the United States beginning in 2007. So local times change at 2,00 a. m. EST to 3,00 a. m. EDT on the second Sunday in March, in Canada, the time changes as it does in the United States. However, a handful of communities unofficially observe Eastern Time because they are part of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area – Phenix City, Smiths Station, Lanett, and Valley. Florida, All of Florida is in the Eastern Time zone except for the portion of the Florida Panhandle west of the Apalachicola River, as the Eastern–Central zone boundary approaches the Gulf of Mexico, it follows the Bay/Gulf county line. Indiana, All of Indiana observes Eastern Time except for six counties in the Chicago metropolitan area. Kentucky, Roughly, the half of the state, including all of metropolitan Louisville, is in the Eastern Time Zone. Historically the entire state observed Central Time, when daylight saving time was first introduced, the Lower Peninsula remained on DST after it formally ended, effectively re-aligning itself into the Eastern Time Zone. The Upper Peninsula continued to observe Central Time until 1972, when all, Tennessee, Most of the eastern third of Tennessee is legally on Eastern Time. Eastern Time is also used somewhat as a de facto official time for all of the United States, since it includes the capital and the largest city. Major professional sports leagues also post all game times in Eastern time, for example, a game time between two teams from Pacific Time Zone will still be posted in Eastern time. Most cable television and national broadcast networks advertise airing times in Eastern time, national broadcast networks generally have two primary feeds, an eastern feed for Eastern and Central time zones, and a tape-delayed western feed for the Pacific Time Zone. The prime time is set on Eastern and Pacific at 8,00 p. m. with the Central time zone stations receiving the eastern feed at 7,00 p. m. local time. Mountain Time Zone stations receive a separate feed at 7,00 p. m. local time, as Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, during the summer months, it has its own feed at 7,00 p. m. local time
11.
Coordinated Universal Time
–
Coordinated Universal Time, abbreviated to UTC, is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is within about 1 second of mean time at 0° longitude. It is one of closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. For most purposes, UTC is considered interchangeable with GMT, the first Coordinated Universal Time was informally adopted on 1 January 1960. This change also adopted leap seconds to simplify future adjustments, a number of proposals have been made to replace UTC with a new system that would eliminate leap seconds, but no consensus has yet been reached. Leap seconds are inserted as necessary to keep UTC within 0.9 seconds of universal time, see the Current number of leap seconds section for the number of leap seconds inserted to date. The official abbreviation for Coordinated Universal Time is UTC and this abbreviation arose from a desire by the International Telecommunication Union and the International Astronomical Union to use the same abbreviation in all languages. English speakers originally proposed CUT, while French speakers proposed TUC, the compromise that emerged was UTC, which conforms to the pattern for the abbreviations of the variants of Universal Time. Time zones around the world are expressed using positive or negative offsets from UTC, the westernmost time zone uses UTC−12, being twelve hours behind UTC, the easternmost time zone, theoretically, uses UTC+12, being twelve hours ahead of UTC. In 1995, the nation of Kiribati moved those of its atolls in the Line Islands from UTC-10 to UTC+14 so that the country would all be on the same day. UTC is used in internet and World Wide Web standards. The Network Time Protocol, designed to synchronise the clocks of computers over the internet, computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC as it is more specific than GMT. If only limited precision is needed, clients can obtain the current UTC from a number of official internet UTC servers, for sub-microsecond precision, clients can obtain the time from satellite signals. UTC is also the standard used in aviation, e. g. for flight plans. Weather forecasts and maps all use UTC to avoid confusion about time zones, the International Space Station also uses UTC as a time standard. Amateur radio operators often schedule their radio contacts in UTC, because transmissions on some frequencies can be picked up by many time zones, UTC is also used in digital tachographs used on large goods vehicles under EU and AETR rules. UTC divides time into days, hours, minutes and seconds, days are conventionally identified using the Gregorian calendar, but Julian day numbers can also be used. Each day contains 24 hours and each hour contains 60 minutes, the number of seconds in a minute is usually 60, but with an occasional leap second, it may be 61 or 59 instead
12.
Daylight saving time
–
Daylight saving time is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months by one hour so that evening daylight lasts an hour longer, while sacrificing normal sunrise times. Typically, regions that use Daylight Savings Time adjust clocks forward one hour close to the start of spring, American inventor and politician Benjamin Franklin proposed a form of daylight time in 1784. New Zealander George Hudson proposed the idea of saving in 1895. The German Empire and Austria-Hungary organized the first nationwide implementation, starting on April 30,1916, many countries have used it at various times since then, particularly since the energy crisis of the 1970s. The practice has both advocates and critics, DST clock shifts sometimes complicate timekeeping and can disrupt travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and sleep patterns. Computer software often adjusts clocks automatically, but policy changes by various jurisdictions of DST dates, industrialized societies generally follow a clock-based schedule for daily activities that do not change throughout the course of the year. The time of day that individuals begin and end work or school, North and south of the tropics daylight lasts longer in summer and shorter in winter, with the effect becoming greater as one moves away from the tropics. However, they will have one hour of daylight at the start of each day. Supporters have also argued that DST decreases energy consumption by reducing the need for lighting and heating, DST is also of little use for locations near the equator, because these regions see only a small variation in daylight in the course of the year. After ancient times, equal-length civil hours eventually supplanted unequal, so civil time no longer varies by season, unequal hours are still used in a few traditional settings, such as some monasteries of Mount Athos and all Jewish ceremonies. This 1784 satire proposed taxing window shutters, rationing candles, and waking the public by ringing church bells, despite common misconception, Franklin did not actually propose DST, 18th-century Europe did not even keep precise schedules. However, this changed as rail transport and communication networks came to require a standardization of time unknown in Franklins day. Modern DST was first proposed by the New Zealand entomologist George Hudson, whose shift work job gave him time to collect insects. An avid golfer, he also disliked cutting short his round at dusk and his solution was to advance the clock during the summer months, a proposal he published two years later. The proposal was taken up by the Liberal Member of Parliament Robert Pearce, a select committee was set up to examine the issue, but Pearces bill did not become law, and several other bills failed in the following years. Willett lobbied for the proposal in the UK until his death in 1915, william Sword Frost, mayor of Orillia, Ontario, introduced daylight saving time in the municipality during his tenure from 1911 to 1912. Starting on April 30,1916, the German Empire and its World War I ally Austria-Hungary were the first to use DST as a way to conserve coal during wartime, Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals soon followed suit. Russia and a few other countries waited until the year
13.
Bash Bish Falls
–
Bash Bish Falls, a waterfall in Bash Bish Falls State Park in the Taconic Mountains of southwestern Massachusetts, US, is the highest waterfall in the state. The waterfall is at the mouth of a gorge formed during the last ice age, at the rear of the gorge, opposite the waterfall, is a 194 feet sheer rock wall. There are two points for viewing Bash Bish Falls and one additional via a hiking trail network. Falls Road is the continuation in Massachusetts of New York State Route 344, there are both upper and lower access points with views of the falls on the road. The hiking trail access is a steep trail off of the South Taconic Trail. Bash Bish Falls is located on Bash Bish Mountain,1500 feet high, from the top of the waterfalls, known as the Summit, one has a clear view across Massachusetts into New York State. Recently the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation installed railings to prevent falls, more than 25 deaths have occurred at the Falls in the past century. Some were due to drowning, but most were due to rock climbing or rock jumping and this is a very dangerous area as pools are shallow, and swimming is not allowed. Bash Bish Falls State Park is located next to both Massachusetts 4, 000-acre Mount Washington State Forest and New Yorks 5,000 acres Taconic State Park, List of Massachusetts State Parks List of old growth forests in Massachusetts Official website Bash Bish Falls Photo Essay
14.
The Berkshires
–
The Berkshires is a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Also referred to as the Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Mountains, and Berkshire Plateau, the region enjoys a vibrant tourism industry based on music, arts, geologically, the mountains are a range of the Appalachian Mountains. The Berkshires was named among the 200 Last Great Places by The Nature Conservancy, the term The Berkshires has overlapping but non-identical political, cultural, and geographic definitions. The cultural region also includes the Taconic Mountains bordering New York, southwest Vermont and the Taconic region of New York are occasionally grouped with the Berkshires cultural region. Sir Francis Bernard, the Royal Governor, named the area Berkshire to honor his home county in England. They are on the average 1,000 ft lower and less prominent than the Green Mountains of Vermont, erosion over hundreds of millions of years wore these mountains down to the hills that we see today. The average regional elevation of the Berkshires ranges from about 700 to 1,200 feet, knox and his men continued east through the Berkshires and finally arrived in Boston. This feat, known as the Noble train of artillery, was accomplished in the dead of winter, the Berkshires lie within the New England-Acadian forests ecoregion. Each region is distinct from the others providing a unique habitat assemblage, much of the Hoosic and Housatonic River Valleys have underlying bedrock limestone and marble which contribute to calcareous wetlands unique in Massachusetts. The alkaline pH waters support a diversity of plants and animals intolerant of more acidic waters, combined with the rich mesic forests ranging from the northern hardwood to the taiga or sub-alpine, makes for a valuable, biologically diverse ecosystem. Today, efforts are being made on behalf of many organizations to preserve and manage this region for biological diversity, recreation directly related to this ecology is a popular area for trout fishing, and the areas relative pristineness contributes to the popularity of nature walks in the region. See also, Natural History of the Berkshires The Berkshires are a popular year-round premiere tourist destination and vacation getaway, the Berkshires are less than 3 hours from New York City and Boston and offer culture and adventure year-round. The Berkshires is a destination with a cultural scene to rival far larger urban dwellings. The area includes Bash Bish Falls, the tallest waterfall in Massachusetts, the Berkshires are also home to dozens of summer camps, some of which date back to the turn of the 20th century. At Williams College, the Chapin Library displays a selection of rare books. The Kripalu Center of Stockbridge, North Americas largest residential facility for health and education
15.
Appalachian Mountains
–
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period and it once reached elevations similar to those of the Alps and the Rocky Mountains before naturally occurring erosion. The Appalachian chain is a barrier to east-west travel, as it forms a series of alternating ridgelines, definitions vary on the precise boundaries of the Appalachians. A common variant definition does not include the Adirondack Mountains, which belong to the Grenville Orogeny and have a different geological history from the rest of the Appalachians. The range covers parts of the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the system is divided into a series of ranges, with the individual mountains averaging around 3,000 ft. The highest of the group is Mount Mitchell in North Carolina at 6,684 feet, the term Appalachian refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range. Most broadly, it refers to the mountain range with its surrounding hills. The Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas and Oklahoma were originally part of the Appalachians as well, the name was soon altered by the Spanish to Apalachee and used as a name for the tribe and region spreading well inland to the north. Pánfilo de Narváezs expedition first entered Apalachee territory on June 15,1528, now spelled Appalachian, it is the fourth-oldest surviving European place-name in the US. After the de Soto expedition in 1540, Spanish cartographers began to apply the name of the tribe to the mountains themselves. The first cartographic appearance of Apalchen is on Diego Gutierrezs map of 1562, the name was not commonly used for the whole mountain range until the late 19th century. A competing and often more popular name was the Allegheny Mountains, Alleghenies, in the early 19th century, Washington Irving proposed renaming the United States either Appalachia or Alleghania. In U. S. dialects in the regions of the Appalachians. In northern parts of the range, it is pronounced /ˌæpəˈleɪtʃᵻnz/ or /ˌæpəˈleɪʃᵻnz/, the third syllable is like lay. There is often debate between the residents of the regions as to which pronunciation is the more correct one. Elsewhere, a commonly accepted pronunciation for the adjective Appalachian is /ˌæpəˈlætʃiən/, the whole system may be divided into three great sections, Northern, The northern section runs from the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador to the Hudson River. The Monteregian Hills, which cross the Green Mountains in Quebec, are also unassociated with the Appalachians, Central, The central section goes from the Hudson Valley to the New River running through Virginia and West Virginia. Southern, The southern section runs from the New River onwards and it consists of the prolongation of the Blue Ridge, which is divided into the Western Blue Ridge Front and the Eastern Blue Ridge Front, the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, and the Cumberland Plateau
16.
County (United States)
–
In the United States, an administrative or political sub-division of a state is a county, which is a region having specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term county is used in 48 U. S. states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes, most counties have subdivisions which may include municipalities and unincorporated areas. Others have no divisions, or may serve as a singular consolidated city-county. Some municipalities are in multiple counties, New York City is uniquely partitioned into multiple counties/boroughs, the U. S. federal government uses the term county equivalent to describe non-county administrative or statistical areas that are comparable to counties. Alaskas Unorganized Borough is divided into 11 census areas that are equivalent to counties. As of 2013, the United States has 3,007 counties and 137 county equivalents for a total of 3,144 counties, the number of counties per state ranges from the 3 counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas. Counties have significant governmental functions in all states except Rhode Island and Connecticut, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has removed most government functions from eight of its 14 counties. The county with the largest population, Los Angeles County, counties were among the earliest units of local government established in the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. Virginia created the first counties in order to ease the workload in Jamestown. Americas oldest intact county court records can be found at Eastville, Virginia, in Northampton County, maryland established its first county, St. Marys, in 1637, and Massachusetts followed in 1643. When independence came, the framers of the Constitution did not provide for local governments, rather, they left the matter to the states. Subsequently, early state constitutions generally conceptualized county government as an arm of the state, in some states, these powers are partly or mostly devolved to the counties smaller divisions usually called townships, though in New York, New England and Wisconsin they are called towns. The county may or may not be able to override its townships on certain matters, the newest county in the United States is the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado, established in 2001 as a consolidated city-county. The newest county-equivalents are the Alaskan boroughs of Skagway established in 2007, Wrangell established in 2008, there are 40 consolidated city-counties in the U. S. Similarly, some of Alaskas boroughs have merged with their principal cities creating unified city-boroughs. Some such consolidations and mergers have created cities that rank among the geographically largest cities in the world, see also, #County names, regarding Louisiana. Independent cities, These are cities that legally belong to no county, Washington, D. C. outside the jurisdiction of any state, has a special status. The city of Washington comprises the entirety of the District of Columbia, when founded in 1801, the District consisted of two counties and three cities. In 1846, Alexandria County – including the then–City of Alexandria – was given back to Virginia, in 1871, the three remaining entities – the City of Washington, Georgetown City, and Washington County – were merged into a consolidated government by an act of Congress
17.
Western Massachusetts
–
Western Massachusetts is a region in Massachusetts, one of the six U. S. states that make up the New England region of the United States. Western Massachusetts has diverse topography,22 universities, with approximately 100,000 university students, and such institutions as Tanglewood, Springfield Armory, the western part of Western Massachusetts includes the Berkshire Mountains, where there are several vacation resorts. The eastern part of the region includes the Connecticut River Valley, which has a number of university towns, the major city Springfield, in the eastern part of the area, the Quabbin region is a place of outdoor recreation. The western portion of Massachusetts consists approximately of the four counties of Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and this set of four counties is sometimes regarded as defining Western Massachusetts, for example, the Western Massachusetts Office of the Governor serves residents of these counties. Subsequent to the elimination of the Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Berkshire and Worcester county governments in the late 1990s, the municipalities of Franklin and Hampshire counties subsequently organized two voluntary county-oriented regional councils of government. New Englands largest river, the Connecticut, flows through the center of its agricultural valley, nearly bisected by the American east coasts only east-west mountain ranges this relatively small area contains a number of college towns, urban environments, and rural hamlets. The portion of valley in Massachusetts is also commonly referred to as the Pioneer Valley. Secondary rifts branched off the main crustal fracture, and this one was occupied by the Connecticut River. Fossil dinosaur footprints in Holyoke attest to the present in this region during the Mesozoic. Although the Connecticut River Valleys soil is the richest in New England, regardless, the valley remains New Englands most productive farmland. Tobacco, tomatoes, sweet corn, and other vegetables are produced there in commercial quantities. The Berkshires have long been patronized by artists (e. g. Cultural opportunities include Lenoxs Tanglewood, Beckets Jacobs Pillow, the city of Pittsfield is the largest community located in the Berkshires. The practical limit of agriculture is somewhat below 2,000, above this climate and ecology become increasingly boreal with acidic soils. From these valleys, uplands to the east appear as a mountain range. West of the Housatonic-Hoosic valley system rises the narrower Taconic Range along the New York border, upper tributaries of the Hoosic separate Massachusetts highest peak, Mount Greylock 3,491 from both ranges, however Greylocks geology connects it with the Taconics. In northern Massachusetts, the higher altitude area to the east of the Connecticut River Valley is known as the North Quabbin region and these northern municipalities include Warwick, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Wendell, New Salem, and Athol near the New Hampshire border. The South Quabbin region includes the towns of Barre, Belchertown, Pelham, Ware, Hardwick, Leverett and this area once included the four Lost Towns of Enfield, Dana, Greenwich, and Prescott, which were destroyed to make way for the Quabbin Reservoir. Farther south, the called the Quaboag Hills includes Hampden, Monson, Wales, Warren, Holland
18.
U.S. state
–
A U. S. state is a constituent political entity of the United States of America. There are 50 states, which are together in a union with each other. Each state holds administrative jurisdiction over a geographic territory. Due to the shared sovereignty between each state and the government, Americans are citizens of both the federal republic and of the state in which they reside. State citizenship and residency are flexible, and no government approval is required to move between states, except for persons covered by certain types of court orders. States range in population from just under 600,000 to over 39 million, four states use the term commonwealth rather than state in their full official names. States are divided into counties or county-equivalents, which may be assigned some local authority but are not sovereign. County or county-equivalent structure varies widely by state, State governments are allocated power by the people through their individual constitutions. All are grounded in principles, and each provides for a government. States possess a number of powers and rights under the United States Constitution, Constitution has been amended, and the interpretation and application of its provisions have changed. The general tendency has been toward centralization and incorporation, with the government playing a much larger role than it once did. There is a debate over states rights, which concerns the extent and nature of the states powers and sovereignty in relation to the federal government. States and their residents are represented in the federal Congress, a legislature consisting of the Senate. Each state is represented in the Senate by two senators, and is guaranteed at least one Representative in the House, members of the House are elected from single-member districts. Representatives are distributed among the states in proportion to the most recent constitutionally mandated decennial census, the Constitution grants to Congress the authority to admit new states into the Union. Since the establishment of the United States in 1776, the number of states has expanded from the original 13 to 50, alaska and Hawaii are the most recent states admitted, both in 1959. The Constitution is silent on the question of states have the power to secede from the Union. Shortly after the Civil War, the U. S. Supreme Court, in Texas v. White, as a result, while the governments of the various states share many similar features, they often vary greatly with regard to form and substance
19.
2010 United States Census
–
The 2010 United States Census, is the twenty-third and currently most recent United States national census. National Census Day, the day used for the census, was April 1,2010. As part of a drive to increase the accuracy,635,000 temporary enumerators were hired. The population of the United States was counted as 308,745,538, as required by the United States Constitution, the U. S. census has been conducted every 10 years since 1790. The 2000 U. S. Census was the previous census completed, participation in the U. S. Census is required by law in Title 13 of the United States Code. On January 25,2010, Census Bureau Director Robert Groves personally inaugurated the 2010 Census enumeration by counting World War II veteran Clifton Jackson, more than 120 million census forms were delivered by the U. S. Post Office beginning March 15,2010, the number of forms mailed out or hand-delivered by the Census Bureau was approximately 134 million on April 1,2010. The 2010 Census national mail participation rate was 74%, from April through July 2010, census takers visited households that did not return a form, an operation called non-response follow-up. In December 2010, the Census Bureau delivered population information to the president for apportionment, personally identifiable information will be available in 2082. The Census Bureau did not use a form for the 2010 Census. In several previous censuses, one in six households received this long form, the 2010 Census used only a short form asking ten basic questions, How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1,2010. Were there any additional people staying here on April 1,2010 that you did not include in Question 1, mark all that apply, Is this house, apartment, or mobile home – What is your telephone number. What is Person 1s age and Person 1s date of birth, is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else, the form included space to repeat some or all of these questions for up to twelve residents total. In contrast to the 2000 census, an Internet response option was not offered, detailed socioeconomic information collected during past censuses will continue to be collected through the American Community Survey. The survey provides data about communities in the United States on a 1-year or 3-year cycle, depending on the size of the community, rather than once every 10 years. A small percentage of the population on a basis will receive the survey each year. In June 2009, the U. S. Census Bureau announced that it would count same-sex married couples, however, the final form did not contain a separate same-sex married couple option
20.
Sheriffs in the United States
–
In the United States, a sheriff is an official in a county who is responsible for keeping the peace and enforcing the law. Elected sheriffs are accountable directly to the constitution of their state, the United States Constitution, statutes, the law enforcement agency headed by a sheriff is commonly referred to as a sheriffs office not sheriffs department. According to the National Sheriffs Association, an American sheriffs advocacy group, of the 50 U. S. states,48 have sheriffs. The two exceptions are Alaska, which not have counties, and Connecticut, which has no county governments. Sheriffs are elected to terms in 42 states, two-year terms in Arkansas and New Hampshire, three-year terms in New Jersey. In many rural areas of the United States, particularly in the South, in some states a sheriff may not be a sworn peace officer, but merely an elected civilian official lacking police powers who oversees the offices and its sworn peace officers. Law enforcement officers working for such offices may be subdivided, sometimes titled general deputy, the second-in-command of a sheriffs office is sometimes called an undersheriff or chief deputy, akin to the deputy chief of police position of a municipal police department. In some counties, the undersheriff is the warden of the county jail, most sheriffs offices have a law enforcement duty and roles. Some states extend this authority to adjacent counties or to the entire state, larger departments may perform other criminal investigations or engage in other specialized law enforcement activities. Some larger sheriffs departments may have aviation, motorcycle unit, canine units, mounted details, many sheriffs departments enlist the aid of local neighborhoods, using a community policing strategy, in working to prevent crime. The National Neighborhood Watch Program, sponsored by the National Sheriffs Association, allows civilians, Sheriffs offices may coexist with other county level law enforcement agencies such as county police, county park police, etc. The sheriff also often conducts auction sales of real property in foreclosure in many jurisdictions. In other jurisdictions, these civil process duties are performed by other officers, an example is the Philadelphia Sheriffs Office in Pennsylvania. Limited service – along with the above, perform some type of traditional law-enforcement function such as investigations and this may be limited to security police duties on county properties to the performance of these duties in unincorporated areas of the county, and some incorporated areas by contract. Full service – The most common type, provide all traditional law-enforcement functions, including countywide patrol, note, There are two federal equivalents of the sheriff, the first is the United States Marshals Service, an agency of the Department of Justice. There are 94 United States Marshals, one for each judicial district. Marshal and his or her Deputy Marshals are responsible for the transport of prisoners and security for the United States district courts, the other is the Marshal of the United States Supreme Court who performs all court related duties for the Supreme Court of the United States. In Alabama, a sheriff is an official and the chief law enforcement officer in any given county
21.
Prison
–
Besides their use for punishing crimes, jails and prisons are frequently used by authoritarian regimes against perceived opponents. Prisons often have facilities that are designed with long term confinement in mind in comparison to jails. In times of war, prisoners of war or detainees may be detained in prisons or prisoner of war camps. The use of prisons can be traced back to the rise of the state as a form of social organization, corresponding with the advent of the state was the development of written language, which enabled the creation of formalized legal codes as official guidelines for society. The best known of early legal codes is the Code of Hammurabi. Some Ancient Greek philosophers, such as Plato, began to develop ideas of using punishment to reform instead of simply using it as retribution. Imprisonment as a penalty was used initially for those who could not afford to pay their fines, eventually, since impoverished Athenians could not pay their fines, leading to indefinite periods of imprisonment, time limits were set instead. The prison in Ancient Athens was known as the desmoterion, the Romans were among the first to use prisons as a form of punishment, rather than simply for detention. A variety of existing structures were used to house prisoners, such as cages, basements of public buildings. One of the most notable Roman prisons was the Mamertine Prison, the Mamertine Prison was located within a sewer system beneath ancient Rome and contained a large network of dungeons where prisoners were held in squalid conditions, contaminated with human waste. Forced labor on public projects was also a common form of punishment. In many cases, citizens were sentenced to slavery, often in ergastula, during the Middle Ages in Europe, castles, fortresses, and the basements of public buildings were often used as makeshift prisons. Another common punishment was sentencing people to slavery, which involved chaining prisoners together in the bottoms of ships. However, the concept of the modern prison largely remained unknown until the early 19th-century, Punishment usually consisted of physical forms of punishment, including capital punishment, mutilation, flagellation, branding, and non-physical punishments, such as public shaming rituals. However, an important innovation at the time was the Bridewell House of Corrections, located at Bridewell Palace in London and these houses held mostly petty offenders, vagrants, and the disorderly local poor. In these facilities, inmates were given jobs, and through prison labor they were taught how to work for a living, by the end of the 17th century, houses of correction were absorbed into local prison facilities under the control of the local justice of the peace. From the late 17th century and during the 18th century, popular resistance to public execution, rulers began looking for means to punish and control their subjects in a way that did not cause people to associate them with spectacles of tyrannical and sadistic violence. They developed systems of mass incarceration, often with hard labor, the prison reform movement that arose at this time was heavily influenced by two somewhat contradictory philosophies
22.
House of correction
–
The building of houses of correction came after the passing of an amendment to the Elizabethan Poor Law. However the houses of correction were not considered a part of the Elizabethan Poor Law system because the Act distinguished between settled poor and wandering poor, the first London house of correction was Bridewell Prison, and the Middlesex and Westminster houses also opened in the early seventeenth century. Offenders were typically committed to houses of correction by Justices of the Peace, over two-thirds of the prisoners were female. More than half of offenders were released within a week, in addition to imprisonment in a house of correction, over half of the convicted were whipped, particularly those found guilty of theft, vagrancy, and lewd conduct and nightwalking. Virtually all the prisoners were required to do labour, typically beating hemp. In 1720 an act allowed the use of houses of corrections for pretrial detention of vagrants, and other criminals, offenders, by the 1760s and 1770s, prisoners awaiting trial accounted for more than three-quarters of those committed to the Middlesex and Westminster houses. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the house of correction remains synonymous with state jails. The same is true for the State of Maryland
23.
Adams, Massachusetts
–
Adams is a town in northern Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 8,485 at the 2010 census. Nathan Jones purchased the township of East Hoosac at auction in 1762 from the state for £3,200, in 1778, the town was officially incorporated as Adams, named in honor of Samuel Adams, a revolutionary leader and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Much of the land had been subdivided into 100-acre and 200-acre lots and these were mostly farms with frontage on the Hoosic River, which over time would provide water power for woolen, cotton, lumber, and plastic mills. First settled in 1745, North Adams was originally part of Adams until the split in 1878. Early settlers in the 1760s included a group of Quakers, many of whom migrated together from Smithfield, the Quaker civil rights leader, abolitionist, and suffragist Susan B. Anthony was born in 1820 in Adams, and her family lived there until she was six and they moved west into New York, and later moved again to western New York. Anthonys childhood home has been preserved and is operated today as a museum, the towns population declined from 1810 to 1820 as farmers moved west for better soil. The War of 1812 had the result of stimulating development of the textile industry in the United States because British textiles were no longer available. In 1814, the Adams South Village Cotton Manufacture Company opened, with the construction of a number of mills on the Hoosic River, the demand for labor increased greatly, and Adams population more than doubled to 4,000 between 1820 and 1835. Growth in both halves of Adams also was stimulated by the opening of the Hoosac Tunnel in 1875 and they were used for retail stores and offices. President William McKinley made two visits to the town, the second in 1897 to lay the cornerstone of the Adams Free Library and he was a friend of the Plunkett brothers, and of the textile industry generally. In 1903, the town honored the assassinated president by erecting a larger-than-life statue beside the library, Berkshire Cotton later became a major part of Berkshire Hathaway, it continued to manufacture high-quality textiles through the mid-20th century. Its large factory in Adams was closed in 1958, many textile jobs had moved South, as the industry relocated to states with lower wages and weak unions. The mill towns only remaining mill, Specialty Minerals, mines and processes limestone for calcium carbonate. This is used in antacids and food supplements, as well as paper whiteners, since the late 20th century, the town has encouraged historic and destination tourism, part of a broader trend in the Berkshires. It has promoted its natural beauty and outdoor activities, and its proximity to the galleries, museums and colleges of North Adams. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 23.0 square miles, of which 22.9 square miles is land and 0.077 square miles
24.
North Adams, Massachusetts
–
North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area and its population was 13,708 as of the 2010 census, making it the least populous city in the state. North Adams was first settled in 1745 during King Georges War, during the war, Canadian and Native American forces laid siege to Fort Massachusetts. 30 prisoners were taken to Quebec, half died in captivity, the town was incorporated separately from Adams in 1878. The city is named in honor of Samuel Adams, a leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, for much of its history, North Adams was a mill town. Manufacturing began in the city before the Revolutionary War, largely because the confluence of the Hoosic Rivers two branches provided water power for small-scale industry, North Adams was also the headquarters for building the Hoosac Tunnel. In 1860, Oliver Arnold and Company was established with the latest equipment for printing cloth, large government contracts to supply fabric for the Union Army helped the business prosper. During the next four decades, Arnold Print Works became one of the leading manufacturers of printed textiles. It also became the largest employer in North Adams, with some 3,200 workers by 1905, later that year, the Sprague Electric Company bought the former print works site. With state-of-the-art equipment, Sprague was a research and development center, conducting studies on electricity. After the war, its products were used in the systems for Gemini moon missions. Its closure devastated the local economy, unemployment rates rose and population declined. After Sprague closed, business and political leaders in North Adams sought ways to re-use the vast complex, when Mayor John Barrett III suggested the vast Marshall Street complex as a possible exhibition site, the idea of creating a contemporary arts center in North Adams began to take shape. The Massachusetts legislature announced its support for the project in 1988, subsequent economic upheaval threatened the project, but broad-based support from the community and the private sector, which pledged more than $8 million, ensured that it moved forward. The eventual proposal used the scale and versatility of the spaces to link the facilitys past and its new life as the countrys largest center for contemporary visual. Since it opened, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art has been part of an economic transformation in the region based on cultural, recreational. North Adams has become home for new restaurants, contemporary art galleries. In addition, once-shuttered area factories and mills have been rehabilitated as lofts for artists to live and work in
25.
Cheshire
–
Cheshire is a county in North West England, bordering Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south and Wales to the west. Cheshires county town is Chester, the largest town is Warrington, other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Macclesfield, Northwich, Runcorn, Widnes, Wilmslow, and Winsford. The county covers 905 square miles and has a population of around 1 million and it is mostly rural, with a number of small towns and villages supporting the agricultural and other industries which produce Cheshire cheese, salt, chemicals and silk. Cheshires name was derived from an early name for Chester. Although the name first appears in 980, it is thought that the county was created by Edward the Elder around 920, in the Domesday Book, Chester was recorded as having the name Cestrescir, derived from the name for Chester at the time. A series of changes occurred as English itself changed, together with some simplifications and elision, resulted in the name Cheshire. Because of the close links with the land bordering Cheshire to the west. The Domesday Book records Cheshire as having two complete Hundreds that later became the part of Flintshire. Additionally, another portion of the Duddestan Hundred later became known as Maelor Saesneg when it was transferred to North Wales. For this and other reasons, the Welsh name for Cheshire is sometimes used within Wales, after the Norman conquest of 1066 by William I, dissent and resistance continued for many years after the invasion. In 1069 local resistance in Cheshire was finally put down using draconian measures as part of the Harrying of the North, the ferocity of the campaign against the English populace was enough to end all future resistance. Examples were made of major landowners such as Earl Edwin of Mercia, William I made Cheshire a county palatine and gave Gerbod the Fleming the new title of Earl of Chester. When Gerbod returned to Normandy in about 1070, the king used his absence to declare the earldom forfeit, due to Cheshires strategic location on Welsh Marches, the Earl had complete autonomous powers to rule on behalf of the king in the county palatine. Cheshire in the Domesday Book is recorded as a larger county than it is today. It included two hundreds, Atiscross and Exestan, that became part of North Wales. At the time of the Domesday Book, it included as part of Duddestan Hundred the area of land later known as English Maelor in Wales. The area between the Mersey and Ribble formed part of the returns for Cheshire, an example is the barony of Halton. One of Hugh dAvranches barons has been identified as Robert Nicholls, Baron of Halton, in 1182 the land north of the Mersey became administered as part of the new county of Lancashire, thus resolving any uncertainty about the county in which the land Inter Ripam et Mersam was
26.
Clarksburg, Massachusetts
–
Clarksburg is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 1,702 at the 2010 census. Clarksburg was first settled in 1764 and officially incorporated in 1798, captain Matthew Ketchum, Colonel William Bullock, and Nicholas Clark are credited with settling the area in 1769, Clark later became Clarksburgs namesake. The town began as an agrarian community, with mills springing up along the waterways in the nineteenth century. The major mills were one to make cashmere, and several mills supplied gunpowder during the Civil War, however, the industry was stopped by the town after one of the mills exploded in 1869. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 12.8 square miles. Clarksburg is bordered by Pownal and Stamford, Vermont on the north, Florida on the east, North Adams on the south, the town is bordered on two sides by mountains, with East Mountain and Bald Mountain to the west, and the Hoosac Range to the east. Between the two ranges, Hudson Brook and the branch of the Hoosic River flow through the valley. In the northern part of the valley is Clarksburg State Park, the park is home to Mauserts Pond and offers picnicking, hiking, and camping, as well as other recreational activities. On the Vermont side of the lies the Green Mountain National Forest. The Appalachian Trail crosses from north to south through the town, passing just west of the peak of East Mountain, route 8 is the only state route through town, and is the main road. There is no service in town, and the nearest bus services are located in North Adams. The nearest regional airport is Harriman and West Airport in North Adams, as of the census of 2010, there were 1,702 people,675 households, and 507 families residing in the town. Clarksburg ranks 20th out of 32 towns in Berkshire County by population, the population density was 133 people per square mile, making it the 9th most densely populated town in the county and the 273rd in the Commonwealth. There were 715 housing units at a density of 55.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 98. 8% White,0. 2% African American,0. 12% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 9% of the population. 20. 3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9. 2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.89. In the town, the population was out with 22. 2% under the age of 19,4. 4% from 20 to 24,21. 2% from 25 to 44,31. 6% from 45 to 64
27.
Florida, Massachusetts
–
Florida is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area and it is home to the east portal of the Hoosac Tunnel, as well as Whitcomb Summit, the highest point of the Mohawk Trail. Florida contains the village of Drury, at the 2010 census the town had a total population of 752. Most of what is now Florida was originally a grant to the town of Bernardston, the first settler, Dr. Daniel Nelson, arrived around 1783. The town was incorporated in 1805 and named Florida, perhaps because Spanish Florida was a topic of conversation at the time, the town was mostly agrarian, with maple syrup, wool, and potatoes its main products for many years. Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his American Notebooks, names the town as Lebrida, not Florida and it is possible that the name Lebrida was a corruption of Florida, or the other way around. Today the town is populated, with most residents working in neighboring towns. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 24.6 square miles, of which 24.4 square miles is land and 0.23 square miles. Florida is located at 42°3957. 77N, 72°5629. 38W, the towns population is mostly concentrated along the Mohawk Trail, which runs through the town, and its villages, Drury, Florida and Whitcomb Summit. Florida is located near the highest points of the Hoosac Range, there are several rivers and brooks, most of which lead to the Deerfield River, which forms much of the eastern border and flows to the Connecticut River. The town includes parts of three state forests - Monroe State Forest in the northeast, Savoy Mountain State Forest in the south, and Mohawk Trail State Forest in the southeast. The highest elevation in the town is 2,830 feet above sea level, Massachusetts Route 2, the Mohawk Trail, runs from the southeast of town northwest across the center of town, passing over Whitcomb Summit, the highest point along the trail. At Whitcomb Summit is a tower, as well as a monument to the Elks Club, whose members helped modernize the trails. Just west of the line is the West Summit, which offers spectacular views of the Hoosic River valley. There are no state routes through town, and the nearest interstate highway is Interstate 91 to the east. The 4. 75-mile-long Hoosac Tunnel carries the railway under the town, the nearest regional bus service can be found in North Adams, as can the nearest regional airport, Harriman-and-West Airport. The nearest airport with national flights is Albany International Airport, as of the census of 2000, there were 676 people,265 households, and 196 families residing in the town. Floridas population ranks 27th out of the 32 towns in Berkshire County, the population density was 27.7 people per square mile, making it the 24th most densely populated town in the county, and 333rd in the Commonwealth
28.
Hancock, Massachusetts
–
Hancock is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 717 at the 2010 census. Hancock was first settled in 1762 as the Plantation of Jericho, the town was officially incorporated in 1776, and renamed for John Hancock. Hancock is one of three towns in Massachusetts whose local telephone service was not provided by the former Bell System. The other two towns are Richmond, also in Berkshire County, and Granby, in Hampshire County. Around 1780, some families in Hancock converted to the teachings of the Shakers, by 1790, Believers in Hancock and Pittsfield established Hancock Shaker Village. The Shakers were an order which believed in pacifism, celibacy. Worship could take the form of singing and ecstatic dance, which is why they were called the Shaking Quakers, the utopian sect is renowned today for its plain architecture and furniture. Hancock Shaker Village is famous for its Round Stone Barn, built in 1826, in 1959, the remaining Shakers in Hancock sold the property to a non-profit museum. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 35.8 square miles, of which 35.7 square miles is land and 0.077 square miles. Most of northern Hancock occupies a valley bound by the Taconic Mountains on each side, Berry Pond, the highest water body in Massachusetts at over 2,070 feet above sea level, sits near the summit of Berry Hill. The highest point in Hancock is a summit of Misery Mountain that reaches 2,671 feet above sea level, U. S. Route 20 passes through the southern end of town, from Pittsfield to the New York state line. Massachusetts Route 43 also passes through town, from the border with Williamstown. There are no roads within the town that connect the two roads, however, there is no rail, bus or air service within the town. The nearest services are in Pittsfield to the south, and Williamstown, the nearest airport with nationally connecting flights is Albany International Airport, approximately 40 miles northwest of town. As of the census of 2000, there were 721 people,296 households, Hancock ranks 25th out of the 32 towns in Berkshire County by population, and 335th out of the 351 in Massachusetts. The population density was 20.2 people per mile, making it the least densely populated town in Berkshire County. There were 472 housing units at a density of 13.2 per square mile
29.
Lanesborough, Massachusetts
–
Lanesborough is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 3,091 at the 2010 census. One of the first Berkshire communities to be settled, Lanesborough was originally known as New Framingham, Lanesborough was first settled in 1753 and was officially incorporated in 1765. It was renamed Lanesborough, for the Countess of Lanesborough, a friend of Governor Francis Bernard, the town grew with small industry in the early 19th century, most of which settled along Town Brook. Berkshire Pleasure Park was an attraction at the turn of the 20th century. It was one of the parks along what is now Route 8 on the eastern side of town. Today the town includes many businesses, but has little industry of its own. More people from Lanesborough are employed in nearby communities or at the nearby Berkshire Mall, the towns most famous resident was Josh Billings, born Henry Wheeler Shaw. He was a popular humorist in the century, rivaling Mark Twain for popularity at the time. Historic sites include the Old Stone School, an unusual stone one-room schoolhouse, built in 1832 from funds donated by Ephraim Bradley, the building is currently used as a photography gallery and guesthouse. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 29.6 square miles, of which 28.8 square miles is land and 0.73 square miles. Lanesborough is bordered by New Ashford to the north, Cheshire to the northeast, Dalton to the east, Pittsfield to the south, the town center is 5 miles north of Pittsfield,50 miles northwest of Springfield and 140 miles west of Boston. To the north, the beginning of Mount Greylock is located in the town, with the auto road, Rockwell Road, which leads to the Visitors Center, ascends from Lanesborough through Cheshire to the summit in Adams. Sperry Road, which branches off Rockwell, leads to a campground, Pittsfield State Forest also has a large section within town, with Balance Rock being its main attraction. To the west, Jiminy Peak and Sheeps Heaven Mountain, the portion of Brodie Mountain. While much of Jiminy Peak is located in the town of Hancock, the ski areas Hendricks Summit Lodge is located within the town. Brodie Mountain Road, which passes between two mountains, is one of the few roads which lead into neighboring Hancock from the east. The very large Massachusetts Champion Elm stands on Summer Street, visible from Route 7, Lanesborough hosts the southern access to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, a bike path converted from a railway path
30.
New Ashford, Massachusetts
–
New Ashford is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 228 at the 2010 census. New Ashford was first settled in 1762 and was incorporated in 1836. It was named for Ashford, Connecticut, where the citizens came from. The town has mostly been a farming community, with few mills ever set up in the town. Beginning in 1916, New Ashford had the distinction of casting the first vote in United States Presidential Elections, as Dixville Notch, accordingly, this small rural town holds an important place in national history. Following the ratifcation of the Nineteenth Amendment the New Ashford poll was where Ms. Phoebe Jordan became the first woman to vote in an election on November 2,1920. The old wooden box used on this historic occasion still sits in town hall. The town is home to the former Brodie Mountain ski area, according to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 13.5 square miles, of which 0.015 square miles, or 0. 10%, is water. It is the third-smallest town in Berkshire County by land area, New Ashford is bordered by Williamstown to the north, Adams to the east, Cheshire to the southeast, Lanesborough to the south, and Hancock to the west. New Ashford is 11 miles north of Pittsfield,57 miles northwest of Springfield, New Ashford sits in a small natural valley within the Taconic Mountains. To the east, Mount Greylock State Reservation rises, with the mountain itself peaking just northeast of the town. The peak of Saddle Ball Mountain, a part of the range, lies within the part of town and is the highest point in town. The Mount Greylock Scenic Drive crosses through the part of town, on its way to the peak. To the west, Brodie Mountain runs along the border of town. U. S. Route 7 passes through the center of town, no state routes pass through town. There is no rail or bus service, the nearest bus, the town is located between two local airports, Harriman and West Airport in North Adams and Pittsfield Municipal Airport. The nearest airport with service is Albany International Airport
31.
Savoy, Massachusetts
–
Savoy is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 692 at the 2010 census. Savoy began its existence within the Massachusetts Colony as part of Northern Berkshire Township #6, the land was auctioned off several times before it was finally purchased by Colonel William Bullock of Rehoboth. Savoy, or New Seconk as it was called by its inhabitants, was first settled in 1777 by a group led by Colonel Lemuel Hathaway. The town was incorporated in 1797, and was supposedly named for the lands resemblance to the Duchy of Savoy in France. The town started off with a grazing agrarian industry, before several lumber mills took off in town, the town was very diverse religiously, with several faiths practicing by the mid-19th century. Today the town is mostly a rural community, known for its scenery. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 36.0 square miles, of which 35.8 square miles is land and 0.19 square miles. The town is the 45th largest town by area in the state, the Cold River, a branch of the Deerfield River, forms part of the towns northern border, and feeds several brooks. Several tributaries of the Westfield River also flow through the portion of town. The highest point in town is the summit of Borden Mountain, Savoy is located along the eastern border of Berkshire County, and shares a border with Franklin County and Hampshire County. The town is bordered by Florida to the north, Charlemont, Hawley and Plainfield to the east, Windsor to the south, Cheshire to the southwest, Charlemont and Hawley are both located in Franklin County, and Plainfield is in Hampshire County. Savoy is 17 miles northeast of Pittsfield,49 miles northwest of Springfield, a short portion of Massachusetts Route 2, also known as the Mohawk Trail, crosses along the northeast border of town before crossing the Cold River into Florida. In the south, Route 116 and Route 8A meet near the center of town, there are no railroad lines through the town, the nearest being the freight line which passes through Florida via the Hoosac Tunnel. The nearest regional bus service can be found in North Adams, as can Harriman-and-West Airport, the town is roughly equidistantly located between the nearest airports with national service, Bradley International Airport in Connecticut and Albany International Airport in New York. As of the census of 2000, there were 705 people,287 households, by population, Savoy ranks 26th out of the 32 towns in Berkshire County, and 336th out of the 351 Massachusetts cities and towns. The population density was 19.7 people per mile, ranking it 27th in the county. There were 326 housing units at a density of 9.1 per square mile
32.
Williamstown, Massachusetts
–
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts, United States. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west and it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census, a college town, it is home to Williams College, the Clark Art Institute and the Tony-awarded Williamstown Theatre Festival, which runs every July and August. Originally called West Hoosac, the area was first settled in 1749, prior to this time its position along the Mohawk Trail made it ideal Mohican hunting grounds. Its strategic location bordering Dutch colonies in New York led to its settlement, fort West Hoosac, the westernmost blockhouse and stockade in Massachusetts, was built in 1756. The town was incorporated in 1765 as Williamstown according to the will of Col. Ephraim Williams and he bequeathed a significant sum to the town on the condition that it were named after him and started a free school. In 1791, the opened, but only lasted a short time as a free school before becoming Williams College in 1793. The primary industry was agriculture, particularly dairy farming, sheep herding, sawmills and gristmills operated by water power at the streams. With the Industrial Revolution larger mills were added, including the Walley Mill and Williamstown Manufacturing Company, with the opening of the railroad, tourists arrived. Several inns and hotels were established, including the Idlewild Hotel, in the late 1930s and 1940s, E. Parmelee Prentice and his wife Alta, the daughter of John D. Rockefeller, created Mount Hope Farm. With a mansion designed by James Gamble Rogers, it was one of the experimental farms in the country. Today, it belongs to Williams College, which remains the largest employer in town. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 46.9 square miles, of which 46.8 square miles is land and 0.12 square miles. Located in the Berkshires, Williamstown is drained by the Hoosic River, Williamstown is the northwesternmost town in Massachusetts. The town is bordered on the north by Pownal, Vermont, on the east by Clarksburg, North Adams and Adams, on the south by New Ashford and Hancock, the town proper lies southwest of the confluence of the Green River and the Hoosic River. To the west, the Taconic Range lines the N. Y. state border and is where Taconic Trail State Park is located, the highest point in town is at 3,320 feet above sea level, just 0.2 miles west of the summit of Greylock. The Appalachian Trail skirts the town twice, near the southeast corner of town, to the northeast, Pine Cobble lies along the Clarksburg town line, and to the north lies the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont. U. S. Route 7 passes from north to south through the town, crossing into Vermont to the north and New Ashford to the south
33.
Windsor, Massachusetts
–
Windsor is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 899 according to the 2010 census. Windsor was first settled in 1767 and was incorporated in 1771. The town was named for Windsor, Connecticut, where many of the settlers emigrated from, originally, the town was named Gageborough in honor of British General Thomas Gage, but was changed due to the generals Revolutionary War affiliation. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 35.2 square miles, of which 35.0 square miles is land and 0.15 square miles. Windsor is mostly rectangular-shaped, and lies along the border of Berkshire County with Hampshire County. It is bordered by Savoy to the north, Plainfield to the northeast and east, Cummington to the southeast, Peru and Hinsdale to the south, Dalton to the southwest, and Cheshire to the northwest. Windsor is 12 miles northeast of Pittsfield,45 miles northwest of Springfield, Windsor is located on a plateau in the Berkshire Hills, and lies near the source of the Westfield River. The river runs southward through the northeast part of town, flowing through Windsor State Forest, one of the rivers feeder brooks flows through the Windsor Jambs, a series of rocky waterfalls. The town is dotted with wildlife management areas, including all of Eugene Moran Wildlife Management Area, as well as portions of the Chalet, Peru, Windsor is located at the junction of Massachusetts Route 9 and Route 8A, with the two running concurrently west from the junction. Near the northeast corner of town, Route 8A grazes the border, the town has no bus or rail service, with the nearest access to both being in Pittsfield. As of the census of 2000, there were 875 people,328 households, by population, Windsor ranks 22nd out of the 32 cities and town in Berkshire County, and 329th out of 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 25.0 people per square mile, there were 474 housing units at an average density of 13.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 98. 86% White,0. 34% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 11% of the population. 19. 2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7. 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.05. In the town, the population was out with 26. 6% under the age of 18,4. 2% from 18 to 24,26. 6% from 25 to 44,32. 2% from 45 to 64. The median age was 41 years, for every 100 females there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males, the median income for a household in the town was $51,389, and the median income for a family was $57,500
34.
Becket, Massachusetts
–
Becket is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 1,779 at the 2010 census. Becket was first settled in 1740 and was incorporated in 1765. The original Beckett for which the town of Becket was named is an estate or tithing that once belonged to the Admiral Lord Barrington and it is located in Shrivenham, formerly in Berkshire, England, about five miles east of the important railroad town of Swindon. Sir Francis Bernard, the Royal Governor of Massachusetts in 1765, was a friend of Lord Barrington and was himself a native of Berkshire. In 1811,16 men from Becket traveled to the Western Reserve and founded the village of Windham, the early town was the site of an experiment in the late eighteenth century involving the local church. Seeing the problems involved with communities who supported congregational churches, the town established its own church society and it was one of the first frontier communities to employ this model of supporting churches. From its earliest days, Becket was involved in the industries of lumber. As time went on, dairy production, basketry and silk also were products of the town. After a flood in the twentieth century, most of the industries died out. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 47.8 square miles, of which 46.1 square miles is land and 1.7 square miles. Becket is located on the border of Berkshire County, at the junction of Hampshire County. Becket is bordered by Washington to the northwest, Middlefield to the northeast, Chester to the east, Blandford to the southeast, Otis to the south, Becket is 17 miles southeast of Pittsfield,32 miles northwest of Springfield, and 118 miles west of Boston. The west branch of the Westfield River flows along much of the Middlefield town line, several marshy brooks flow through the town, and there are several ponds, lakes and the Palmer Brook Reservoir. Along the river, a portion of the Walnut Hill Wildlife Management Area lies within the town, and to the west. The Appalachian Trail passes through the part of town, circumventing the town of Lee while heading from Tyringham to Washington over Becket Mountain. Interstate 90, the Massachusetts Turnpike, passes through town, with the nearest exit being in neighboring Lee, the town also lies along U. S. Route 20, which is the main east-west route through the town. Massachusetts Route 8 runs concurrently with U. S.20 for 5 miles starting at the center of town, a portion of the CSX Berkshire Subdivision rail line passes along the river valley, providing access between Pittsfield and Springfield
35.
Dalton, Massachusetts
–
Dalton is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Dalton is a town between the urban and rural portions of Berkshire County. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 6,756 at the 2010 census. Dalton was first settled in 1755 and officially incorporated in 1784, the town was named after Tristram Dalton, the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives at the time of the towns incorporation. Dalton was settled as a community, with mills set up along the East Branch of the Housatonic River. In 1801, Zenas Crane, Henry Wiswall and John Willard set up a mill along the river which, by 1844, had begun producing banknote paper. The town now has a mix of town and suburban qualities. In 1973, Dalton was the host of the International Six Days Enduro, also referred to as The Olympics of Motorcycling. The ISDE is an event held in a different country each year since 1913. Julia Carolyn Weston, Weston Paper Company heiress, mother of Julia Child of the French Chef PBS show and fame. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 21.9 square miles, of which 21.8 square miles is land and 0.12 square miles. Dalton is bordered by Cheshire to the northwest and north, Windsor to the northeast, Hinsdale to the east, Washington to the south, the town center is 5 miles northeast of downtown Pittsfield,45 miles northwest of Springfield, and 140 miles west of Boston. Daltons center of population, due to its history, is around the valley of the East Branch of the Housatonic River. Several brooks run into the river, including Wahconah Falls Brook, much of the rest of town is dominated by the Berkshires, with the north being on a plateau between the peaks of North Mountain and Western Mountain, covered by the Dalton Wildlife Management Area. The south is dominated by Tully Mountain, whose peak is just over the Hinsdale line, the Appalachian Trail winds through town, passing between Tully and North Mountains through the downtown area. Dalton lies at the junction of Massachusetts Route 8, Route 8A and Route 9, Route 9 is the major central east-west route through the state, and ends in neighboring Pittsfield. Daltons nearest interstate is Interstate 90, the Massachusetts Turnpike, whose nearest exit is 15 miles south of town, the town, formerly served by trolley service from Pittsfield, is still on a route of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authoritys bus service. The rail line is active in town, used by CSX Transportation
36.
Hinsdale, Massachusetts
–
Hinsdale is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 2,032 at the 2010 census. The mill was the center of activity in town until the Great Depression. The Hinsdale train depot located in the center was closed in 1954. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 21.7 square miles, of which 20.7 square miles is land and 0.97 square miles. Hinsdale is located in central Berkshire County, and is bordered by Windsor to the north, Peru to the east, Washington to the south, Hinsdale is 9 miles east of Pittsfield,42 miles northwest of Springfield, and 120 miles west of Boston. Hinsdale is located in the Berkshire Hills, with most of its located in a valley along the East Branch of the Housatonic River. Much of the land around the south of the town center is part of the Hinsdale Flats Wildlife Management Reserve. There are four reservoirs within the town, as well as part of Muddy Pond in the south, the town, which contains the peak of Tully Mountain along the western border, is traversed by a portion of the Appalachian Trail, which crosses the mountain. The town also has several camps and a country club. Massachusetts Route 8 crosses the town from the south to the Dalton border in the northwest, Route 143 begins at Route 8 at the center of town. The town lies along a CSX Transportation rail line, which brings Amtrak, the town lies at the eastern terminus of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority bus line. Regional bus service can be found in Pittsfield, which is home to the nearest regional air service. The nearest airport with national flights is Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, as of the census of 2000, there were 1,872 people,739 households, and 509 families residing in the town. By population, the town ranks 13th of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, the population density was 89.8 people per square mile, which ranks 13th and 290th in the county and Commonwealth, respectively. There were 970 housing units at a density of 46.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97. 81% White,0. 53% African American,0. 27% Asian, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 32% of the population. 25. 7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7. 3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.04
37.
Lee, Massachusetts
–
Lee is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States settled by. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, metropolitan statistical area, the population was 5,943 at the 2010 census. Lee, which includes the villages of South and East Lee, is part of the Berkshires resort area, Lee occupies land which was originally territory of Mahican Indians. The first non-native settlement in the area was known as Dodgetown as early as 1760, Dodgetown was named after its founding settler, Asahel Dodge, who immigrated to the area from Cape Cod. Lee was incorporated in 1777 from parts of Great Barrington and Washington and it is named after Revolutionary War General Charles Lee. Lee is a mill town. In the autumn of 1786 during Shays Rebellion, about 250 followers of Daniel Shays encountered state troops commanded by General John Paterson near East Lee, the Shaysites paraded a fake cannon crafted from a yarn beam, and the troops fled. Early industries included agriculture, lumbering, and lime making, abundant streams and rivers provided water power for mills which produced textiles and wire. In 1806, papermaking became the industry with the construction of the Willow Mill by Samuel Church in South Lee. In 1827, the Columbia Mill in central Lee was established, by 1857, there were 25 paper mills in Lee. The Smith Paper Company discovered how to manufacture paper solely from wood pulp in 1867, the mills previously owned by Smith Paper Company were closed in 2008. Today, Lee has only a single papermaking facility, the towns marble is famous for its quality. The first quarry was established in 1852, in 1867, almost 500,000 cubic feet of marble was excavated and shipped on the Housatonic Railroad. Buildings constructed of Lee marble include a wing of the Capitol in Washington, the towns 19th century prosperity is still evident in its architecture, including its town hall, library, several churches and private homes. South Lee includes a district listed on the National Register. Lee has become a popular tourist destination, noted both for its New England charm and its bed and breakfast establishments. It is known as the Gateway to The Berkshires because it provides one of two exits on the Massachusetts Turnpike which serve the county, and the only one going eastbound. Lee was a location for Before and After and The Cider House Rules
38.
Lenox, Massachusetts
–
Lenox is a an affluent village in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 5,025 at the 2010 census. Lenox is the site of Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Lenox includes the villages of New Lenox and Lenoxdale, and is a tourist destination during the summer. The area was inhabited by Mahicans, Algonquian speakers who lived along the Hudson. The Province of Massachusetts Bay thereupon auctioned large tracts of land for 10 townships in Berkshire County, for 2,250 pounds Josiah Dean purchased Lot Number 8, which included present-day Lenox and Richmond. After conflicting land claims were resolved, however, it went to Samuel Brown, Jr. who had bought the land from the Mahican chief and it was founded as Richmond in 1765. But because the Berkshires divided the town in two, the village of Yokuntown was set off as Lenox in 1767. The town was intended to be called Lennox, probably after Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond and Lennox, early industries included farming, sawmills, textile mills, potash production, glassworks, and quarrying. A vein of iron ore led to the digging of mines under the town, in 1784, Lenox became county seat, which it remained until 1868 when the title passed to Pittsfield. The county courthouse built in 1816 is today the Lenox Library, the regions rustic beauty helped Lenox develop into an art colony. In 1821, author Catharine Sedgwick moved here, followed by actress Fanny Kemble, Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family came from Salem in 1850, staying a year and a half. Other visitors to the area, including Timothy Dwight, Benjamin Silliman and Henry Ward Beecher, after an extension of the Housatonic Railroad arrived in 1838, tourists discovered the town in increasing numbers. In 1844, Samuel Gray Ward of Boston, the American representative for Barings Bank of London, called Highwood, the Italianate dwelling was designed in 1845 by Richard Upjohn. In 1876, Ward hired Charles F. McKim to design in the Shingle Style another property, the wealthy and their entourage opened immense houses for recreation and entertaining during the Berkshire Season, which lasted from late summer until early fall. One event was the annual Tub Parade, when Main Street was lined with ornately decorated carriages, property values jumped as millionaires competed for land on which to build showplaces. In 1903, an acre in Lenox cost $20,000, the imposition of the federal income tax in 1913 ended construction of the country mansions in the Berkshires. The estates started to break up during the 1920s, carnegies widow sold Shadowbrook to the Jesuits for a seminary in 1922. The Depression made it harder to maintain the estates, and labor was scarce during World War II, after the war, some of the estates were torn or burned down
39.
Otis, Massachusetts
–
Otis is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 1,612 at the 2010 census. For geographic and demographic information on East Otis, which is part of the town of Otis, see East Otis, the numbers reported in that article are included in the figures below. Officially incorporated in 1810, the town was created when the town of Loudon annexed the adjacent District of Bethlehem in 1809. It was named after Harrison Gray Otis, a lawyer, financier. General Henry Knox passed through the town in January 1776, bringing cannons from Fort Ticonderoga in New York to aid in ending the Siege of Boston, a route now known as the Knox Trail. The town was a community, with several small mill industries growing along the waterways. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 38.0 square miles, of which 35.6 square miles is land and 2.5 square miles. Otis is 23 miles southeast of Pittsfield,30 miles west-northwest of Springfield, Otis lies in the southern end of the Berkshire Mountains, and is dotted by several hills. The West Branch of the Farmington River rises in the town, the southeastern part of town is dominated by the Otis Reservoir and Big Pond, as well as portions of Tolland State Forest and Otis State Forest. The highest points in the town are to the north, with Church Hill to the east, much of the land around the brooks of town is marshy. Just west of the center is Otis Ridge Ski Area. Most of the population is around the reservoir and the center of town, Otis lies at the intersection of Massachusetts Route 8 and Route 23. Route 8 was once part of the New England interstate system, Route 23 is known as the Knox Trail, with a historical marker along the route in the eastern part of town. Interstate 90 passes through the edge of town twice, with the nearest exit being in Lee. There is no rail, bus or air service in town, the nearest national air service is at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,365 people,567 households, by population, Otis ranks 19th out of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, and 312nd out of 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 38.1 people per square mile, there were 1,572 housing units at an average density of 43.9 per square mile
40.
Peru, Massachusetts
–
Peru is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 847 at the 2010 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 26.0 square miles, of which 25.9 square miles is land and 0.12 square miles. Peru is 13 miles east of Pittsfield,40 miles northwest of Springfield and 118 miles west of Boston, Peru has the highest mean altitude in Massachusetts and, along with neighboring Windsor, is one of only two municipalities with a mean elevation above 2,000 feet. It lies on ground in the Berkshire Hills, with three main peaks in the town. Much of Peru is forested, with a portion of the northern third of town covered by a wildlife management area. To the west of town, Ashmere Lake flows out into Bennett Brook, to the east, many brooks, including Trout Brook, flow south and east towards the Westfield River, part of the Connecticut River watershed. Peru is bisected by Massachusetts Route 143, passing from east to west, no other state roads pass through the town. The nearest interstate, Interstate 90, can be accessed approximately 20 miles away in Lee, the nearest bus stop is in the center of Hinsdale. The nearest coach and rail services can be found in Pittsfield, the nearest national service is located at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. As of the census of 2000, there were 821 people,295 households, the town is the ninth-smallest of the 32 cities and towns in the county, and ranks 331st out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts by population. The population density is listed at 31.7 people per mile, ranking it 22nd in the county. There were 378 housing units at a density of 14.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97. 93% White,0. 24% African American,0. 12% Native American,0. 49% Asian,0. 12% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 12% of the population. 16. 3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5. 1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.14. In the town, the population was out with 27. 8% under the age of 18,6. 0% from 18 to 24,31. 1% from 25 to 44,27. 4% from 45 to 64. The median age was 37 years, for every 100 females there were 107.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.3 males, the median income for a household in the town was $44,531, and the median income for a family was $51,071
41.
Richmond, Massachusetts
–
Richmond is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 1,475 at the 2010 census. The area around Richmond was settled as part of the town of Stockbridge in 1756, the town was set apart and incorporated in 1765, and named for Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond. The town of Lenox, which out of the village of Yokuntown, was also named for him when it was incorporated two years later. The town was mostly agrarian until the discovery of ore in 1829. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 19.0 square miles, of which 18.7 square miles is land and 0.31 square miles. Richmond is bordered on the north by Hancock and Pittsfield, on the east by Lenox, on the south by Stockbridge and West Stockbridge, and on the west by Canaan, Columbia County, New York. Massachusetts Route 41 passes from north to south through the town, and Route 295, the nearest interstate is Interstate 90, also known as the Massachusetts Turnpike. Exit 1 is located two miles south along Route 41, but only allows for westbound exit and eastbound entrance. The nearest westbound entrance to the interstate is in Canaan, at the Berkshire Spur portion of the New York State Thruway, Exit B3. The nearest municipal airport is Pittsfield Municipal Airport,5.5 miles away, there is no bus service in town, and the nearest bus station is in Pittsfield. There is also a CSX freight rail line passes through the town. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,604 people,643 households, there were 833 housing units at an average density of 43.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97. 63% White,1. 00% African American,0. 50% Native American,0. 44% Asian,0. 06% Pacific Islander,0. 37% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 56% of the population,20. 8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9. 5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the family size was 2.89. In the town, the population was out with 21. 5% under the age of 18,4. 9% from 18 to 24,22. 9% from 25 to 44,35. 0% from 45 to 64. The median age was 45 years, for every 100 females there were 96.8 males
42.
Stockbridge, Massachusetts
–
Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 1,947 at the 2010 census. A year-round resort area, Stockbridge is home to the Norman Rockwell Museum, the Austen Riggs Center, Stockbridge was first settled by English missionaries in 1734, who established it as a mission for the Mahican Indian tribe known as the Stockbridge Indians. The township was set aside for the tribe by English colonists as a reward for their assistance against the French in the French, the Reverend John Sergeant from Newark, New Jersey, was their missionary. Sergeant was succeeded in this post by Jonathan Edwards, a notable Christian theologian associated with the First Great Awakening, First chartered as Indian Town in 1737, the village was officially incorporated on June 22,1739, as Stockbridge. The English colonists named it after Stockbridge in Hampshire, England, although the Massachusetts General Court had assured the Stockbridge Indians that their land would never be sold, the agreement was rescinded. Despite the aid by the tribe during the Revolutionary War, the state forced their relocation to the west, first to New York State, the village was taken over by British-American settlers. With the arrival of the railroad in 1850, Stockbridge developed as a resort for the wealthy of Boston. Many large houses, called Berkshire Cottages, were built in the area before World War I, one estate on the Lenox border, Tanglewood, was adapted for use as the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Since 1853, Stockbridge has benefited from the presence of the Laurel Hill Association, the Stockbridge Bowl Association maintains and preserves the natural beauty of Stockbridge Bowl and the surrounding Bullard Woods. Stockbridge was the home of Elizabeth Freeman, a freed slave, the former slave engaged the attorney Theodore Sedgwick to file a freedom suit on her behalf, based on the statements in the new state constitution in 1780. In the case with a slave named Brom, the county court ruled that they were free under the constitution. Their case served as precedent to a case before the State Supreme Court. Freeman transferred as a woman to work in the household of Sedgwick. Also working in the household was Agrippa Hull, a black veteran of the war. Freeman was buried in the Sedgwick family plot at the Stockbridge Cemetery, catharine Maria Sedgwick, a daughter of Theodore and his wife, became a renowned 19th-century literary figure. She was born in Stockbridge in 1789 and she is the author of six novels, including her most famous, Hope Leslie. Pagenstecher later went on to found numerous pulp and paper mills throughout the Northeast and Canada, the town has a tradition as an art colony
43.
Tyringham, Massachusetts
–
Tyringham is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 327 at the 2010 census. Founded as Housatonic Township Number 1, the land which became Tyringham, the two main villages were set up along two waterways, Hop Brook to the north and the Konkapot River to the south. In 1750, Adonijah Bidwell, a Yale Divinity School graduate from the Hartford region, became the first minister of Township No.1. When a meetinghouse was founded in the south, it led to a buildup in the north, and by 1767 the town was incorporated and named for Tyringham, a village in Buckinghamshire, England. The town was home to the Tyringham Shaker Settlement Historic District, with the Shaker holy name of Jerusalem, the town of Monterey was set off and incorporated as its own town in 1847. The town was the site of small country estates for the wealthy, most of which are long gone, leaving Tyringham as a small. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 18.9 square miles, of which 18.6 square miles is land and 0.23 square miles. The town is four-sided, bordered by Lee to the north, Becket and Otis to the east, Monterey to the south, Tyringham is located 16 miles south of Pittsfield,39 miles west-northwest of Springfield, and 125 miles west of Boston. Tyringham is located in the Hop Brook Valley in the Berkshire Hills, to the northeast of the valley, Baldy Mountain rises to a large plateau which stretches into the neighboring towns, and includes Goose Pond. To the southwest of the valley, two mountain peaks - Mount Wilcot and Hunger Mountain - rise in a plateau in neighboring Monterey, the Appalachian Trail passes through the town, winding down Sky Hill, then sweeps through the valley and over Baldy Mountain and towards Becket Mountain. Tyringham is one of just fifteen towns in Massachusetts which is not served by any state routes of any type, interstate 90 and U. S. Route 20 pass just north of the towns northeast corner, and Massachusetts Route 23 passes through neighboring Monterey to the south. The main road through town passes between this route to the south and Route 102 in Lee, just south of the point where it meets Route 20 at I-90 Exit 2. There are no rail or bus services in the town, with the nearest regional service for both being in Great Barrington, the nearest national air service can be reached at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. As of the census of 2000, there were 350 people,133 households, by population, the town ranks 30th out of 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, and 345th out of the 351 in Massachusetts. The population density was 18.7 people per square mile, there were 265 housing units at an average density of 14.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 95. 43% White,0. 29% African American,0. 29% Native American,2. 57% Asian, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 29% of the population. 20. 3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9. 0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.93
44.
Washington, Massachusetts
–
Washington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 538 at the 2010 census. Washington was first settled in 1760 and was incorporated in 1777. The town was known by different names, including Greenoch, Watsontown and Hartville. The town has always been rural, with few industries, known more for being along the stage road to Pittsfield. Folk singer Arlo Guthrie lives in Washington. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 38.8 square miles, of which 38.0 square miles is land and 0.81 square miles. Washington is 39 miles northwest of Springfield and 123 miles west of Boston, Washington lies within the Berkshire Hills, and its geography is dominated by October Mountain in the western part of town. There are several reservoirs and lakes throughout the town as well. Along the mountain, the Appalachian Trail crosses through town, Massachusetts Route 8 is the only state route through town, passing from Becket to Hinsdale. The nearest interstate highway, Interstate 90, is accessible in neighboring Lee, the town has a rail line, the CSX Berkshire Subdivision, operated by CSX and used by Amtrak. The summit of the Berkshires on the line is 0. 1mi north of Summit Hill Road bridge in Washington. The nearest regional airport is Pittsfield Municipal Airport, and the nearest national flights are at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, as of the census of 2000, there were 544 people,203 households, and 163 families residing in the town. The town ranks 28th out of 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County by population, the population density was 14.4 people per square mile, ranking it second to last in the county and sixth to last in the state. There were 236 housing units at a density of 6.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 99. 45% White,0. 37% African American, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 74% of the population. 14. 8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6. 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 2.96. In the town, the population was out with 26. 5% under the age of 18,5. 7% from 18 to 24,25. 2% from 25 to 44,32. 7% from 45 to 64
45.
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
–
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van Deusenville and it is the birthplace of W. E. B. In 2012, Smithsonian magazine ranked Great Barrington #1 in its list of The 20 Best Small Towns in America, Great Barrington today is a vibrant small town acting as the hub for South County. The town and its surroundings support a population as well as second homes. Great Barrington is home to over 70 restaurants catering to a wide spectrum, the recently renovated Mahaiwe Theater has become a center for year-round music and cultural events. The Mahican Indians called the area Mahaiwe, meaning the place downstream and it lay on the New England Path, which connected Fort Orange near Albany, New York, with Springfield and Massachusetts Bay. The Konkapot River in southwestern Massachusetts is named after him, the village was first settled by colonists in 1726 and from 1742–1761 was the north parish of Sheffield. In 1761, it was incorporated as Great Barrington, named after the village of Great Barrington in Gloucestershire. In the summer of 1774,1,500 men shut down the Berkshire County Court in response to British oppression, in the winter of 1776, Henry Knox passed through Great Barrington while transporting the cannon from Fort Ticonderoga to the Siege of Boston. Due to his time in the area, he established an agricultural interest in the area of Great Barrington. With the arrival of the railroad in the late 19th century, Great Barrington developed as a Gilded Age resort community for those seeking relief from the heat, wealthy families built grand homes called Berkshire Cottages here, as others would in Lenox and Stockbridge. Leavitt was instrumental in the development of the local Housatonic Railroad, later estates included Searles Castle, commissioned in 1888 by the widow of Mark Hopkins together with her second husband, Edward Francis Searles, and Brookside, built for William Hall Walker. In 1895, Colonel William L. Brown, part owner of the New York Daily News, presented Great Barrington with a statue of a newsboy, Great Barrington is the birthplace of W. E. B. Du Bois, an African-American academic and civil rights activist, most known for being one of the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909. Du Bois was born on February 23,1868, at a house replaced by where present-day Route 23 would run. As a child, Du Bois attended the Congregational Church, many of these church members donated the funds needed for Du Bois to attend college. Du Bois lived in the town until he was seventeen, Du Bois Boyhood Homesite has interpretive trails and a walking tour
46.
Alford, Massachusetts
–
Alford is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 494 at the 2010 census. Alford was first settled in 1756 as part of a purchase from the Shauanum Stockbridge Mahican tribe by a group led by Timothy Woodbridge. The town, originally part of Great Barrington, separated in 1769 and was incorporated in 1773. It was named for Colonel John Alford of Charlestown, who was known for preaching Christianity to Native Americans, the town has been mostly agricultural throughout its existence, although several small mills and a marble quarry existed in the nineteenth century. Around New Years Day,1776, General Henry Knox passed into Massachusetts through the town, today, this route is known as the Knox Trail, and a marker is located at the state line. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 11.5 square miles, of which 11.5 square miles is land and 0.04 square miles. Alford lies along the border of Berkshire County and Massachusetts, east of Columbia County. Alford is located 19 miles south-southwest of Pittsfield,50 miles west-northwest of Springfield,138 miles west of Boston, Alford is surrounded by hills and mountains of the Taconic Range. Several other brooks flow into two waterways. To the northeast of town, Tom Ball Mountain peaks just over the line in West Stockbridge. Alford is home to the terminus of Massachusetts Route 71. The Knox Trail follows this route into the state, and the road heads southeastward into Egremont before ending in Great Barrington, there are no other state routes in the town, with few local roads crossing through town. The nearest interstate, Interstate 90, passes through neighboring West Stockbridge, the nearest rail service is at the Amtrak station in Pittsfield, with service to Boston, Chicago and New York City via a connection at Albany. Bus service is available at Pittsfield as well as in Great Barrington, there is a general aviation airport in Pittsfield, but the nearest airport for commercial flights is Albany International Airport in New York. As of the census of 2000, there were 399 people,171 households, by population, Alford ranks twenty-ninth out of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, and is ninth-smallest of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 34.5 people per square mile, there were 279 housing units at an average density of 24.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 99. 00% White,0. 75% African American,29. 8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10. 5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older
47.
Egremont, Massachusetts
–
Egremont is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 1,225 at the 2010 census. Egremont consists of two villages, North Egremont and South Egremont, Egremont was first settled in 1722 by Dutch settlers from New York. English settlers arrived a few later, and the town was officially incorporated by Massachusetts in 1761. It is unclear whether the town is named for the English town or for the first Earl of Egremont, for much of its history, Egremont has been an agricultural town, with only a small milling area around South Egremont. Around New Years Day,1776, General Henry Knox passed through the town with cannons from Fort Ticonderoga, today, the path is known as the Knox Trail, and a historical marker is located in the village of North Egremont. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 18.9 square miles, of which 18.7 square miles is land and 0.23 square miles. Egremont lies along the border of Berkshire County and Massachusetts, with Columbia County, New York. The town is bordered by Alford to the north, Great Barrington to the east, Sheffield to the southeast, Mount Washington to the southwest, and Copake and Hillsdale, New York, to the west. Egremont is 23 miles south-southwest of Pittsfield,50 miles west of Springfield,140 miles west of Boston, Egremont is situated in a valley east of the Taconic Range. To the southwest, Mount Whitbeck divides the town from Mount Washington, Mount Fray is the site of the Catamount Ski Area, which extends into Hillsdale. Mount Whitbeck and its neighbor, the Jug End, make up the Jug End State Reservation, the Appalachian Trail extends through the reservation, before turning east at the Jug End towards Great Barrington. The town lies along the Green River, a tributary of the Housatonic River, several brooks also flow through the town, with one being dammed to form the Mill Pond in South Egremont. In South Egremont, Massachusetts Route 23 and Route 41 meet just northeast of the Mill Pond, the western end of Route 23 is at the state border within town, where it becomes New York State Route 23. Massachusetts Route 71, which part of the Knox Trail, also passes through the town. The highway does not meet the two, however, until well into Great Barrington. The nearest interstate, Interstate 90, is located north of town, with the nearest exit, there is no rail, bus or air service in town, with the nearest for all three being in Great Barrington. The nearest national air service can be found at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, as of the census of 2000, there were 1,345 people,609 households, and 408 families residing in the town
48.
Monterey, Massachusetts
–
Monterey is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 961 at the 2010 census. Prior to official settlement, the area of Monterey was inhabited by Mahicans, Monterey was first settled by colonists in 1739 as a part of Housatonic Township Number One. The township had two villages, along Hop Brook to the north and Konkapot River in the south, the town was officially incorporated as Tyringham in 1767. In the earliest days of 1776, General Henry Knox passed through the town, today, the path he took is known as the Henry Knox Trail. However, the divide between the two towns led to their separation in 1847. Palo Alto and Buena Vista were also considered, but thought to be too foreign sounding, the town was mostly known for its sawmills, but today it is a rural community, known more for its recreational areas in the state forests and along Lake Garfield. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 27.4 square miles, of which 26.4 square miles is land and 0.97 square miles. Monterey is bordered by Tyringham to the north, Otis to the east, Sandisfield to the southeast, New Marlborough to the south, Monterey lies 21 miles south-southeast of Pittsfield,37 miles west of Springfield, and 124 miles west of Boston. Monterey lies in the end of the Berkshires, at the headwaters of the Konkapot River. The river rises from Lake Garfield, which is surrounded by hills, and Lake Buel. Much of the northwest corner of town is dominated by Mount Wilcox, the state forest is crossed by the Appalachian Trail, which crosses from Great Barrington, below the peak of the mountain and on to Sky Hill in Tyringham. Monterey lies along Massachusetts Route 23, the main east-west route through town, near the Great Barrington line, Route 57 begins and heads eastward, passing Lake Buel before heading into New Marlborough. Route 57 also carries Route 183, which is combined with Route 23 west of the junction, there are also several non-state highways which connect the town to its other neighbors. Most of the population is centered around Route 23, especially near Lake Garfield, the nearest interstate, Interstate 90, passes through neighboring Otis, and its nearest exit is at U. S. Route 20 in Lee. The nearest regional rail and bus service is at Great Barrington, amtrak service can also be found in Pittsfield, along the east-west Lake Shore Limited. There is a regional airport in Great Barrington, with the nearest national air service at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. As of the census of 2000, there were 934 people,387 households, by population, the town ranks 21st out of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, and 325th out of 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts
49.
Mount Washington, Massachusetts
–
Mount Washington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 167 at the 2010 census, making it the smallest town in Berkshire County and, after Gosnold and Monroe, the third smallest in Massachusetts. The name Washington is a tribute to George Washington, who at the time of incorporation was Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, Mount Washington was first settled in 1692 and was officially incorporated in 1779. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 22.4 square miles, of which 22.2 square miles is land and 0.15 square miles. Mount Washington is the westernmost and southwesternmost town in Massachusetts, Mount Washington is 33 miles south-southwest of Pittsfield,58 miles west of Springfield, and 148 miles west-southwest of Boston. Mount Washington is located on a plateau in the Taconic Mountains, to the east, Mount Everett, the highest point in town and the highest point in the southern Taconic Mountains, rises 2,602 feet near the towns eastern border. To the north, several mountains and hills lie along the Egremont town line, alander Mountain and the western escarpment of the southern Taconic Mountains lie along the western border of Mount Washington at the Columbia County, New York line. To the south, along the Connecticut border, stand another series of peaks including Mount Frissell, although the summit of this mountain rests within the town of Mount Washington, its southern slope is located in Connecticut and is that states highest elevation. Many brooks lie within the town, most of which feed into Roeliff Jansen Kill in Copake, Mount Washington State Forest makes up a large portion of the town, as does Mount Everett State Reservation. The town is home to Bash Bish Falls State Park. Mount Washington is remote, with four roads that lead out of the town. There are no roads within the town, with only New York State Route 344 entering the town. The nearest state route in Massachusetts accessible to the town is Route 23 in Egremont, the nearest interstate, Interstate 90, is several miles north of the town, with the nearest exit, the turn-around exit 1, being in West Stockbridge. The nearest rail, bus and small airplane service are in Great Barrington, as of the census of 2000, there were 130 people,64 households, and 36 families residing in the town. The town is the smallest town of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, the population density was 5.8 people per square mile, the most sparsely populated town in the county and Commonwealth. There were 128 housing units at a density of 5.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 100. 00% White,37. 5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10. 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the family size was 2.70
50.
New Marlborough, Massachusetts
–
New Marlborough is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area, the population was 1,509 at the 2010 census. New Marlborough consists of five villages, Clayton, Hartsville, Mill River, New Marlborough Village, New Marlborough was first settled in 1738 as one of the four townships opened along the road between Sheffield and Westfield. The town was incorporated in 1775, and presumably named for Marlborough. The town grew as a combination of agriculture in the area around the town center, today it is mostly rural, with little industry. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 47.9 square miles, of which 46.9 square miles is land and 1.0 square mile. New Marlborough is located 26 miles south of Pittsfield,42 miles west of Springfield and 128 miles west-southwest of Boston, New Marlborough is located in the lower Berkshires, dotted by several peaks. Several rivers, including the Konkapot River, Umpachene River, and Whiting River, flow through the town, there are also several swamps and ponds, including Lake Buel on the Monterey line, and the Thousand Acre Swamp in the southeast corner. The swamp lies along the border of Campbells Falls State Park, parts of Sandisfield State Forest also lie in the town. The town lies along Massachusetts Route 183, which passes from Lenox and Great Barrington towards Sandisfield and the Connecticut border. For the northern half of the route, Route 183 is combined with Route 57, the nearest interstate, Interstate 90 passes several miles north of the town, with the nearest exit, Exit 2 in Lee, being 15 miles away. The nearest bus service is in Great Barrington, and the nearest rail service is in Pittsfield, the nearest small airport is in Great Barrington, with the nearest national air service being at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,494 people,582 households, by population, the town ranks 17th out of the 32 cities and towns in Berkshire County, and 307th out of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The population density was 31.7 people per square mile, there were 963 housing units at an average density of 20.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97. 52% White,1. 67% African American,0. 13% Asian,0. 13% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 14% of the population. 25. 1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8. 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.88. In the town, the population was out with 24. 7% under the age of 18,6. 6% from 18 to 24,25. 2% from 25 to 44,29. 0% from 45 to 64. The median age was 41 years, for every 100 females there were 106.4 males
Berkshire County, Massachusetts
