Pittsfield

Pittsfield is truly the heart of the Berkshires. The Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts have long been a cultural hub and an area of exceptional natural beauty, and Pittsfield, the area's largest community, has always been at the center of attention. The town center, now known as Park Square, was the site of the first agricultural fair ever held in the United States, and Pittsfield became well-known as the adopted home of such literary luminaries as Oliver Wendell Holmes and Herman Melville, who wrote his classic novel Moby-Dick at his home, Arrowhead. In addition to Pittsfield's rich cultural heritage, the town's commerce and industry have fueled the region from the early days when Arthur Scholfield operated the only wool-carding machine in America, to the city's more recent role as an innovator in the electrical industry. Pittsfield celebrates the scenic beauty, the cultural heritage, and the ingenuity of the people and places of the town using nearly 200 vintage images. Inside find Pittsfield's famous sons and daughters, scenic novelties like Balance Rock, the diving horses that performed at Pontoosuc Lake, and even the famous trolley wreck that almost killed Theodore Roosevelt.

Pittsfield is the center of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. For centuries, visitors have traveled trails, railroads, and highways across the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts to enjoy the serene beauty of Pontoosuc and Onota Lakes, shop on bustling North Street, or stay at a fine hotel. Many more moved here from across the country and around the world to work at Pittsfield's farms and factories. Since the early 19th century, Pittsfield has been host to woolen mills and General Electric's factories, hotels and motels, hospitals and schools, and much more. Cultural sites, such as Arrowhead, where Herman Melville wrote Moby-Dick, and Park Square, the location of the first agricultural fair ever held in the United States, continue to attract visitors to the city.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1869.

Shots rang out in a prominent Pittsfield family home on the morning of August 20, 1900, ending the life of young socialite May Fosburgh. Who pulled the trigger was unclear, and the scandal captivated attention well beyond the Berkshires. Her brother was a top suspect, but the distraught family claimed an intruder was to blame. Investigators, media and the public struggled to make sense of conflicting details, including suspicious gunpowder residue, as the mystery remained unsolved. Author Frank J. Leskovitz unravels the tale that still lingers in the hills generations later.

Using a series of three photographic collections, interviews, and essays by local politicians, this book documents in photographs and text the $21.6 million renovation of the historic Colonial Theatre, which was finished in August 2006.

Lawrence A. Dysart was a Department Store owner and innovator in a small town in Maine through the Great Depression, World War Two, and into the early 1970's. When most small stores were closing in the face of the shopping mall and big box store revolution, he continued to be successful. This book delves into the secrets to his success as well as a brief glimpse of small town America in the middle of the 20th Century.