United States Post Office, Lee, MA - c1910

United States Post Office, Lee, MA, c1910

Settled in 1760 and incorporated in 1777, the town of Lee is one of the gems of the Berkshire hills.

In 1910, according to the U.S. census, the population of Lee was 4,106. In 2010, the head count was 5,943. Paper mills, stone and limestone quarries were a few of the town's early industries.

Marble quarried within the town's 27 square miles is known for its fine quality and graces such sites as St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City and the U. S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

Although they are home to new enterprises now, the buildings in the photograph above can still be found along Lee's charming Main Street, witnesses to the past 102 years and looking none the worse for the wear.

As always, thanks for stopping by and take care.

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Photograph source: Library of Congress; Prints and Photographs Division; Washington, D.C. 20540 USA; Reproduction No.: LC-USZ62-33801; http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012649405/

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Official town website: http://www.lee.ma.us/

The War for the Union Pictorial Envelope - Great Barrington, Mass.

The War for the Union - Pictorial Envelope - Great Barrington, Mass

Each community in Western Massachusetts was expected to send its quota of men to fight in the war between the States.

Early on, when patriotism and war fever were high, volunteers and money were easily found and the war effort flourished. But, as the Civil War waged on and the true cost of  union began to be felt, volunteers became fewer and far-between and towns struggled to keep up with their quotas.

Bounties grew higher and higher to attract recruits and it is said that men would sometimes move into the towns that paid more lucrative bounties for enlistment. Towns strained the limits of their budgets and their male populations to provide for the defense of the Republic, ultimately requiring state aid to meet expenses.

Many ladies aid societies sprang up, raising funds to provide necessities and support for the fighting men of Western Massachusetts and the families they left behind.

For an excellent accounting of Berkshire County's cost in blood and treasure in the Civil War, penned in 1871, just five years after the defense of  liberty prevailed, visit the genealogytrails.com webpage: Berkshire County, Mass. in the Civil War featuring, A History Of Massachusetts in the Civil War, written by William Schouler at: http://genealogytrails.com/mass/berkshire/civilwar.html.

As always thanks for stopping by and take care.


Image source:  Civil War Treasures from the New-York Historical Society, [Digital ID, nhnycw/aj aj04029]
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cwnyhs:@field(DOCID+@lit(aj04029))

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Postcards : Berkshire County Lakes and Ponds

"Card Lake, West Stockbridge, Mass."

With the summer of 2010 shaping up to be one of the warmest on record, telling someone to "go jump in the lake" doesn't quite carry the stinging ring of dissonance it once might have. Indeed, suggesting a dive in the lake may even be considered an act of benevolence as the mercury pushes higher and higher on the Fahrenheit scale.

One never has far to go in Western Massachusetts in the quest for cool, crisp and clear water: Another blessing to count when drawing up the list.

For generations, local families have escaped the sticky cares of hot towns and cities for short-drive perches lakeside, quick bursts of warm summer memories stored for long, cold winter months like so many canned tomatoes and dated jars of piccalilli. Water bodies banked with smiles young and old, happy shouts, barbecues and badminton. At night, flashlights and toasted marshmallows and fireflies compete with a billion stars joining overhead. Damp, sandy towels drying on the line for tomorrow. In Western Massachusetts, we thaw with our lakes and ponds and sparkle radiant under the same sun.

These postcards of Berkshire County bodies of water were borrowed from the ImageMuseum (http://imagemuseum.smugmug.com), an excellent website put together by Jim and Russ Birchall with thousands of vintage Western Massachusetts postcards and photographs (and more) to peruse. Captions in quotes are from the postcards.

"Otis Pond looking West"

"Green Water Pond, Jacobs Ladder Roadway, West Becket, Mass."

"Shaw Lake Near Lee, Mass."

"Scene on Onoto* Lake, Pittsfield, Mass."

"Pontoosuc Lake showing Greylock Mountain, Pittsfield, Mass."

Okay...ready for a swim? Here's a cool website for locating local swimming holes in Massachusetts: http://www.swimmingholes.org/ma.html.

Remember be safe: Swim with a friend!

As always, thanks for stopping by and take care.


*Onota

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