From Abolitionists to Suffragists; from Titans of Industry to Literary Lions: it’s all part of the rich heritage of the Berkshires.
By Bess Hochstein
The fertile history of the Berkshires is intertwined with the region’s cultural bounty and magnificent landscape. The Housatonic River, and the railroad that arose beside it, were key to the development of early industries, such as iron works, in the Berkshires. These industrial roots introduced business titans to the area. They, in turn, built the glorious Gilded Age mansions (some of which now house resorts such as Cranwell, Blantyre, Canyon Ranch, and Mepal Manor) became cultural philanthropists, helping fund many public institutions, including two recently restored jewel box theatres -- The Mahaiwe and The Colonial – in the early 1900s. The region’s historical significance was recently recognized by the Federal Government with the formation of the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area.
Berkshire rivers also fueled the paper industry, which continues to thrive. Dalton-based Crane & Company, known for its fine stationery and as the provider of paper for U.S. currency, was founded in 1801. The Crane family has a long tradition of philanthropy; they founded the county’s first public cultural institution, Berkshire Museum, in 1903. It’s only fitting that Berkshire Museum recognizes patriarch Zenas Marshall Crane among other Berkshire innovators – including Simon’s Rock founder Elizabeth Blodgett Hall; modern dance pioneer Ted Shawn, who created Jacob’s Pillow; engineer William Stanley, inventor of the AC transformer; Hollywood special effects wizard Douglas Trumball; and literary giant Herman Melville – in its Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation, made possible by Armand and Donald Feigenbaum, themselves innovators in the field of business management. History buffs will particularly enjoy two 2010 exhibitions at Berkshire Museum. On view now through June 6, “Armed & Dangerous: Art of the Arsenal” includes a global, historical survey of weaponry and society, including contemporary art. From June 19 – October 23, “Wrapped: The Search for the Essential Mummy” includes galleries full of ancient Egyptian artifacts, as well as examples of how scientists and historians now rely on modern medical technology, such as CAT scans, to decipher this mysterious culture.
Speaking of Herman Melville -- whose novel Moby-Dick is said to have been inspired by a view of Mount Greylock from Arrowhead, the author’s Pittsfield home -- the Berkshires has a distinguished literary history that visitors can explore in other authors’ house museums, such as The Bryant Homestead and The Mount: Edith Wharton’s Estate and Gardens. This year the Edna St. Vincent Millay Society marks the 60th anniversary of the poet’s death by opening several rooms of her home, Steepletop, to small groups of visitors, who may also enjoy guided garden tours and the Millay Poetry Trail on her 200-acre farmstead.
History comes alive in the Berkshires in other historic homes such as Naumkeag, The Mission House, and The Bidwell House Museum, though nowhere as vibrantly as Hancock Shaker Village, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary as a living history museum. Yet another historic home marks the chronological beginning of the Upper Housatonic Valley African American Heritage Trail: The Ashley House, where Mum Bett served as a slave until, in 1781, she successfully sued for her freedom, changed her name to Elizabeth Freeman, and set the stage for the Abolitionist movement. The Underground Railroad had several stations in the Berkshires, and civil rights pioneer W.E. B. DuBois was born and raised in Great Barrington. An African American Heritage Trail Guide of the region, available through the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area. March visitors marking Women’s History Month can visit the birthplace of Susan B. Anthony in Adams, which held a preview on February 14 to celebrate the suffragist’s birthday and the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women to the right to vote before its official opening in May.