Sunday, November 16, 2025

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

Gary Leveille

Gary Leveille is presently buried beneath piles of vintage photographs as the Great Barrington Historical Society's volunteer archivist. He has over 35 years' experience as a writer, editor, humorist, researcher, photographer, author, publisher and newspaper columnist. Gary served as a senior editor and editorial project supervisor for Hasbro Games in Springfield, Massachusetts. He is also the author of several books about the Southern Berkshires.

written articles

THEN & NOW: The Collins General Store in South Lee

In 2017, Collins family members announced they had repurchased the property with plans to reopen the historic store.

THEN & NOW: F-2 Milk Bar & Restaurant

Local lore reveals that owner Frank Zollner used his initials, “F and Z,” to name the business, but the Z on the building looked more like the number 2, so the name “F-2” stuck.

THEN & NOW: The F-2 Mexican Novelty Barn

The barns and a guest house stood on a bluff overlooking the Sheffield covered bridge.

THEN & NOW: The Green River

The Green River has played an important role in the lives of area inhabitants for hundreds of years.

THEN & NOW: West Stockbridge’s Zucchini Festival

This year’s zucchini festival starts today in downtown West Stockbridge.

THEN & NOW: Riverside Cemetery in North Egremont

Riverside Cemetery in North Egremont dates back to the early days of settlement by Dutch and English descendants.

THEN & NOW: The first railroad in Berkshire County

West Stockbridge also holds the honor of welcoming the first railroad into Berkshire County.

THEN & NOW: The first challenge to British judicial rule in America

On August 16, 1774, a large crowd from Great Barrington and surrounding towns gathered at the court house. They blocked the doors and refused admittance to a British-appointed judge and his associates.

THEN & NOW: Brookside Road Bridge

Brookside Road was previously closed in 1948 when a flood swept away an iron bridge, as shown in the photograph below.

THEN & NOW: Great Barrington Town Hall

Great Barrington Town Hall has been the centerpiece for many celebrations over the decades.

THEN & NOW: ‘Gasoline Alley’ along Route 71

During the first half of the 20th century, there were five gas stations along a six-mile stretch from North Egremont, north along Route 71 to the Route 22 intersection.

THEN & NOW: The former Whistle Stop Coffee Shop and Grill in Ashley Falls

When the Route 7 bypass was built circa 1960, small businesses in Ashley Falls suffered, and the Whistle Stop Coffee Shop and Grill closed.

THEN & NOW: The Berkshire Street Railway trolley car system

The trolley line had snowplows to clear the rails before most towns had highway plow trucks.

THEN & NOW: The Glendale Middle Road Bridge

It took four years to rebuild the span with a new concrete bridge when it collapsed in 1974. Locals complained about the lengthy repair time, but it seems that four to five years for bridge replacement is now commonplace in Massachusetts.

THEN & NOW: The filming location of the 1968 cult classic ‘Pretty Poison’

Released in 1968, "Pretty Poison" was panned by several critics, but praised by others. Now considered a cult classic, the film noir is an intense “smorgasbord” of psychological horror, romance, and dark comedy.
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