In these coronavirus times, perhaps we can take comfort in knowing that the people of Berkshire County have lived through other tumultuous times, and survived and prospered.
Not long after that encounter with Burr, letters from Barnabas to Mary began to include details of the suspected attempt by Burr to cede the Louisiana Purchase and create a country over which he could rule.
War in the 18th century was not in foreign lands, but on the settlers’ doorsteps. It brought death, and Stockbridge had little with which to fight affliction except prayer.
We do not know how MumBet looked as a child or young woman. We do not know what she sounded like or what her posture, her gait and her gestures were like. Can we determine it at a distance of 300 years?
Some historians dismiss the Sheffield Resolves; others call them the first American Declaration of Independence. In either case, in just seven days, who wrote this impressive document?
It is not without some irony that the town of Stockbridge, which harbors such an incredible history, has failed on so many occasions to preserve the symbols of that history.
While Agrippa Hull was safe from slavery in Stockbridge, he lived much too close to the New York border. Slavery was legal in New York and kidnappers were common. They came across the state line, grabbed Black men, women and children in Massachusetts, and sold them in New York.
Stockbridge had one of the earliest libraries in the Commonwealth founded in 1789 by 25 residents. During the next seventy years Stockbridge had three libraries; astounding for a village of its size
The whole community was responsible to feed the hungry, house the homeless, pay damages on behalf of the law-breaker, and answer for the behavior of the sinner.
The first time around, from concept to completion, it took 44 years to establish passenger train service in Berkshire and there is no reason to believe it will take less time to restore it.
