Welcome to my hometown! But to be perfectly honest with you, I haven’t lived there for more than fifty years…and I’ve never really given much thought to the history of Pittsfield, Massachusetts until the Fillies suggested doing a blog about our hometown towns.
So, here goes…
Pittsfield, Massachusetts, located in western Massachusetts, is a city rich in history and culture. Situated in Berkshire County, it encompasses a unique blend of natural beauty, significant landmarks, and a vibrant community.
The city can trace its roots back to the colonial era when it was first settled in 1752. The city was named after British Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder. Initially, Pittsfield relied on agriculture, with crops like corn, oats, and wheat being important for the settlers. However, during the 19th century, the city experienced rapid industrial growth, transitioning from an agrarian society into a thriving manufacturing hub.
By the end of the Revolutionary War, Pittsfield had nearly 2,000 residents. While mainly a farming area, because of the many brooks that flowed into the Housatonic River, the land was dotted with mills that produced lumber, grain, paper (Eaton & Crane writing paper was known worldwide), and textiles. When Merino sheep from Spain was introduced in 1807, the area became the center of woolen manufacturing in the U.S. for nearly a century.
By the late 1800s, the town was a bustling metropolis. In 1891, the City of Pittsfield was incorporated. In that same yar, William Stanley Jr., who had recently relocated his Electric Manufacturing Company to Pittsfield produced the first electric transformer. Stanley’s enterprise was the forerunner of the internationally known corporate giant, General Electric (GE). Thanks to the success of GE, Pittsfield’s population in 1930 had grown to more than 50,000. Though it continued to be one of the city’s largest employers until the 1980s, a workforce that once topped 13,000 was reduced to less than 700 with the demise of General Electric. On a personal note, I worked at GE after college for two years, made some great friends, and learned how a big conglomerate operated…which made me turn to public education for the remainder of my working career!
Weather in Pittsfield has four distinct seasons…however, winter often begin around Columbus Day in mid-October and can last to Mother’s Day in May. Spring is nearly non-existent, and summers can be cool & rainy or hot…however, nothing compares to the Berkshires in Autumn. It is glorious!!!
Pittsfield and Berkshire County is less than three hours from New York City to the south, and Boston to the east, making the area home to a myriad of world-class art, theater, dance, music, film, and historic sites. The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts in North Adams and Tanglewood in Lenox and Stockbridge have long drawn the culturally inclined to Western Massachusetts. Berkshire Theatre Group in Pittsfield and venues like the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge also draw tourists from around the world.
Pittsfield can lay claim to a number of famous residents who have made significant contributions to our nation’s history, including Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick, written at his Pittsfield home he called Arrowhead. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., lived in Pittsfield for 7 years. His poetry put him in the company of other writers living in the area in the mid 1800’s. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet, educator, linguist, owned a home which is now the site of Pittsfield High School.
Other notables include
- Robin Williams, actor, maintained a summer home in Pittsfield
- Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric
- Brian Piccolo, Chicago Bears halfback, subject of movie Brian’s Song
- Marshall Field, founded Chicago’s Marshall Field’s department stores, took first job in 1853 as a clerk in Pittsfield
- Silvio O. Conte, congressman (He and my dad were good friends during their school years)
- Niraj Shah (born 1973/74), billionaire CEO and co-founder of Wayfair
If you, like me, are surprised by the city where I was born and raised, I have one more interesting, albeit, tragedy that occurred in Pittsfield.
At approximately 10:15AM, President Theodore Roosevelt’s motorcade was travelling along South Street when the mounted troopers assigned to protect him noticed the speeding trolley. As the streetcar turned onto the street with the presidential carriage, the driver rang the trolley bell and attempted to stop. Two cavalrymen flagged down the motorman, ordering the trolley to stop, but it nevertheless collided with the back left wheel of the carriage, smashing the carriage’s back and striking the front wheel as well. The impact sent the carriage into the air briefly.
William Craig yelled for the president to “Look out! Hold fast!” before they were both thrown off the wagon. Craig was thrown under the streetcar and killed instantly while Roosevelt was thrown out and hit his head on the sidewalk. Cortelyou sustained serious injuries. Governor Crane escaped uninjured. Pratt, the driver, struck his head, resulting in a fractured skull. One carriage horse was also killed in the collision.
Like many of New England’s manufacturing centers that experienced an economic decline in the latter part of the 20th century, Pittsfield has been forced to redefine itself. With the reconstruction of prime industrial property at the heart of the city, and an energized arts and entertainment scene in the downtown, Pittsfield has established itself as a cultural center in Berkshire County with the prospect of renewed economic vitality.
Thanks for coming along on this portrait of an American city — my hometown, Pittsfield Massachusetts.
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