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AMONG THE BERKSHIRE 
 AND LITCHFIELD HILLS 
 
 HE Berkshire and Litchfield Hills 
 resorts have long been renowned 
 as summering places. The loveli- 
 ness of this hill country has 
 often been described in enthusi- 
 astic terms by famous pens, for 
 hither have come authors, poete 
 
 preachers, and journalists of vv^ide renown, and all 
 
 were charmed at what they saw. 
 
 Everywhere are superb slopes and vales, gems of 
 
 lakes, gorgeously tinted mountains and valleys. 
 
 Nature's inimitable grace has touched this region 
 
 with lavish hand. To the mere physical beauty of 
 lovely hills, clothed to the top with verdure and of 
 green, sunlit valleys, traversed by sparkling streams, 
 she has added a subtle and m5'sterious charm that 
 baffles adequate description. 
 
 The accessibility of "The Hills" lends not a little 
 to the pleasure attendant upon summering there, 
 while the route through the valleys of the Housa- 
 tonic and the Shepaug presents an ever-varying 
 panorama of which the eye never tires. 
 
 For the convenience of the prospective visitor, 
 this book is prepared as a running narrative, first 
 
 The Manual of Sumwer Resorts, loliich contains a list of the principal hotels and boarding cottages in the Bcrkshires, may 
 be obtained in New York, at City Ticket Office, lyi Broadway; and in Boston, at City Ticket office, cor. Conrt and Washington Sts. 
 Or write Advertising Bureau, South Station, Boston, Mass. 
 
 EVERYWHERE ARE SUPERB SLOPES AND VALES AND LAKES 
 I 
 
 ©C1.A31GL33 
 
 <^ 
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY NEW YORK, NEW HAVEN 
 AND HARTFORD RAILROAD CO. 
 
AN EVER-VARYING PANORAMA OF WHICH THE EYE NEVER TIRES 
 
 describing the Housatonic River running through 
 the very center of the Berkshires and adding to 
 their material and scenic features, and then briefly 
 treating in paragraphs the principal summering 
 places. The half-tone illustrations give only a sug- 
 gestion of the grand vievi's in which the region 
 abounds. 
 
 No summer visitor to the Berkshires need want 
 for good golfing. Splendid, well-kept links laid 
 out over a beautiful country are within easy reach 
 of the principal Berkshire resorts. 
 
 In all but the most remote districts there are 
 smooth, hard roads — ideal for automobiling. The 
 grades are easy and each turn of the road opens up 
 a vista of delightful country. 
 
 There are adequate, luxurious accommodations 
 for summer visitors here. Almost every village, no 
 
 matter how small, has excellent facilities for the 
 entertainment of guests, and in the larger towns are 
 hotels that are renowned for their luxurious service 
 and cuisine. 
 
 A pleasant way to spend a vacation is to take 
 walking trips through these Hills. A supplemental 
 leaflet, giving a list of accessible points of interest, 
 with distances, will be sent upon application to the 
 Advertising Bureau of the New York, New Haven 
 & Hartford Railroad, South Station, Boston, Mass. 
 It merely suggests the possibilities of the region 
 for walking^ mountain climbing, automobiling, and 
 driving. 
 
 The center and most attractive portion of the 
 Berkshire Hills is closely identified with the Hou- 
 satonic River, which flows from north to south 
 through the whole of the western section of Connec- 
 
ticut, and not very far east of the line separating this 
 State from that of New York; and through the 
 greater part, also, of the corresponding portion of 
 Massachusetts. From the point near Pittsfield, 
 where the two rivulets, which form its source, unite 
 their waters, to that section of the Long Island 
 Sound shore, which is cleft by its mouth, the river's 
 general course covers about one hundred and fifty 
 miles. 
 
 On its way southward, the Housatonic is joined 
 by several tributaries flowing into it on either side ; 
 its hilly, often mountainous, surroundings insuring 
 this as a natural result, but its volume of water is 
 nowhere very great. 
 
 It is, perhaps, superfluous to note that the name 
 "Housatonic" is of Indian origin, so many of the 
 localities, streams, and watersheets of New England 
 having titles received from this source. Indian 
 names always have a significant meaning, and are 
 usually suggested by some peculiarity or feature in 
 the object christened. "Housatonic" is said to mean 
 "Among the Mountains," and certainly such a trans- 
 lation gives warrant for the adoption of the title, 
 for few watercourses in New England flow for so 
 great a part of their length through mountain and 
 hill scenery. 
 
 The distance from Pittsfield to the dividing line 
 between Massachusetts and Connecticut consumes 
 about one-third of the length of this river, although 
 its windings and turnings on the Massachusetts side 
 represents a generous half of its real length. 
 
 From Pittsfield to the State line the river falls 
 
 MAIN STREET, RIDGEFIELD 
 
 EAST RIDGE, RIDGEFIELD 
 
 about 300 feet ; and from the State line to its mouth, 
 its descent in Connecticut is about six hundred and 
 fifty feet. 
 
 It may be well imagined that where this descent 
 takes place, mainly over a succession of cascades and 
 waterfalls, the element of animation could hardly 
 be wanting. Nevertheless, the Housatonic is not so 
 rapid or so bold a stream as is usually the case with 
 rivers born upon and fed from mountain sides; and 
 its gentle, ambitious flow exhibits rather the anima- 
 tion of the joyous and beautiful in nature than any- 
 thing wild or excessive. 
 
 Thus, through the heart of old Berkshire, the 
 Housatonic runs, rising almost under the shadow of 
 ancient Greylock In the north, and ministering in its 
 course to towns and villages with such familiar names 
 as Pittsfield, Lenox, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, 
 and a host of other well-known communities. 
 
 In modern days it has become the rule that every 
 river of any size or distinction in the populous parts 
 of the country shall have its corresponding railroad, 
 the river valley being utilized for the construction 
 of such a highway, which becomes at once a develop- 
 ing as well as a ministering agency. The Housa- 
 tonic Valley is paralleled nearly its entire length by 
 the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad — 
 connecting Pittsfield with the Berkshire section of 
 Massachusetts, directly with South Norwalk on the 
 Long Island Sound shore and incidentally with 
 
SIDENCK IN LITCliri 
 
 Bridgeport and New Haven, on the same coast. By 
 way of South Norwalk, the connection from Pitts- 
 field and the Housatonic River sections to New 
 York City is direct and complete. 
 
 Indeed, no other railroad reaches directly the sum- 
 mer centers of Lenox, Stockbridge and other famous 
 resorts of southern Berkshire. The express trains of 
 the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad 
 to and from these sections provide splendid transpor- 
 tation service. 
 
 THUS far in this sketch the general course of 
 the Housatonic River, from its source at Pitts- 
 field to its outlet in Long Island Sound, has 
 been briefly outlined, and the railroad facilities be- 
 tween New York City and the Berkshire Hills have 
 been still more briefly set forth. In order that the 
 object of this little book may be more perfectly 
 attained, and that both the natural features of the 
 Berkshire Hills and the transportation enterprise 
 which ministers to this section may be thoroughly 
 understood, the order of description will now be 
 reversed and a view of the whole territory taken 
 from south to north, instead of, as in the foregoing, 
 from north to south. 
 
 The line of the New York, New Haven & Hart- 
 ford Railroad to these localities follows the Sound 
 Shore to South Norwalk, where it turns abruptly to 
 the north and continues in that general direction 
 throughout the Berkshire and Litchfield Hills 
 section. 
 
 Ridgefield 
 
 About fifty-seven miles from New York, at the 
 terminus of a short spur leading off to the west- 
 ward from Branchville, lies the village of Ridge- 
 field. This village is about midway between South 
 Norwalk and the manufacturing city of Danbury, 
 and may be taken as illustrative of the quality of the 
 villages in this section as summer resorts, it being 
 well known far and wide as a representative New 
 England locality in this regard, especially the kind 
 frequently to be met with in this portion of the 
 region. 
 
 Beautiful for situation, healthful and recreative 
 in all its natural influences, and possessing charms 
 of scenery irresistibly attractive to all visitors and 
 residents, Ridgefield could easily do without the 
 historic associations which have rendered it famous 
 and still occupy a high place in the estimation of all 
 lovers of nature, and of quiet, rural, restful locali- 
 ties. Although only a short distance from the sea- 
 shore, the village lies 8oo feet above tide-water and 
 possesses many of the advantages of freedom from 
 the adverse influences of summer that are claimed 
 exclusively for hill tops and mountain sides many 
 scores of miles inland. 
 
 Near at hand are hills and vales, with brooks 
 and streams winding and shimmering among them, 
 charming watersheets outspread at intervals, and 
 greenest grass and foliage adorning on every side — 
 these are the natural characteristics which render 
 
 OVERLOOKING NEW PRESTON 
 
w'oi.roTT iroi'SF, i_ttciififi.i 
 
 Litchfield 
 
 Neither is this valley entirely without historic 
 significance. Litchfield, the northern terminus of 
 the branch, is one of the oldest of the Connecticut 
 "settlements." This town is the county seat of 
 Litchfield County, and "once claimed jurisdiction 
 to the Mississippi River," the first law school in 
 America having here been established. It is in the 
 midst of a fine farming section, and is built upon a 
 broad plateau 1,200 feet above the sea-level. 
 
 Litchfield village is suggestive of all that is colo- 
 nial and valued through old associations in New 
 England, but for the summer visitor its principal 
 charms are the cool breezes and restful influences 
 that are ever present and active among its hills. 
 
 the place superbly invit- 
 ing in summer time, and, 
 indeed, throughout the 
 greater portion of the 
 year. 
 
 AT Danbury connec- 
 ^ tion is made with 
 the Litchfield 
 branch, running off 
 northeastward to Litch- 
 field, its terminus, having 
 along its line some of the most interesting summer 
 villages and resorts. 
 
 This branch occupies, for nearly its whole length, 
 the valley of the Shepaug River, a small but beauti- 
 ful stream, which, taking its rise in the hills not far 
 north of Litchfield and flowing through Bantam 
 Lake, finally empties into the Housatonic River in 
 Shepaug township. 
 
 This Shepaug Valley is an ideally beautiful section 
 in summer, presenting attractions such as few can 
 resist. Its towns, villages, and hamlets have farm- 
 ing as their principal industry, some fine tobacco 
 crops being raised, as well as the ordinary products 
 of the southern New England agricultdral sections. 
 
 It might go without telling that the drives and 
 excursion routes through this valley and its neigh- 
 borhoods are especially attractive. 
 
 W'ARAMAUG LAKE, NEW PRESTON 
 
 COUNTRY UIGIIWAVS ADOU.XED BY RICH FOLIAGE" 
 
THE VILLAGE GREEN, LITCHFIELD 
 
 The Litchfield streets are one hundred, and some- 
 times two hundred, feet in width, and are lined 
 with ancient elms, perfected by many decades of 
 growth, which make a truly picturesque setting for 
 the stately old mansions on every hand. 
 
 About three miles southwest of the village lies 
 Bantam Lake, the largest lake in the State, with 
 an area of about 900 acres, and well stocked, natur- 
 ally, with fine fish. 
 
 From 
 "Prospect 
 Hill," a 
 noted spot 
 in the Litch- 
 field terri- 
 tory, there 
 is a magnifi- 
 cent view, 
 in all direc- 
 tions, of the 
 beautiful 
 Litchfield 
 country. 
 The drives 
 from the 
 village to 
 Bantam 
 Lake and to 
 "Mount 
 Tom." and 
 to the vil- 
 1 a g e of 
 Morris, 
 with its 
 quaint o 1 d 
 inn and 
 homesteads, 
 are pecu- 
 liarly attractive. From Mount Tom, on 
 a clear day, the Catskill Mountains may 
 be seen. 
 
 The first "Young Ladies' Seminary" 
 in the country was established in Litch- 
 field. Lyman Beecher, of whom it has 
 been said that he was the father of more brains 
 than any other man in America, was pastor of a 
 church here from 18 10 to 1826, and here Henry 
 Ward Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe (the author 
 of "Uncle Tom's Cabin"), and others of his chil- 
 dren were born. 
 
 The farmers in this section receive boarders 
 throughout the season ; indeed, in many places the 
 summer clientage exceeds the resident population. 
 
 LITCHFIELD STREETS ABE LINED 
 WITH ANCIENT ELMs" 
 
VILLAGE GREEN 
 
 New Preston 
 
 Passing through 
 the pretty sections 
 of Morris and 
 Romford, we 
 come to New 
 Preston, o n e o f 
 the principal 
 localities of the 
 Shepaug Valley, 
 from the summer- 
 i n g standpoint. 
 The attractions 
 of this section are 
 not in evidence 
 from the railroad 
 station, as the village is situated about three miles 
 away, and near the (locally) famous Lake Wara- 
 maug, a watersheet that divides with Bantam Lake 
 the honor of being a principal natural attraction of 
 the State. 
 
 Lake Waramaug is situated among green, wooded 
 hills, is reached by delightful drives from many 
 directions, and its shores are peopled in the summer 
 time by an excellent constituency, largely from New 
 York City, but includ- 
 ing many people from 
 other places who can 
 appreciate the perfect 
 natural conditions of 
 this locality. New Pres- 
 ton is, indeed, one of 
 the favored settlements 
 of the State — of New 
 England, in fact. 
 
 Washington 
 
 Next southward from 
 New Preston is Wash- 
 ington, the principal 
 town in the Shepaug 
 Valley and upon the 
 branch between the 
 terminals. Here, again. 
 
 "WASHINGTON IS THE PRINCIPAL TOWN 
 IN THE SHEPAUG VALLEY" 
 
 THE SHEPAUG RIVER, AS IT COURSES THROUGH WASHINGTON 
 
 New Yorkers 
 have found con- 
 genial summer 
 homes, and the 
 summer popula- 
 tion IS largely 
 made up of resi- 
 dents of the me- 
 tropolis. 
 
 The scenery 
 about Washing- 
 ton is superbly 
 fine, and the 
 health-giving and 
 recreative condi- 
 tions are of the 
 best. Indeed, the 
 whole Shepaug Valley is a natural "sanitarium," 
 building up all who have even the slightest of 
 stamina and vigor remaining to enlarge upon. The 
 walks and drives throughout the township in every 
 direction are attractive, and much attention is given 
 to the pursuit of golf and kindred sports. Roxbury, 
 so far as natural advantages and conditions are con- 
 cerned, only repeats the features belonging to the 
 localities already described. Roxbury has a quarry 
 
 of fine building stone — 
 "The Mine Hill Stone 
 Quarry" — a granite of 
 excellent quality and 
 much used. Here, too, 
 the water power was 
 utilized a hundred 
 years ago, although in 
 other sections of the 
 valley it has, as at the 
 present. time, always 
 been neglected. At 
 Roxbury Falls, as the 
 name indicates, the 
 river takes a fine 
 tumble, making a 
 pretty and exceedingly 
 attractive feature in the 
 scenery. 
 
NEW MILFORD GREEN 
 
 THREE miles north of Bethel, the line passes 
 through Danbury, affording that center the 
 benefits of its transportation facilities, and 
 largely contributing to place it in full communica- 
 tion with the outside world. 
 
 Proceeding northward from Danburj' a few miles, 
 Brookfield Junction is reached, where interchange of 
 passengers is made with trains to and from New 
 Haven and Bridgeport. 
 
 At Brookfield Junction, hills, high and steep, 
 characterize the landscape ; and this condition con- 
 tinues northward past the Brookfield station and 
 that of Lanesville and Still River, quiet, rural neigh- 
 borhoods, beautiful in their ruggedness, and abound- 
 ing in the qualities that distinguish New England 
 summer resorts. 
 
 From Brookfield Junction to Brookfield and 
 Lanesville the route runs between the Housatonic 
 and Danbury or Still Rivers, the first named on the 
 east, the latter on the west, of the railroad. At 
 Lanesville the road crosses the Housatonic River and 
 the far-famed Housatonic Valley is fairly entered 
 upon, not to be quitted again until the journey 
 through Berkshire has been accomplished. 
 
 The crossing of the Housatonic River at Lanes- 
 
 ville is not far above one of its 
 famous waterfalls, that of the 
 "Lover's Leap," the "Leap" being 
 a point in the midst of a wild 
 gorge, through which the river 
 rushes, usually in a foaming, mad- 
 dened torrent. 
 
 New Milford 
 
 Passing again northward from 
 Lanesville and Still River, the 
 largest town of the whole section 
 is soon reached — New Milford. 
 Here is a very attractive and thriv- 
 ing community, the enterprise of 
 which has created a center of trade 
 for a lai-ge district surrounding. 
 New Milford is, in fact, the larg- 
 est, most enterprising, and progres- 
 sive town on the Berkshire Hills 
 Route between Danbury and Great Barrington. It 
 is beautifully situated upon sloping hillsides, and its 
 natural surroundings — the river, the mountains, and 
 the pleasant valleys — render it one of the most 
 desirable situations for summer residents. 
 
 WEST CORNWALL 
 
Above New Milford, toward the 
 Cornwall district, the hill and 
 mountain ranges recede from the 
 river on either side, and the river 
 bottoms broaden into most delight- 
 ful intervale and meadow lands, 
 possessing all the charms which 
 this formation of territory is sure 
 to have within the temperate lati- 
 tudes of the Northeastern States. 
 The most delightful driveways into 
 the surrounding neighborhoods 
 center in this town; and while its 
 community life presents all that is 
 most desirable in the abodes of 
 wealth and culture, and in the 
 institutions and establishments of 
 thrift and progress, it is within easy 
 reach of the most beautiful natural 
 environments, which are well 
 worth even the longest and most 
 toilsome journey to enjoy. Yet the 
 place is but typical, so far as its natural advantages 
 and attractions are concerned, of many that exist 
 along this favored route. 
 
 Kent 
 
 Beyond New Milford lies Kent, having "all the 
 dignity of an eminently respectable New England 
 
 EVERY NOW AND THEN A GLIMPSE OF A LOVELY LAKE 
 
 viliage," besides a great deal of scenic beauty and 
 fine natural situations that are not always found in 
 connection with "dignified" and "eminently respect- 
 able" towns, even in New England. About Kent 
 the river narrows again, and mountains with steep 
 sides form narrow and deep-lying gorges, through 
 which the river winds (and with it the railroad), 
 among scenes changing with every mile, and as 
 
 THE- DRIVES IN THE LITCHFIELD COUNTRY WIND O ER HILL AND DALE 
 
varied as can be found in any part 
 of the country. 
 
 These conditions continue for 
 many miles ; the scenery always 
 wild and picturesque ; the river 
 always flowing noisily and rapidly. 
 An immense reservoir at the falls, 
 near "Bull's Bridge" — the pioneer 
 waterfall of the Lover's Leap 
 series — 
 has re- 
 c e n 1 1 y 
 been 
 con- 
 strue- 
 ted, pro- 
 V i d i ng 
 power 
 for the 
 genera- 
 tion o f 
 elec- 
 tricity 
 for city 
 
 lighting and a number of electricity 
 trolley routes, and indicating in a 
 way the vast, but as yet only par- 
 tially developed resources of this 
 section. 
 
 The Cornwall Villages 
 
 Onward through the Cornwall 
 Villages — Cornwall Bridge and 
 West Cornwall — the traveler pro- 
 ceeds. The water in the river is 
 often shallow and hurried, but the 
 grandeur of the scenery is enhanced 
 mile. The villages hereabouts are 
 secluded — hamlets, perhaps, they 
 appropriately be called — their chief characteristics 
 being perfect quiet and beauty of situation. Corn- 
 wall is the gateway of a wild and picturesque region. 
 It is traversed by the Cornwall range, a mountain 
 chain fitly supplementing the grandeur of the Berk- 
 shire Mountains. 
 
 CANAAN FALLS, FALLS VILLAGE 
 
 with every 
 
 exceedingly 
 
 might more 
 
 From these eminences j'ou have superb outlooks, 
 including views of Long Island Sound. 
 
 Curiously tumbled about, rocky, and broken, are 
 these Cornwall neighborhoods; and they possess a 
 charm all their own for the true lover of nature. 
 
 Near the station, one of the noblest elevations of 
 the region — an offshoot of the Canaan range — a 
 toppling headland of rock masses and forest growth, 
 stands like a bafrier 'naturally placed to Tnake'impos- 
 
CULU.N'IAL KLSIUbiNCl:: AT .NURIOLK 
 
 sible further progress westward. The scenery here 
 is of the wildest and grandest — a mountain range, 
 ragged and rugged, receding from the river on the 
 west, while more rounded and swelling elevations, 
 covered with forest growths, stretch away to the 
 eastward. 
 
 The Lime Rock village lies about a mile to the 
 westward of the railroad station, and is reached by 
 a beautiful driveway. The name "Lime Rock" is 
 suggestive enough ; for all through this section ledges 
 of the whitest limestone, seamed with lines of gray 
 and black, show gleaming in the sunlight, or as white 
 and gray patches among the shadows of the woods. 
 
 Falls Village 
 
 But the river, and incidentally its great adjunct, 
 the railroad, easily finds a way of getting past the 
 apparently impassable barrier described above, by 
 winding around its base, and after passing for a 
 few miles through the fascinating scenerjf of the 
 section, comes suddenly to one of the most beautiful 
 waterfalls imaginable — that at Falls Village. Here 
 the Housatonic takes a series of tumbles, from a 
 
 primeval rock dam 
 extending almost 
 across the river 
 bed, as a beginning 
 of the descent, 
 thence over a suc- 
 cession of natural 
 terraces, alternat- 
 ing at no great 
 distance, rushing 
 and foaming and 
 boiling among 
 thickly strewn 
 boulders, through 
 curiously worn 
 channels, and over 
 ledges and sunken 
 crags, until it has 
 fallen one hundred 
 and thirty feet, and 
 is torn to a million 
 of whitened shreds. 
 Below the Falls the waters are united again in more 
 regular currents, leading through the gorges and 
 along the narrowed bottoms of the Lime Rock 
 section. 
 
 The Falls not only form one of the most pic- 
 turesque scenes in New England, but furnish, upon 
 the most stupendous scale, waterpower for manu- 
 facturing operations. 
 
 Canaan 
 
 Canaan, while in Connecticut, represents, as do 
 the other towns in the upper tier of Litchfield 
 County, distinctive Berkshire territory. It is a 
 mountain-enclosed village, having Canaan Moun- 
 tain, whose less commonly known name is Mt. 
 Wangum,' stretching to the eastward, with its bold 
 western front, a nearly perpendicular headland 
 which rises abruptly from the valley where the river 
 runs; and on the west a series of mountain peaks 
 and groups, the line of which is the southernmost 
 reach of the far-famed Taghconics, with the dome of 
 Mt. Washington isolated and glistening in full view 
 on the northwest, in old Massachusetts. 
 
NORFOLK STATION 
 
 The view from Canaan 
 Mountain commands the 
 country to the south and 
 west, spreading out in a 
 veritable panorama, a trip 
 to the summit well repay- 
 ing the effort of ascent. 
 At Pine Grove, two miles 
 south of Canaan Village, 
 lie the grounds of the 
 Canaan Pine Grove Camp 
 -Meeting Association, situated between the Housa- 
 tonic River and the railroad, and presenting many 
 attractive features. Within the Canaan territory 
 will be observed, as characteristic of this valley route, 
 the out-cropping of the marble veins which appear 
 for many miles to the northward. At East Canaan, 
 and at other points in this section, are large lime- 
 kilns, where limestone, which is found with the 
 marble deposits, is burned, making the fine commer- 
 cial lime for which the region is famous. 
 
 Norfolk 
 
 At Canaan, connection is made with the Central 
 New England Railway, extending east and west, 
 and serving in either direction a favored section. To 
 the east, through the beautiful Canaan Valley, the 
 line follows closely the mountain side, reaching Nor- 
 folk, which is the northernmost town of the Litch- 
 field Hills, and enjoj's the distinction, in addition to 
 
 its many rare advantages, of being the highest point 
 
 in the State reached by a railroad, the elevation 
 
 of the residential portion ranging from 1,200 to 
 
 1,400 feet, while the railroad station is 1,236 
 
 feet above tide-water. 
 
 The settlement of Norfolk began when 
 this township with several others in this 
 
 locality, 
 which 
 were 
 owned 
 b y t h e 
 Colony 
 , of Con- 
 necticut, 
 was sold 
 at public 
 vendue, 
 at Mid- 
 dletown, 
 in 1742. 
 The 
 o r i g i n al 
 bent of 
 the set- 
 tlers was agriculture, which is more or less typical 
 of the section to-day, Norfolk being renowned for 
 its excellent dairies and products of like nature. 
 Norfolk has always been recognized as a summering 
 place, its elevation insuring cool, dry, bracing air. 
 
 The public spirit and enterprise of its residents 
 are noticeable to the visitor, and the results of thrift 
 and progress are manifest on every hand. Norfolk is 
 justly proud of her gj'mnasium, her chimes in the 
 "Old Church Tower," her beautiful memorial 
 chapel, and many other minor examples of the inter- 
 est, nay reverence, vv-ith which she is held by her 
 favored sons. 
 
 The opportunities offered for automobiling and 
 driving throughout this section are unrivaled, whije 
 equally attractive and equally picturesque are the 
 walks and even the mountain climbing of some 
 of the more accessible locations, among which are 
 "Haystack," "Canaan," and "Bald" Mountains, and 
 Dutton Hill, each affording the pedestrian unsur- 
 
 NOEFOLK FROM CRISSEY HILL 
 
THE HOUSATONIC AS IT PASSES 
 UNDER MONUMENT MOUNTAIN 
 
 passed scenic allure- 
 ments of which the 
 eye can never tire. 
 
 Salisbury 
 
 Westward from 
 Canaan, the line of 
 the Central New 
 England Railway 
 quickly passes into 
 the township of Salis- 
 bury, which covers a 
 considerable area and 
 occupies a command- 
 ing position in the ex- 
 treme northwest cor- 
 ner of Connecticut, 
 having within its bor- 
 ders the villages of 
 Lime Rock (pre- 
 viously mentioned), Salisbury, Lakeville, Chapin- 
 ville, and Twin Lakes. 
 
 Nature has greatly favored this region, and has 
 provided in her prodigality a considerable mineral 
 wealth, though the mining of iron is all the under- 
 taking of this nature now being carried on. The 
 hematite ore, which is mined at Ore Hill in the 
 western section of the town, has long been recog- 
 nized as producing the toughest iron, and has made 
 the section famous, the mines having been worked 
 for upwards of 150 j'ears. As an illustration of the 
 extent of this enterprise in years agone, it is chron- 
 icled that in this township anchors were made 
 weighing from one-half a ton to two tons, which 
 were hauled by ox team to Boston and other sea- 
 port cities, six yoke of oxen often being employed to 
 haul an anchor, the round trip requiring a month to 
 six weeks. 
 
 The picturesque village of Salisbury, a long coun- 
 try street, lies in a narrow valley, hemmed in on the 
 east by Mt. Watawanchee, which is distinct from 
 the Taghonics, the highest point being Mt. Prospect, 
 about two miles from Salisbury, accessible by a car- 
 riage road. Many other elevations and points of 
 
 interest claim the attention of the tourist throughout 
 this section. 
 
 Among its public buildings is the Scoville Library, 
 a gift to the town from one of its citizens, whose 
 name it bears. In the librarjr, over the fireplace, is 
 set a carved bas-relief stone taken from the Cathe- 
 dral at Salisbury, England. 
 
 Salisbury's strongest feature, withal, is its water 
 bodies, the principal being "Washining" and 
 "Washinee," the "Twin Lakes of the Woods," 
 which lie in the eastern part of the town and fur- 
 nish an extremely desirable and convenient resort 
 for cottages and camps generally. The fishing is 
 usually very good,. 
 
 Lakeville 
 
 Lakeville is the largest^ of the five villages pre- 
 viously referred to in the Salisbury section, and lies 
 on and adjacent to the northern shore of Lake 
 Wononscopomuc, which appellation in the Indian 
 tongue signifies the "Smile of God." The lake 
 covers about 350 acres, and from its southern shore 
 rises Town Hill, which the early settlers in 1740 
 proposed making the site of their town, but this 
 idea was afterwards changed. This site is now occu- 
 pied by the prominent buildings of the famous 
 Hotchkiss School, a college preparatory school for 
 boys, founded in 1891 through the benefaction of 
 the lady whose name it bears. 
 
 The walks and drives are of exceptional attrac- 
 
 LIJiKAKV, AND MAIN STREET, NORFOLK 
 
river farther north and south. Hereabouts there 
 are long reaches, at intervals, of valley and meadow 
 land, stretching away from the river banks on 
 either side, or sloping gently backward into most 
 beautiful hamlet and farming sites, or picturesque 
 plateaus, bordered by hills and fine tree growth. 
 
 As previously chronicled in these pages, the 
 Housatonic in Berkshire is a sinuous stream, often 
 turning abruptly within a mile or two of distance 
 to almost every point of the compass. In the Shef- 
 
 SCOVILLE LIBRARY, SALISBURY 
 
 tiveness, one of the most frequented 
 being around Lake Wononscopo- 
 muc, a distance of three and one- 
 half miles. In the southern portion 
 of the town is Lake Wononpakok, 
 presenting many pleasing features, 
 embraced as it is by field and wood- 
 land. Sage's Ravine, which is more 
 fully described under the head of 
 Sheffield, is a picturesque region, 
 affording a delightful drive ; while 
 a day's trip to Bear Mountain, 
 with its elevation of 2,350 feet, 
 the highest point of land in Con- 
 necticut, is a pleasing diversion replete with scenic 
 interest. 
 
 The arbitrary line that defines the boundaries of 
 the States of Connecticut on the south and Mas- 
 sachusetts on the north also separates the territory 
 of Canaan, in the first-named commonwealth, from 
 Sheffield in the Old Bay State. 
 
 Sheffield 
 
 Sheffield was the earliest incorporated town in the 
 Berkshire country, its territory having been pur- 
 chased in 1724 from Konkepot and his associate 
 Indians for £460 sterling, three barrels of cider, and 
 thirty quarts of rum. The Indians call the place 
 "Housatonnuc," or "Over the Mountains." 
 
 The Housatonic River in this part of its course 
 differs considerably in appearance from the same 
 
 MAIN STREET, SALISBURY 
 
 field country, along the plains and upon the hillsides 
 on either side of the river, are fine farming estab- 
 lishments, very hospitable and attractive to summer 
 visitors, and the most perfect havens of rest and 
 recreation. 
 
 In the southern part of Sheffield territory, not 
 far from the State line, is the village of Ashley 
 Falls ; and here the Konkepot River comes down 
 from the hills and mingles its waters with those of 
 the Housatonic, with considerable fussing and 
 fuming in the operation. The railroad has a sta- 
 tion near the junction of these rivers. 
 
 The scenery in ever)' part of Sheffield is grand ; 
 picturesque hills and mountains characterizing the 
 eastern and western sections, while the river valley, 
 occupying the central districts, is exceedingly beau- 
 tiful. On the western border, Mount Everett 
 ("The Dome") rises to the height of 2,624 feet, 
 
"S3*: 
 
 THE 
 AND 
 
 hil; 
 
 THE HOUSATONTC AT STOCKBRTDGE 
 
ORE 
 ELD 
 ION 
 
 ,-.^ y^^ 'Z) *>' 
 
 
 TAVP \vnvnvt;mpn\f irr iaitpvittf 
 
and in its neighborhood are many other mountains 
 of nearly equal height; while in the east and north- 
 east the land is guarded by sentinel mountains of 
 magnificent proportions and altitudes. 
 
 There are many other natural objects of interest 
 in the township besides its mountains and the Hou- 
 satonic River. The lesser streams are curiously 
 attractive, and so are the many ponds, of which 
 "Three-Mile Lake," with an area of about one hun- 
 dred and five acres, is the largest. In many parts 
 of the town there are soda springs. 
 
 No community in New England is more comfort- 
 ably and pleasantly "housed" than Sheffield; the 
 village, besides possessing the restful, quiet, and 
 satisfying qualities common to all the Berkshire set- 
 tlements, has many especial characteristics of rare 
 beauty. Finely shaded streets are found in the 
 towns of this region, but the main street of Sheffield 
 is exceptional. It has four rows of elms and 
 maples for its entire length, each one a treasure in 
 itself, and the whole group an invaluable possession. 
 The Sheffield trees are now over half a century old, 
 and their beauty will enhance the passage of every 
 
 ON YON BONNIE BANKS, ON YON BONNIE BRAE 
 
 season for years to come. About- a mile south from 
 the center of the village is a tree known as the "Big 
 Elm," a famous specimen of its kind, which has 
 attracted much attention, and which the author of 
 "The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table" refers to 
 appropriately in that work. 
 
 The walks and drives about Sheffield are unex- 
 celled and from the main -village as a center many 
 pleasing excursions may be made. The views of the 
 Housatonic River and Valley afforded within this 
 township are the finest of that river to be found 
 an5'where. 
 
 Sage's Ravine, situated between Race and Bear 
 Mountains, lying in the southwest corner of Shef- 
 field, and partially in Salisbury near Mount Wash- 
 ington, is reached by the under-mountain road, an 
 especially beautiful drive. The situation here is 
 wild in the extreme, the water descending several 
 hundred feet within a short distance. 
 
 Great Barrington 
 
 Northward again, and the scene shifts from the 
 
 territory of Sheffield 
 to that of Great Bar- 
 rington. Within the 
 Barrington limits, the 
 Housatonic again pre- 
 sents its wonderful 
 crooks and turnings to 
 a degree that could 
 hardly be believed 
 without witnessing. 
 
 Great Barrington 
 is one of the most 
 attractive towns in 
 Berkshire — in all 
 New England, in' fact. 
 It is a home of thrift 
 and industry, a com- 
 munity abreast of the 
 progress and culture 
 of the age. Its streets 
 are shaded with a 
 beautiful growth of 
 trees; and it holds a 
 
wealth of historic, traditional, and personal associa- 
 tions that would render it a point of great interest 
 had it no natural attractions whatever. 
 
 Elevated far above the sea-level, of the best sani- 
 tary and healthful conditions, possessing not only 
 great fascination but the most bountiful provision 
 for summer sojourners, it is small wonder that the 
 locality is a favorite resort of a great constituency 
 from all parts of the country. Its summer homes 
 are not only within the town and village limits, but 
 are scattered all through the farming districts. For 
 its walks, drives, fishing, hunting and boating it 
 has few equals in this part of the world. 
 
 In the north. Monument Mountain, celebrated 
 by William Cullen Bryant, rises in a most striking 
 way from the bank of the Housatonic River, while 
 Bear Mountain extends for considerable distance, 
 overlooking the town itself, a sort of natural guard- 
 ian set to shield its inhabitants. The town also has 
 fine ponds and lakelets scattered in profusion within 
 its limits, and these are charming features in the 
 landscape. 
 
 Great Barrington, formerly a part of Sheffield, 
 was incorporated and 
 made independent un- 
 der its present name 
 in 1761, being one of 
 the earliest Berkshire 
 sections which im- 
 pressed the pioneers 
 of the region, by rea- 
 son of the phenomenal 
 beauty of its location. 
 Its soil is fertile and 
 produces abundant 
 crops. 
 
 The place has been 
 a summer resort of 
 high repute for many 
 decades. Here Mark 
 Hopkins met, in the 
 famous school for 
 young ladies kept by 
 the Misses Kellogg, 
 the young lady who 
 afterwards became his 
 
 wife and widow, and who, as Mrs. Edward F. 
 Searles, resided later upon an estate in this town, the 
 dwelling of which cost upwards of one million dol- 
 lars, and from which she dispensed benefactions that 
 have made her name and the place well known in 
 every part of the country. But such an estate and 
 so broad and liberal minded a type of humanity are 
 not in the least out of place in this beautiful section 
 of Berkshire, where all that wealth, art, and culture 
 can devise can by no possibility exceed the natural 
 endowments of the locality. 
 
 The list of summer and permanent residents of 
 Great Barrington, for a century past, contains many 
 names of people well known in the United States — 
 of a very large number, in fact, who are recognized 
 as world famous, and who represent many of the 
 highest walks of life. 
 
 The poet, William Cullen Bryant, had a residence 
 in this town from 1815 to 1825, and within its 
 beautiful scenes he found inspiration for some of 
 his noblest poems. Mr. Brj'ant was town clerk 
 here for several years, and parts of the town records 
 are signed with his autographs. He married Frances 
 
 y 
 
 THE SIDE OF LAKE TOM'S HILL 
 
STRLET IN LAKEVILLE 
 
 Fairchild of this town, and he himself 
 made record of the event; and also 
 recorded the birth of his first child. 
 The old Henderson House in 
 which he was married still stands 
 opposite Kellogg Terrace. It was 
 used in Revolutionary times as a 
 storehouse for war supplies; and 
 General Burgoyne occupied it for a 
 time, having been taken ill on his 
 way to Boston and carried there. The 
 house was built in 1759. 
 
 In illustration of the quality of the 
 institutions and private establishments 
 of this town, the Congregational 
 Church building, standing in the main 
 village, may be instanced. This is one 
 of the most notable churches in the 
 country, and is a center of attraction for all visitors. 
 It is a stone structure, the material being blue dolo- 
 mite, and all its components are of the best quality 
 procurable. The chancel and pulpit are of solid 
 mahogany, a gift from a friend in Pittsfield, and the 
 solid mahogany furniture was the gift from friends 
 in New York. Beautiful art glass windows, fine 
 carving, and magnificent decorations in colors charac- 
 terize its interior. 
 
 This church has one of the remarkable organs of 
 the country, a Roosevelt instrument, costing upwards 
 of $30,000, which in mechanical construction has 
 
 hardly an equal in Europe or America. Be- 
 hind the wall at the opposite end of the 
 church is an echo organ, operated by over 
 two and one-half miles of electric wires. 
 The parsonage, with its furniture and 
 barn, cost $100,000, 
 and this is the gift 
 of Mrs. Searles, in 
 memory of her first 
 husband's great- 
 grandfather, the 
 Rev. Dr. Samuel 
 Hopkins, who was 
 pastor of this church 
 from 1743 to 1770. 
 Dr. Hopkins, by the 
 way, was a fair type 
 of the representative 
 quality of the society 
 that has always dis- 
 tinguished Great 
 Barrington. 
 
 There is an excel- 
 lent nine-hole golf 
 course at Great Bar- 
 rington, the prop- 
 erty of the Wyente- 
 nuck Golf Club, 
 laid out along the 
 banks of the Housa- 
 tonic. While not re- 
 markable for its haz- 
 
 SAGE S RAVINE 
 
 THE LOVELINESS OF THIS HILL COUNTRY HAS OFTEN BEEN 
 DESCRIBED BY FAMOUS PENS" 
 
GREAT BARRINGTON HAS MANY BEAUTIFUL HOMES 
 
 ards, it is exceptionally smooth and well-turfed. 
 The privileges of the club are extended to visitors 
 upon payment of the usual fee. 
 
 The town spends annually a large sum of money 
 in the construction and maintenance of roads and 
 highways, and the interesting drives within its terri- 
 
 TT OF LAKE WARAMAUG SHORE 
 
 tory and the neighborhood may be numbered by 
 scores. While this feature is characteristic of all 
 the Berkshire sections, it receives a very large de- 
 velopment in this locality. Great Harrington serves 
 as the distributing center for a large outlying terri- 
 tory, which includes Monterey, New Marlboro, 
 North Egremont and South Egremont, each having 
 the clientage which the region well deserves. The 
 country about Monterey, particularly around Lake 
 Garfield, is atractive in the extreme, its advantages 
 being attested by the large number of cottages, 
 typical of its summer population. These cottages 
 nearly surround the shores of the lake, which, for- 
 the most part, are wooded to the water's edge. 
 
 A good highway leads from Great Barrington, 
 ''all the way uphill," to New Marlboro, one of 
 the south towns of the countrj', which has within 
 its limits the settlements of Hartsville, on Lake 
 Buel, Mill River, Southfield, and Clayton, the two 
 
MONUMENT MOUNTAIN AND THE HOUSATONIC RIVER, GREAT HARRINGTON, MASS. 
 
 latter being in the extreme southern portion and 
 reached more conveniently, perhaps, from Sheffield 
 or Ashley Falls. The surface of the township is 
 an exemplification of the Berkshire characteristics 
 of mountain and vale, having a peaceful, quiet val- 
 ley, peculiarly its own, through which the Konkepot 
 River (the outlet of Lake Garfield, in Monterey, 
 and Lake Buel) flows, and is thus at once dis- 
 tinguished from the valley of the Housatonic, so 
 inseparably linked with all the other Berkshire 
 localities. Though the town is strictly a farming 
 community, its altitude commends it to the summer 
 visitor. 
 
 CONTINUING northward after leaving 
 Great Barrington, the territory of Stock- 
 bridge is entered upon, the railroad, however, 
 having stations at Van Deusenville 
 and Housatonic, villages in Great 
 Barrington, before the town bound- 
 ary is passed. 
 
 Stockbridge 
 
 The Indian name of the town 
 now called Stockbridge was Hou- 
 satonic, the present town having 
 been incorporated in i739- The 
 township was granted to the Hou- 
 
 satonic Indians, afterwards 
 called the Stockbridge In- 
 dians, in 1734, at which time 
 a mission was begun among 
 them by the Rev. John Sar- 
 gent and an assistant. Mr. 
 Sargent was succeeded by the 
 famous Jonathan Edwards, 
 who began his labors here in 
 1 75 1, and continued until 
 1758, when he left to become 
 President of Princeton Col- 
 lege. 
 
 After the beginning of the 
 mission by Rev. Mr. Ed- 
 wards, and his assistant, who 
 were the earliest white residents, the place was 
 settled by English people, who crossed the Atlantic 
 for that purpose, and who, from time to time, bought 
 out the Indian rights. The site of the mission 
 church of those days is now marked by a stone 
 tower, a prominent object of interest in Stockbridge, 
 which contains a clock and a chime of bells. 
 
 The territory of Stockbridge withal is not exten- 
 sive, the whole place containing only about 13,600 
 acres, of which more than one-fourth is of forest 
 growth. But what it lacks in extent is more than 
 compensated for by its historic and personal associa- 
 tions and its scenic attractions. 
 
 The Housatonic River flows through its southern 
 sections, having as tributaries several minor streams, 
 which, while they' increase the volume of its-flow, 
 also aid largely in beautifying the landscape. Within 
 
 PARK-LIKE SURROUNDINGS OF THE STOCKBRIDGE STATION 
 

 
 A STATELY MANSION ON THE SITE OF THE JONATHAN EDWARDS HOUSE, 
 STOCKERIDGE 
 
 the limits of the town mountainous elevations do not 
 exist to the extent which thej' are found in many of its 
 neighbors, but the surroundings and outlooks supply all 
 that is lacking in this direction, and in every other part of 
 the township, hills, individually and in groups, strongly 
 mark the scenery, and give to the place the peculiarly 
 varied formation which lends so great a charm to the 
 Berkshire localities. 
 
 Besides the rivers and brooks, there are some hand- 
 some watersheets within its limits. Lake Mahkeenac 
 (Stockbridge Bowl), with an area of 250 acres, being 
 the finest. 
 
 The village of Stockbridge is a beautiful, quiet, and 
 representative New England town, a type, at least, of 
 
 HOLMES ELM, SHEFillil-iJ 
 
many that exist in every part of the Old Bay State. Its principal 
 street is exceedingly broad and inviting, well kept, and bordered 
 by beautiful grass plats and embankments, vv'ith rows of the 
 magnificent elms and other varieties of shade trees, that have 
 before been alluded to, as a distinguishing feature of Berk- 
 shire villages. These shade trees are found also on every 
 side street and frequently as fine natural adornments and 
 ornamental attributes to the grounds about the buildings ; 
 and their beauty and utility in summer time can hardly 
 be exaggerated. 
 
 At Stockbridge is the.largest and best-known golf links 
 in the Berkshires, a fine i8-hole course, owned by the 
 Stockbridge Golf Club. The course stretches over excel- 
 lent hill country ; it is well turfed and is rich in exciting 
 natural hazards. The greens are exceptionally smooth. 
 
 Nothing in nature can be more beautiful than the sur- 
 
 THE OLD MAN OF 
 
 THE MOUNTAINS 
 
 MONUMENT 
 
 MAIN STHEli' 
 
 TOCKBRIDGE, A THOROUGHFARE DESERVING A MORE POETIC NAMB 
 
MONUMENT IN THE ANCIENT INDIAN 
 BURIAL-GROUND, STOCKBRIDGE 
 
 roundings of Stockbridge. Indeed, 
 it is difficult to convey by written 
 description any adequate idea of its 
 natural fascinations ; and these are 
 fairly supplemented by the historic 
 and personal associations that clus- 
 ter about it. 
 
 From the time of its incorpora- 
 tion, Stockbridge has never been 
 without associations with some dis- 
 tinguished residents, while its list 
 of visitors comprises more of 
 illustrious names, representative of 
 the various parts of the civilized 
 world, than could easily be set 
 forth. It was here that the Rev. 
 Jonathan Edwards wrote "The 
 Freedom of the Will," a work 
 which stirred New England society 
 as it cannot be moved, perhaps, at 
 the present time. A fine monument 
 to his memory has been erected 
 near the First Church. 
 
 And here, afterwards — many 
 vears afterwards — was born Miss 
 Catharine M. Sedgwick, a pioneer 
 writer of American fiction ; here, 
 
 also, came, in course of time, William Cullen 
 Br3'ant, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Longfellow, Haw- 
 thorne, Herman Melville, and countless other celeb- 
 rities, whom the world has delighted to honor. The 
 father of Miss Sedgwick was the first representa- 
 tive in Congress from Berkshire County. 
 
 Bryant was equally at home in every part of 
 Berkshire. Other residents of Stockbridge were 
 John Bacon, who was associate pastor of the Old 
 South Church in Boston, at the breaking out of the 
 Revolutionary War; Judge Horatio Byington ; Rev. 
 David Dudley Field, pastor of the Congregational 
 Church. He was the first historian of Berkshire, 
 and the father of four brothers who made so large 
 an impression upon the social, professional, business, 
 and scientific life of the last half of the last century 
 —David Dudley Fiehl, Cyrus W. Field, Henry M. 
 Field, and Stephen H. Field. 
 
 M ISSION CHURCH 
 
The social life, all through these years, of Stock- 
 bridge and Lenox was interchangeable, so that it 
 may be said that the distinguished residents of either 
 of these places had equally a home in the other. 
 
 Within the township are upwards of fifty miles of 
 country roads, kept in the finest condition by care- 
 ful attention and working, and over which riding 
 is a most pleasing and satisfactory exercise. Between 
 this point and Pittsfield the roadways are sure to be 
 largely occupied in summer by the automobiles and 
 turnouts of the wealthy residents and visitors of the 
 section ; and the scenes everywhere are of the most 
 animated description. 
 
 In no section of its course is the Housatonic River 
 more beautiful than within and about Stockbridge 
 territory. Here it is a wide, gentle moving stream, 
 curving in and out among the undulating and 
 broken lands of the place in a most attractive and 
 artistic manner, that can never fail to appeal strongly 
 to human sensibilities and appreciation. The cele- 
 brated "Ox Bow" is an excellent example of this. 
 
 Lee 
 
 The Housatonic River and the New York, New 
 Haven & Hartford Railroad, in connecting the 
 towns of Stockbridge and Lenox, pass through a 
 goodly portion of the town of Lee, which is the 
 market town for a large section, and serves as the 
 point of outlet for West Becket, Otis, Tyringham, 
 and contiguous territory, the towns in question repre- 
 senting some of the most attractive localities in the 
 Berkshires. The western section of Lee has the 
 same characteristics as Lenox and Stockbridge; in 
 fact, in its natural and artificial endowments there 
 is no line of demarcation.. 
 
 LENOX PROVIDES LUXURIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS FOR VISITORS 
 
 In the Otis section, which is reached by a first- 
 class highway, at a distance of about twelve miles, 
 will be found much of interest. The town contains 
 the Otis Reservoir, so called, to a certain extent 
 artificial, and covering 1,450 acres, established as a 
 supply for the water privileges along the Farming- 
 ton River, and particularly at New Hartford, 
 Conn. All through the valley of the Farmington are 
 privileges, some long disused by reason of lack of 
 transportation facilities, but none the less pictur- 
 esque. The highway closely follows this river south- 
 ward from Otis, rendering a drive towards New 
 Boston extremely attractive. 
 
 Tyringham is a veritable "peaceful valley," sur- 
 rounded by towering hills, the approach to which, 
 over the mountain from Monterey, is a picture 
 never to be forgotten. At "Fernside" dwelt a com- 
 munity of Shakers, where they owned nearly 2,000 
 acres — a fertile section; but they removed long ago 
 to the Shaker settlement at Lebanon, though the 
 buildings remain as an evidence of their thrift. 
 
 Lee is on the line of the turnpike between 
 Albany and Boston which ran through East Lee, 
 West Becket, Becket, etc., and some of the old 
 taverns, long disused for their original purpose, are 
 still standing as a reminder of the "Stage Coach 
 Days." 
 
 A trip to Becket Mountain, reached via East 
 Lee by turning off at an old post road tavern and 
 following the highway which runs to the left over 
 the mountain towards Washington, is delightful. 
 
"LENOX IS FAMOUS FUR THF. SINGULAR BEAUTV OF ITS LANDSCAPES" 
 
 Leaving the road as the crest of the mountain ap- 
 pears in full view, the rest of the journey is across 
 fields and through woods, following a disused cart 
 path and thence up the mountain side, the journey 
 bringing into play considerable muscular activity. 
 As is the case with mountains in these parts, Becket 
 Mountain is of gentle acclivity, being, though 
 2,300 feet high, covered by a wealth of grass to its 
 summit. 
 
 "•^^^gp^Bfl^^^^^^^^B 
 
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 IBH 
 
 vV^f^i^^^HWMEaJn 
 
 1^^^ "rs ^B^Hn 
 
 JRw - 
 
 ^^^H 
 
 
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 Ban 
 
 B 'vj^jj* 
 
 jgM 
 
 DJ^iS? 
 
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 n 
 
 THE POST OFFICE AND SOLDIERS MONUMENT, LENOX 
 
 The view is unobstructed and presents a picture 
 ever varying with lights and shadows — a picturesque 
 vision of rare loveliness devoid of the sterner phases 
 of mountain scenery. 
 
 Among Lee's most charming features are her 
 lakes, or, as they are generally termed, with a less 
 dignified but none the less befitting appellation, 
 "ponds," in all of which good fishing may be en- 
 joyed. These ponds afford ideal locations for camp- 
 ing. On some of the "ponds" commodious club 
 houses have been erected for the better enjoyment 
 of those who desire to combine sociability with the 
 narration of their piscatorial adventures. To fish 
 in these waters permits should be obtained from club 
 members. 
 
 THUS following northward the course of the 
 Housatonic River, we have reached the heart 
 of the Berkshire region ; and tliis central 
 locality, this superbly fascinating bit of territory, 
 is occupied by the town of Lenox, known far and 
 wide as one of the famous summer resorts of the 
 world. 
 
Lenox 
 
 Here, as elsewhere in the State, the Berkshire 
 Hills are found not far from the boundary line of 
 Massachusetts and New York, only the little town 
 of Richmond intervening in Massachusetts between 
 Lenox and that dividing line. Through the entire 
 eastern part of the Lenox territory runs the Housa- 
 tonic River with various tributary streams, such as 
 Yokun Brook and 
 Roaring Brook, 
 coming down 
 from the moun- 
 t a i n ranges to 
 swell the volume 
 of its waters. 
 
 Along the 
 whole western 
 and southwestern 
 line of the town 
 stretches the 
 Taghonic Range, 
 with Lenox 
 Mountain as a 
 central figure, 
 and at its base the 
 wild and weird 
 
 BROAD STREETS OVERARCHED WITH ELMS 
 
 A COUNTRY PLACE IN THE BERKSHIRES 
 
 gorge known as "The Gulf." If the white marble 
 outcroppings, common in the other Berkshire locali- 
 ties through which we have passed, largely dis- 
 appear from the Lenox territory, their place is sup- 
 plied by a great increase of limestone deposits, which 
 are here quarried for building purposes and for kiln 
 burning. There is considerable farming in the place, 
 
 THE \\IIITE SPIRE OF 
 THE VILLAGE CHURCH 
 
 the soil in the 
 valley and along 
 the lower h i II - 
 sides being very 
 rich. A little 
 more than one- 
 quarter of the 
 whole territory is 
 occupied by mag- 
 nificent forest 
 growths, which 
 have yielded large 
 revenues of tim- 
 ber in the past 
 and are still valuable in that connection, 
 their principal worth, however, long since 
 having become fixed as beautifying elements 
 in the scenery of the place. Originally this 
 town was a part of Richmond, from which 
 it was taken in 1767, and incorporated 
 under its present name in 1775, or at the 
 outbreak of the War of the Revolution. 
 The Indians called this locality "Yokun," 
 that being the name of one of their Sachems 
 who lived here. Jonathan Hinsdale, whose 
 name is perpetuated in a Berkshire town 
 farther east, was the first white settler here 
 (.1750). 
 
 Lenox became the county seat for Berk- 
 shire although it has not for many years now had 
 that distinction ; and for that reason, as well as for 
 its unrivaled natural attractions, it has been a 
 locality associated with the residence of celebrated 
 persons, and/ for a considerable period a literary 
 center also. 
 
 Here dwelt Elizabeth Sedgwick, and from 1850 
 
"evidences of wealth, culture and refinement on every hand 
 
 to 1870, Fannjf Kemble, in a house built for her and 
 named "The Porch," which residence became the 
 rendezvous for the literary and other celebrities of 
 all Berkshire. 
 
 William Cullen Brj'ant had his permanent home 
 at Great Harrington, and Dr. Oliver Wendell 
 Holmes his summer home at Pittsfield. Longfellow 
 and G. P. R. James passed their summers in Stock- 
 bridge. Henry Ward Beecher and Herman Mel- 
 ville passed many summers and produced many of 
 their best compositions in the Lenox neighborhoods. 
 Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote his "Scarlet Letter," 
 "The House of Seven Gables," "Tanglewood 
 Tales," and "The Wonder Book" in a little red 
 house on the shore of "Stockbridge Bowl," within 
 the borders of Lenox; and here he planned his 
 "Blithedale Romance." James Russell Lowell and 
 Dr. Channing were well known throughout this 
 section. Here, also, Charlotte Cushman, Harriet 
 Hosmer, Maria Cummings, and others like them 
 were educated in Mrs. Sedgwick's celebrated school. 
 And so the list of famous and exalted names which 
 have been associated with Berkshire is something 
 very interesting to contemplate. 
 
 The summer home of Henry Ward Beecher in 
 Lenox was a farm occupying a hill on the high- 
 way leading from Lenox to Lee. This estate \yas 
 presented to the great preacher by friends in his 
 
 Brooklyn Church in 1853, and was 
 known as "Blossom Farm." To 
 this farm Mr. Beecher came in the 
 summer time for many years. Here 
 he wrote his "Star Papers"; but 
 this estate need not be thought of 
 as in any sense a workship of his, 
 for here he threw off toil and care 
 and every form of trouble and 
 anxiety, and gave himself exclu- 
 sively to recuperation and recrea- 
 tion, such as are to be found alone 
 in communion with Nature. 
 
 ST. ANDREWS' CHURCH, KENT, BUILT IN 1826 
 
 There are several private golf links in the vicinity 
 of Lenox. The Lenox Golf Club maintains a small 
 course, but its privileges are not granted to visitors. 
 
 Intrinsically, and aside from its connection with 
 wealth and culture, and the associations referred to 
 herein, the glory of Lenox lies in the grandeur of 
 its natural situation, the wonderful picturesqueness 
 of its scenery, and the singular beauty of its land- 
 scapes, whether viewed in detail or ensemble. 
 
iUN 11 1912 
 
 GREYLOCK MOUNTAIN 
 
 The carriage drive from this station to the sum- 
 mit of this hill is over a macadam road, gently rising 
 all the way, beautiful as a revelation of rural scenes, 
 but affording not even the slightest hint of the grand 
 visions of loveliness v^'hich await the arrival of the 
 visitor upon the crown of the hills. 
 
 The surroundings of woods and flowery thickets, 
 unrelieved by a dwelling of any kind, continue from 
 end to end of this road, until the carriage emerges 
 abruptly upon the edge of an elevated plain, and the 
 visitor finds himself at once among the evidences of 
 something more than a thriving, progressive New 
 England communitj^ There is now a quality in all 
 tbat he sees about him that shows the presence of 
 wealth, culture, and refinement in the resident popu- 
 lation. 
 
 This section of the Berkshire Hills, unlike most 
 resort sections, has a seven months' season. These 
 months are divided into three periods of social enter- 
 taining and out-of-door enjoyment. The first period 
 is the spring season, when a large percentage of the 
 villas are opened and preparations are made for the 
 full swing of the season to come. 
 
 Owners of estates are arriving in the Berkshire 
 Hills earlier every year. Reports of the delights in 
 the hills in the early spring months have spread, 
 and May sees more than half of the cottagers in their 
 country places. Then budding June brings on the 
 summer folks, and by the end of June all the cot- 
 tages are leased or occupied. This constitutes the 
 early season, when there is a round of exclusive little 
 dinner entertainments. It is a time when those who 
 have been going into the Berkshires for a consider- 
 able period enjoy the country life. 
 
 Then comes the "mid-season," late July and Au- 
 gust, when quiet reigns in the Berkshire villas. 
 Their owners, one after another, find they need a 
 change of scene and a whiff of sea air, and depart 
 for a few weeks with their friends to the rugged 
 Maine coast, Bar Harbor, Newport or Cape Cod. 
 Then from September well into November, Lee, 
 Lenox, Stockbridge and Pittsfield are at their best. 
 Back to their country estates come the villa owners, 
 and following in their wake are numberless tourists. 
 There are house parties at the country places and 
 week-end parties at the hotels, for the week-end idea 
 
of a hotel sojourn in the Berkshires is one of the 
 new phases of social life. 
 
 Men and women of wealth and fashion go to 
 Lenox in the autumn, for the wonderful autumn 
 colorings of the maples, oaks and birches, while 
 seekers after beauty in nature fill the hotels through- 
 out the belt from Pittsfield to Stockbridge. 
 
 Pittsfield 
 
 From Lenox to Pittsfield by direct road is about 
 a six-mile drive, and the distance between these two 
 points by railroad is nearly the same. 
 
 There are beautiful drives from Lenox to Pitts- 
 field, which are sure to afford abundance of interest 
 and entertainment for the visitor. Indeed here, as in 
 most of the Berkshire sec- 
 tions, one may make pedes- 
 trian or driving excursions 
 for weeks in succession, 
 taking a new route or 
 routes every day, and 
 never exhaust either the 
 novelties or the attrac- 
 tions. 
 
 Pittsfield is the northern 
 terminus of the N e w 
 York, New Haven & 
 Hartford Railroad. It is 
 one of the thriving, pro- 
 gressive towns of Massachusetts. It occupies a site 
 naturally favored and beautified to a degree next to 
 impossible outside the Berkshire region. • Its build- 
 ings are in keeping with its wealth and progress; 
 its streets are wide and attractive, with fine old 
 elms overarching the roadwa3-s. 
 
 Pittsfield is the county seat of Berkshire County, 
 the center of its judicial business and material inter- 
 ests. It is situated upwards of 1,200 feet above the 
 level of the sea, and is completely surrounded by 
 lofty mountain ranges and groups (the Taghonics 
 and the Hoosacs). Its hotels offer every comfort 
 and luxur}' to the visitor. It also has good golfing 
 facilities. Its scenery' is magnificent in ever>- part 
 and in the qualities of combined city and countPi- 
 life it cannot be surpassed. Just beyond Pittsfield 
 lie the two largest lakes in Berkshire, Onoto and 
 Pontoosuc. The shores of these lakes are surrounded 
 ■ by many camps and bungalows. The principal ave- 
 nue of Pittsfield runs from Pontoosuc Lake in nearly 
 a straight line to Lenox-on-the-Heights, about six 
 
 TRULY RURAL 
 
 miles away, and is a broad, picturesquely shaded 
 highway. 
 
 From Pittsfield steam and electric lines cross the 
 Berkshires northward to North Adams and Wil- 
 liamstown, Mass., and an electric line thence to 
 Bennington, Vt. Leaving Pittsfield the route runs 
 along the east shore of Lake Pontoosuc. The topog- 
 raphy of the hills has fixed the lines of travel. 
 
 The scenery is pleasingly diversified. River and 
 hill make constant variety. The towns, alternating 
 with rough country, keep you in touch with civiliza- 
 tion and at the same time you are in the heart of the 
 primeval wilderness. Special trips in parlor-cars on 
 the electric lines are one of the features of the service 
 much appreciated by summer tourists. 
 
 On the way j'ou come 
 j^^^^ to North Adams. From 
 
 4^^H| here you may make the 
 
 T^^^ ascent of Greylock Moun- 
 
 tain. Many persons start 
 in the afternoon and camp 
 out on the mountain all 
 night in order to get a 
 sunrise view from the 
 summit. A sweep of fully 
 a hundred miles of lovely 
 country", embracing parts 
 of five States is spread be- 
 for you. 
 
 As the trolley takes you through the quiet, tree- 
 shaded streets of Williamstown, the natural beauties 
 of the place will evoke your enthusiastic admiration. 
 It is the seat of Williams College. 
 
 The town has a quiet, home-like beauty that ap- 
 peals to everybody who sets foot there. The dwell- 
 ings and the home surroundings betoken care and 
 neatness. You pass broad, cool-sliadowed lawns that 
 are not marred by fences. 
 
 Cyrus W. Field had such a warm affection for 
 the town that he bequeatiied $10,000 to be expended 
 in making it even more beautiful. 
 
 The terminus of the electric line is Bennington. 
 \'t. This is a town rich in historic interest to all 
 Americans. It is steeped in histon'. Almost everj' 
 street has some reminiscence of the stirring deeds 
 that were enacted here during Colonial days. Ben- 
 nington has a glorious past, but it does not live in 
 the past. It is one of the most prosperous and beau- 
 tiful towns in a State that is famous for its wonder- 
 ful, picturesque beauty. 
 
"nature's inimitable grace has touched this region with lavish hand" 
 
 All around Bennington is a grand amphitheatre 
 of hills. The Green Mountains roll away to the 
 northwest. Mount Anthony, 2,000 feet high, is 
 half a mile distant from the town. Below lies the 
 valley of the Walloomsac, a small stream, along 
 the banks of which are the factories that make the 
 modern village of Bennington a hive of prosperous 
 industry. 
 
 A through train from New York to Williams- 
 town, Mass., makes this entire Berkshire Hills 
 region easy of access. Connecting with this train at 
 Williamstown an electric express is operated to and 
 from Bennington, Vt. 
 
 A vacation spent in the Berkshire Hills will 
 linger in j'our memory for years to come. Two 
 weeks or a month spent in tramping over these hills 
 will put vim and vigor into you — will make you fit 
 to hold your own with the strife of city life. 
 
 You are one thousand feet or more above the sea. 
 The air is wonderfully bracing and exhilarating. It 
 stirs your pulses. Involuntarily you throw your 
 shoulders back and drink in deep draughts of it. 
 For those who seek recuperation and recreation, the 
 Berkshire Hills hold out pleasing inducement. You 
 will have no difficulty in finding accommodations to 
 suit your taste and purse. 
 
 PB lb I 
 
 PRESS OF THl^ KALKHOFF CO. 
 NEV/ YORK 
 

 
 
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