Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts Genealogy

United States Massachusetts  Berkshire County  Pittsfield

Brief History

 * In 1738, Colonel Jacob Wendell of Boston purchased 24,000 acres of land originally known as Pontoosuck ("a field or haven for winter deer" in Mohican Indian) as an investment, planning to subdivide and resell the lots to other settlers. Clearing the land began in 1743, but the thread of Indian attacks ended the development until 1752 when many people from nearby Westfield, Massachusetts, began to settle the area which in 1753 was incorporated as Pontoosuck Plantation. The plantation and the near 200 resident became the Township of Pittsfield by 1761.

Adjacent towns: Berkshire Co.:  Dalton | Hancock | Lanesborough | Lenox | Richmond | Washington

Resources
In and On Pittsfield:


 * The Berkshire Historical Society, 780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield MA 01201, (413) 442-1793, info@berkshirehistory.org
 * The Berkshire Athenaeum Local History Room, 1 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield MA 01201, (413) 499-9486, pittslhg@cwmars.org
 * The Berkshire Family History Association, Post Office Box 1437, Pittsfield MA 01202, bfha@berkshire.net
 * An excellent collection of 144 Pittsfield genealogy record sources is available here http://massachusetts-genealogy.com/Pittsfield-Genealogy.cfm