Even if you have lived here your whole life, some residents don't know about these facts about Berkshire County, or maybe you do.

The Berkshires were named after royalty The Berkshires got its name civility of Sir Francis Bernard, Royal Governor of the territory from 1760-1769, who needed to give recognition to his home province back in England.

The Mahican Native American clan, not Mohican, lived in the territory that presently makes up Berkshire County.
The Mahicans lived here until the mid-eighteenth century when the main English pioneers and frontiersmen showed up and started setting up ranches and estates. The English finally did pay the tribe for the land, but that took a while.

Back in the nineteenth century, Berkshire County got well known with the American tip-top or the elite as I like to call them, they assembled what they called “bungalows” all through the open country. In the twentieth, century a portion of these bungalows were torn or burned to the ground, while others became private academies, notable destinations, or informal lodging hotels. Some which you can still see standing.

The Berkshires is the place Moby Dick began (a lot of people know this one). Herman Melville was living at Arrowhead, his home in the Berkshires when he composed Moby Dick. Arrowhead. The home is currently open to the general population under the sponsorship of the Berkshire Historical Society.

Endless superstars call The Berkshires home, that's right they stay here in our backyard. I think it is because the people who live here pretty much leave the celebrities who come here a more normal life like artist James Taylor, acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, director John Williams, and Oscar-victor Meryl Streep are only a couple of the famous people who have homes here.

We would love to hear from you if you have a great fact about the Berkshires.

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