Old North Blandford Road
Hilltown history found when we were not looking for it! [...]
Noble and Cooley Drum Factory in Granville
Noble & Cooley Factory, an intact 1800's factory in Granville. [...]
Old Pomeroy Road
Old Homes and old Upper and Lower Pomeroy Road to [...]
Crow Bridge in Montgomery
"Sad Casualty at Montgomery""On Wednesday afternoon, as Mr. Oliver Moore, [...]
West Schoolhouse in Montgomery
What is left of the West Schoolhouse site. By 1879 [...]
CCC Camp in Becket Stanley Road October Mountain State Forest
Located in October Mountain State Forest, CCC Camp S-52 (Company [...]
Hotel Aspinwall in Lenox Worker’s Dorms
The worker's housing including dorms and laundry.Hotel Aspinwall was built [...]
Hotel Aspinwall in Lenox
Hotel Aspinwall was built in 1902 by lawyer, businessman, and [...]
The Dynamite Box Factory in Blandford
The Dynamite Box Factory. The Chester Blandford State Forest covers [...]
WP Dustin Homestead in the Chester Blandford State Forest
The W.P. Dustin homestead and farm. The Chester Blandford State [...]
Lyman and James Church of Factory Village in Middlefield
In Middlefield, Factory Village is a ghost town, once a [...]
Huckleberry Trolley Line at George Carter in Becket
Along George Carter Road in Becket, what may look like [...]
Middlefield Reservoir Dam
In 1839 the Blush and Church family constructed a stone [...]
Huckleberry Trolley Line in North Blandford
An AMAZINGLY preserved section of the Huckleberry Trolley Line circa [...]
Before the Railroad was Moved in Russell
Our quest to find the original Boston & Albany railroad [...]
Sawmill near Yokum Pond in Becket
Just one of the many sawmills found in Becket, this [...]
Old Captain Whitney Road in Becket
Captain Whitney Road in the remote section of North East [...]
Moore Mountain Barn in Montgomery
The Moore Mountain House Barn. Oliver Moore Jr. was a [...]
Moore Mountain House in Montgomery
Oliver Moore Jr. was a canny man, never relying on [...]
Axtell Grist Mill in Montgomery
The Axtell Grist Mill. Hiking from old Tekoa Road (once [...]
Old Mountain House Road in Montgomery
Hiking from old Tekoa Road (once driveable!) park along side [...]
Whip Factory and Grist Mill on Moose Meadow Brook
Along Moose Meadow brook, once a whip factory and grist [...]
Isaac Bronson Homestead in Montgomery
The best cellar holes are the ones that no one [...]
Rebuilding the Middlefield Reservoir
Middlefield Reservoir Dam re-build. "In 1937 the Bureau of Forestry [...]
Middlefield Reservoir
We have researched and hiked the flood waters of Factory [...]
Middlefield Blush Woolen Factory
Amasa Blush, about 1799 or 1800 bought the fulling mill [...]
Middlefield Baptist Church
The Middlefield Baptist church was formed and a house of [...]
Sumner Church Home in Middlefield
Sumner Church was one of the five Church brothers who [...]
Upper Church Mill in Middlefield
Upper Church Mill. William Church was one of the five [...]
The Church Store at Factory Village
The Church Store. William Church was one of the five [...]
Swinging Bridge over Factory Brook
The swinging bridge over Factory Brook and one of several [...]
Scouring Mill in Middlefield
The Church Scouring Mill. Private Property with permission. Middlefield Factory [...]
The Wright Emery Mine in Chester
The Wright Emery Mine in Chester, one of six in [...]
Reverend Hamilton Homestead in Chester
Reverend Hamilton's homestead in Chester.#chesterma #hikethehilltownhistory#hikethehilltowns with the #westernmasshilltownhikers #discoverthehilltowns [...]
Huckleberry Trolley Line in Huntington
Huntington Center, the end of the Huckleberry Trolley Line.the grey [...]
Chester Railroad Housing a Closer Look
We went to take a closer look at the railroad [...]
Glede Monument in Becket
Here is the Monument erected by the friends of JOHN [...]
Huntington Whetstone Mill
Asa Merritt operated the Huntington whetstone factory with his sons [...]
Charcoal Kiln Trail at Noble View in Russell
Noble View in Russell hiking Laurel Lane to County Road [...]
New Marlborough Native Americans
Native American Tribe in New Marlborough. On a recent group [...]
Stairs to No Where in Chester
In Chester along Middlefield Road there is a set of [...]
Nye Cellar Holes on old Haight Road in Blandford
Hiking old Blandford, the Nye Cellar Holes and Barns.Haight Road [...]
Old Huntington Road in Blandford
Hiking old Blandford..this is the old Huntington Road, Bishop sawmil [...]
Old Haight Road in Blandford
Hiking old Blandford...Haight Road still exists but it once continued [...]
Smith Monument in Westfield
HFSMITH WAS KILLED HERE NOV 20, 1879 BY ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE [...]
Richard Falley’s Armory in Montgomery
Richard Falley Jr. was a soldier who fought in the [...]
Counterfeiters Cave in Russell Massachusetts
There are several caves on Mount Tekoa, all located in [...]
Homer Crosby Boy Killed by a Cart
Homer Crosby killed by his cart August 4th, 1844 18 [...]
The Mitchell Homestead in Becket
Built in the 1870's by Austin Bartlett (1834-1879) who produced [...]
Alan French Homestead
Alan French owned much property at four corners, including North [...]
1798 Highway to Lenox
A highway was built in 1798 by Moses Ashley and [...]
Cobb Codding Sawmill and Dam
Cobb Codding built a dam for a sawmill downstream in [...]
William Whitney’s Game Preserve Fence
Some of the game fence that was 9 to 10 [...]
Old George Millard Road in Blandford
A seven month son of Henry B. and Hannah Wadham [...]
Indian Oven in Worthington
Indian Oven in Worthington #worthingtonma #hikethehilltownhistory#hikethehilltowns with the #westernmasshilltownhikers #discoverthehilltowns [...]
Old Blandford Ski
The Springfield Ski Club's days as one of the top [...]
Al Doty and his Memories of Jug End Barn in Egremont
Mr. Al Doty reached out with his memories and experiences [...]
Old Tekoa Reservoir in Montgomery
Tekoa Reservoir was built in 1874, after the taking of [...]
Asa Merritt and Sons Whetstone Factory in Huntington
Asa Merritt operated the Huntington whetstone factory with his sons [...]
Old Blandford Ski Rope Tow
The origins of the Springfield Ski Club date back to [...]
Upper Church Mill Factory Brook in Middlefield
After the 1874 flood, Factory Village in Middlefield, present day [...]
Jug End Barn Lost Ski Resort in Egremont
Jug End Barn Ski Resort in Egremont was 1,600 acres [...]
Middlefield CCC Dam on Factory Brook
From our narrated hike with Alec Gillman, Interpretive Coordinator for [...]
Railroad Worker’s Housing found in Chester
A spectacular find in Chester, dual railroad worker's housing cellar [...]
Berkshire Talc Manufacturing Co. In Windsor
The quarries connect underground, both lower parts are flooded. They [...]
Booth-Bardin Sawmill in Wahconah Falls State Park in Windsor
The Booth-Bardin saw mill site is found along the trail [...]
Cleveland Grist Mill at Wahconah Falls State Park
The Cleveland Grist Mill remains are at the base of [...]
Serpentine Quarry in Chester
In 1852 Lucas developed a chemical process by which he [...]
Beartown CCC Camp 106
CCC Camp 108. Beartown State Forest was established in 1921 [...]
Sedgwick Family Boundary at Stockbridge
A great find on Laurel Hill, these posts are property [...]
Berkshire Trolley Bridge in Stockbridge
The Berkshire Trolley once ran here where Goodrich Park stands [...]
Middlefield Soapstone Quarry
The Middlefield Soapstone Quarry. From the history of the town [...]
Tolland Unknown Quarry
Old quarry found by chance on the Gilmore Trail short [...]
Indian Oven in Worthington
Dual Flash Hikes Saturday this past weekend as Karen and [...]
Baker Saw Mill and Dam in Chesterfield
Built in 1848 by Lemuel Baker. a saw mill was [...]
Big Rock in Middlefield
Big Rock in Middlefield. We love adventures and finding this [...]
Charcoal Kilns in Chesterfield
The Charcoaling industry in the hilltowns was a good income. [...]
Babcock Cellar Hole in Tolland
An old forgotten road, Blandford Road in Tolland, originally connected [...]
The Meachum Barn in Middlefield
The Meachum barn, a stop at the end of our [...]
Conway Power Station
This site is incredible!!! The South River dam's power house [...]
No Name Quarry in Becket
Another lost quarry found!"No Name" quarry set on the granite [...]
North Chester Bedstead and Shoe Peg Factory
Here is the shoe peg and bedstead facory, you can [...]
The Chester Riverside Inn
The RIVERSIDE INN, CHESTER, MASS.Taken from the sidewalk, or the [...]
Cotton Mill North Chester
The Early Industrial Period 1830-1870 (History of Chester) was the [...]
Indian Tree Becket Old Lee Westfield Road
Indian Tree near the old Lee Westfield Road bed in [...]
Old Lee Westfield Road Bed the 8th Massachusetts Turnpike
The old Lee Westfield Road bed. Huckleberry Lane to the [...]
Rock School in Monterey
Shared by our friend Jim MooreA little more Monterey history [...]
Falley’s Homestead in Montgomery
Falley's Homestead at the Grace A Robson Sanctuary in Montgomery [...]
Whisky Still in Montgomery
Old Whisky Still of Colonial Times. Another claim to fame [...]
Kaolin Bed in Montgomery
The kaolin bed in Montgomery….This particular mineral has picked a [...]
The Old Threshing Rock in Montgomery
The Old Threshing Rock. The Native Americans of Montgomery/Russell who [...]
Milo Coe Monument in Granville
On a remote section of Milo Coe Road near the [...]
Huckleberry Trolley Line In Otis to Algerie Four Corners
Another section of the Huckleberry Trolley Line from the old [...]
The Gore in Blandford
Gore Road in Blandford History per request…Robert Blair removed to [...]
Old Birch Hill Road Russell to Blandford
Scouting trip with our very own Hilltown Hikers VP Karen [...]
Old Cortis Road in Russell
Continuing on our scouting trip of the History of Russell, [...]
Kibbee Cellar Hole in Otis
One of our favorite things to do is history hiking, [...]
Samuel Cross Monument in Blandford
An interesting find by Karen on the way home from [...]
Historic Newell Brother’s Quarry in Otis
Some fantastic historic photos from Williams Stone Quarry in Otis, [...]
William Rose Homestead in Becket
Some old road hiking with a closer look at the [...]
North Chester Stevens Mill and Dam
Chester was settled in the 1760s, with early settlers of [...]
Otis Substation on the Huckleberry Trolley Line
Continuing on the Huckleberry Trolley Line in Otis this past [...]
Smithy Road in Chester
Let's go back to 1857 in Chester, high up on [...]
Claflin-Wheeler Dam in Becket
In 1927, a late season hurricane stalled over Vermont and [...]
North Chester Bridge
Chester's citizens made decisions to build and repair bridges in [...]
Dreamland in Becket
Dreamland 1878 on Brooker Hill Road in Becket, now a [...]
CE Lyman Sawmill in Becket
In 1820 two new mills opened south of the North [...]
Berkshire and Becket Silk Mill Ruins
The Berkshire and Becket Silk Mill Ruins on Main Street [...]
Falleys Armory in Montgomery
Montgomery hiking at Moose Meadow Brook and it's glorious waterfall. [...]
Chester Coal Tower and Roundhouse
The Chester Coal Tower and Roundhouse. The coal bins can [...]
Hampden Emery and Corundum
The Hampden Emery and Corundum Co. was a busy factory [...]
Grace A Robson Sanctuary
Inside the Grace A Robson Conservation Area. We continued on [...]
The Berkshire House
Not every scouting hike is a success…the Berkshire House located [...]
Chester’s Granite Industry
Now lets go back in time….the Chester Granite Works was [...]
Finn’s Granite Works
Not much left! the Chester Granite Works was a staple [...]
Chester Granite Works Machinery
Some of the remains left….the Chester Granite Works was a [...]
Higley Apothecary in Becket
Survived the 1927 Becket Flood! The Higley Apothecary 1857 is [...]
Dr. Brewster House in Becket
Becket Center on YMCA Road is the cellar hole of [...]
Becket Railroad
In 1840 Becket's town center shifted from Becket Center to [...]
Becket Town Pound
In Becket Center the Town Pound (1768), was built to [...]
Ballou Dam in North Becket
The North Becket Historic District. Ballou Dam (1927) Originally built [...]
Ballou Memorial Park in North Becket
Field trip to the North Becket Historic District, this is [...]
Smaller Quarry at the Becket Quarry
Just past the Blacksmiths Shop tucked away in the left [...]
The Forgotten Valley
Sunday we attended a presentation by the Huntington Historical Commission [...]
Becket Quarry Test Shaft
The drill test shaft at the Becket Quarry, once the [...]
Sociolo Quartz Mine Chester
One of the four quartz mines in Chester, this is [...]
Mullen House Becket History
We had the honor of touring the Mullen House on [...]
Clark Wright Cemetery in Middlefield
Clark Wright Cemetery in Middlefield located on Clark Wright Road, [...]
The Hudson Quarry and Lookout
The Becket Quarry, more hiking and adventure than you can [...]
Bowe Quarry in Otis
Our scouting trip with Tom Hoffman and Terri Thorne was [...]
West Branch Cemetery in Washington
Established in 1911 when October Mountain State Forest was still [...]
Moore Mountain House in Montgomery
Moore Mountain House in Montgomery. This area has been used [...]
Old Dam, Grist Mill and Whip Factory
Old dam, grist mill and whip factory along Moose Meadow [...]
Westfield Reservoir History
Westfield Reservoir original dam and the beaver swamp in Montgomery. [...]
Moore Mountain House Group Hike 09-25-21
Our Group Hike Saturday, we crossed the beaver swamp and [...]
Black Panther Ski at Huntington Historical Schoolhouse
Our Field Trip to the Huntington Historical Schoolhouse included finding [...]
The Melvin Mine and Erastus Wright
The Melvin Mine in Chester. One of the six emery [...]
The Old Mine Upper Level in Chester
The notorious Old Mine in Chester one of six emery [...]
The Old Mine in Chester
The notorious Old Mine in Chester one of six emery [...]
Huntington Historical Schoolhouse Museum
Our rainy day fieldtrip to the Huntington Historical Schoolhouse Museum! [...]
Old Stagecoach Inn and Barn on the KAB
You never see everything on one hike! Hike leader Russ [...]
Chester and Becket Railroad and Old Mills 100 yrs of history
The Chester and Becket Railroad Trail on Hampden Street in [...]
Wright Mine in Chester
The Wright Emery Mine in Chester. This is just one [...]
Chester Railway Station Museum
Our Chester Becket Railroad and Chester Historical Tour was amazing! [...]
Historic Downtown Chester
Walking Maple and Main Streets in Chester reliving how it [...]
Chester Historical Society
The Chester Historical Society chock full of #hilltownhistory opened up [...]
Chester Feed Store
The A & L Market was the town grocer for [...]
The Chester Pease Store
The present day Pease Store on Main Street is a [...]
Chester and Becket Railroad in Chester
Chester & Becket Trail The Chester & Becket Railroad was [...]
Carnagie Steel Overhead Truss on Maple Street
Carnagie Steel Overhead Truss on Maple Street. Our Chester Becket [...]
Chester Jail
Take a look inside the Chester Jail, Historical pieces from [...]
Homer Trolley Triangle
On the Blandford/Russell/Chester corner of town are old roads that [...]
Black Pool Quartz Quarry in Chester
The Black Pool Quartz Quarry in Chester. Veins of massive [...]
Marcia Mine in Chester
The Marcia Mine in Chester, one of the six emery [...]
Serpentine Marble Quarry in Westfield
The Atwater Serpentine Marble Quarry in Westfield near Westfield Mountain [...]
Atwater Marble Quarry in Russell
The Atwater Serpentine Marble Quarry in Westfield near Westfield Mountain [...]
Marble Bridge Abutments in Westfield
The marble bridge abutments is what is left of the [...]
Atwater Finishing Mill
The Atwater Finishing Mill in Westfield/Russell. Parking on Northwest Road, [...]
Group Hike to the Spencer Cellar Hole in Dayville Chester 05-29-21
Our #westernmasshilltownhikers group hike Saturday May 29th was well worth [...]
Chester Coal Tower
The Chester Coal Tower sits near the Roundhouse, trains pulled [...]
Hampden Emery and Corundum
The Hampden Emery and Corundum Co. was a busy factory [...]
Chester On Track 2021
Virtual Chester on Track starts one week from today! Link [...]
Chester Roundhouse
Super sneak preview…Chester on Track 2021. I went with Dave [...]