Berkshire Street Railway Great Barrington Guided Hike

Western Mass Hilltown Hikers Group Hike
Berkshire Street Railway Great Barrington
March 22nd at 10:00 am
Parking: 817 South Main Street, Great Barrington 01230 Great Barrington Historical Society
Hike Rating: Easy to Moderate three miles in and back
Join Gary Leveille, published author and historian for a walk on the historic Berkshire Street Railway from Great Barrington to Egremont. At its peak in the early decades of the 20th century, the Berkshire Street Railway operated an electric trolley car system that was one of the longest in the United States. The company ran trolleys within four states, from Canaan, CT through numerous Berkshire towns to Bennington, Vt. and Hoosick Falls, N.Y. Two spur lines brought service from Great Barrington to South Egremont, and from Lee to Huntington. The trolley line had snowplows to clear the rails before most towns had highway plow trucks. As the automobile became more affordable and popular, travel by electric rail declined. The company was further challenged by political/legal problems, strikes, coal shortages for generating electric power, and several severe winters. The final trolley entered Great Barrington on January 28, 1930.
Gary Leveille is the author of seven books including a best-selling history entitled Old Route 7, Along the Berkshire Highway. Gary has over 40 years of experience as a writer, editor, author, photographer, publisher and newspaper columnist. Gary was formerly a senior editor and editorial project supervisor for Hasbro Games. He has worked on numerous projects for Milton Bradley, Hasbro, Parker Brothers, Disney, National Geographic, Antiques Roadshow and many others. Gary is a columnist for the online Berkshire Edge newspaper where he produces the popular “Then and Now” photo history column. An avid local historian and researcher, he is a member of the Great Barrington Historical Commission and serves on the Board of Directors of the Great Barrington Historical Society as well as the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area. Gary resides with his family in Lee.
We will hike rain or shine. Registration required. Please Register per car load on https://westernmasshilltownhikers.ticketleap.com Maps and bottled water provided. Well behaved dogs allowed. Event is volunteer lead. Suggested donation is $15. More details are on www.hilltownhikers.com . Please email westernmasshilltownhikers@aol.com or call/text 413-302-0312 if you have any questions. As always be prepared for rocks, mud and roots, bring trekking poles!