Born in the Berkshires

Highlights from the lives of 35 people from Western Massachusetts\nBorn in the Berkshires is a series of brief biographies of citizens from the Berkshire area of western Massachusetts. These people have shaped their immediate landscape and even affected the world beyond. These citizens include a former governor who raises cattle, the longest serving mayor in Massachusetts, and the septuagenarian missionary who spends half her year in dangerous regions of Africa assisting orphans and widows. Meet a breeder of rare Haflinger horses, a barber who gave 120,000 haircuts over sixty-four years, and the owner of a lunch counter that has been in business nearly a hundred years and served over two million hotdogs. Get introduced to coaches, local historians, a family of auto mechanics that served drivers on the Mohawk Trail beginning in 1920, and two women who have helped create a special supportive community for families with special needs. In each story, there’s a little genealogy, a bit of everyday life, and more than a glimpse of what makes these citizens special in their communities.