History of Lee, Massachusetts, USA

1760 - Lee is settled

Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates

1777 - Lee is incoporated

Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates

1839 - Lee
Lee, Massachusetts
Berkshire county. This is a pleasant town on the Housatonick river, admirably located for manufacturing purposes. It contains a cotton and a woolen mill, 12 paper mills, and various other manufactures by water power. The amount of manufactured goods for the year ending April 1, 1837, was $405,000. The paper manufactured, amounted to $274,500. The articles manufactured, besides paper, cotton and woolen goods, were leather, hats, boots, shoes, bar iron, iron castings, axes, shovels, spades, hoes, forks, ploughs, chairs, tin, cabinet and wooden ware, carriages, chair stuff, &c. The soil of the town is good, particularly for grazing. The wool of 2,000 sheep, in 1837, was valued at $4,500. There is an abundant supply of iron ore and marble of excellent qualities. Lee was incorporated in 1777. It lies 130 miles W. from Boston and 5 S.E. from Lenox. Population, in 1830, 1,825; 1837, 2,095.
The New England Gazetteer containing descriptions of all the states, counties and towns in New England: also descriptions of the principal mountains, rivers lakes, capes, bays, harbors, islands and fashionable resorts within that territory. By John Hayward, author of the Columbian Traveller, Religious Creeds, &c. &c. Boston: John Hayward. Boyd & White, Concord, N.H. 1839

1845 - LEE. [Pop. 2,428. Inc. 1777.]
Part of Lee was taken from Washington, part from Great Barrington, and the rest was made up of tracts that had boen granted by the General Court.

The town was named Lee in honor of Charles Lee, a Major-General in the army of the Revolution at the time of its incorporation.

Lee is situated on the Housatonic, which with its branches supplies it with abundant water-power. The surface is hilly, if not mountainous, and iron ore and good marble are found here.

The chief article manufactured is paper, but there are also factories of cotton, wool, and iron.

Distance from Lenox, 5 miles; from Boston, 120.
An Elementary Geography for Massachusetts Children by William Bentley Fowle and Asa Fitz, 1845
Get it HERE!

1854 - Lee
Lee, a post-township of Berkshire county, Massachusetts, on the Housatonic river, 11 miles S. from Pittsfield. This is one of the most flourishing townships in the county, chiefly in consequence of its extensive woollen, pa per, and cotton mills. The village is situated on the river and Housatonic railroad, and contains a bank and several stores. Population of the township, 3220.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

1868 - Marriage Concealed
A paper-mill operative in Lee, Mass., is the wife of a young lieutenant in the English army, who married her privately and sent her over the water, to conceal the fact from his aristocratic grandmother, whose sole heir he is, and who threatened to disinherit him in case he threw himself away on her.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
July 25, 1868

1870 - Stays Cold
An ice house in Lee, Mass., is said to contain a quantity of ice packed in it seventeen years ago.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
March 19, 1870

1886 - A Raging Flood
BOSTON, MASS. April 20. - A special dispatch, received about noon from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, states that the great dam at Lee, ten miles below there, which furnished power for some dozen huge mills, gave way without warning at an early hour and almost swept the town out of existence. The noise of the explosion sounded like and earthquake, and the houses were swept away while their inmates were still in bed... Melting snow upon the mountains caused the freshet which did the damage... Relief is being sent to the scene. Eleven bodies have thus far been recovered. It is estimated that fifty people were drowned.
Review
Decatur, Illinois
April 21, 1886

1888 - Paper Mill Fire
The paper-mill of John De Varennes, at East Lee, Mass., was burned on the 29th. Loss, $100,000.
St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
August 4, 1888

Lee Massachusetts, 1890
Lee is a beautiful town between the Taconic and Green Mountain ranges, in the central part of Berkshire County, 162 miles from Boston. It is quite irregular in form, and has Lenox on the northwest, Washington on the northeast, Becket on the east, Tyringham and Great Barrington on the south, and Stockbridge on the west.

The assessed area is 15,749 acres, 4,242 of which are forest, consisting of maple, oak, beech, chestnut and elm. Lakes Laurel and May add variety and charm to the landscape. The Housatonic River, a rapid and beautiful stream, separates for two or more miles the northern angle of this town from Lenox, then pursues a serpentine course through the midst of the town to a range of hills along the southern border, where it turns westward and enters Stockbridge. With its affluents, Basin-pond Brook, Goose-pond Brook and Hop Brook, it furnishes valuable hydraulic power. The central village is built on the rich intervale of this river; along whose margin winds the Housatonic... Read MORE...

1892 - Train Crashes into Wagon
A south-bound express on the Housatonic Railroad crashed into a wagon belonging to Capt. J. S. Barnes of Lenox at Lee, Mass., yesterday afternoon, instantly killing the occupants of the wagon. Capt. Barne's coachman and Jerry Donovan, and both horses.
The New York Times
New York, New York
October 6, 1892

1895 - Lee
Lee, a post-village of Lee township, Berkshire co, Mass., on the Housatonic River, and on the Housatonic Railroad, 11 miles S. of Pittsfield, and about 38 miles S.E. of Albany, N.Y. It contains 5 churches, a high school, a national bank, and a newspaper office. Here are several woollen-factories and large paper-mills. The township has quarries of fine white marble, which is exported to distant cities. Pop. of township, 3900. It contains villages named East Lee and South Lee.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott

1916
Lee, a township (town) Of Berkshire CO., Mass., on the Housatonic River and on the New York, New Haven and Hartford R., 11 miles S. of Pittsfield. Here are wire-factories, large paper-mills, etc. The town has quarries of fine white marble. Pop. of the town (which includes the villages of East Lee and South Lee) in 1900, 3596.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher

Here's a list of places to go and things to do in Lee, Massachusetts:
The Mount: Start your visit with a tour of The Mount, the former home of Edith Wharton, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Explore the beautiful gardens, take a guided tour of the mansion, and learn about Wharton's life and work.

October Mountain State Forest: If you're an outdoor enthusiast, head to October Mountain State Forest, the largest state forest in Massachusetts. You can hike, mountain bike, or simply enjoy a picnic in this pristine wilderness.

Lee Premium Outlets: For some retail therapy, visit the Lee Premium Outlets. This shopping destination features over 60 stores, including high-end brands, offering great deals on clothing, accessories, and more.

Chesterwood: Just a short drive from Lee, you'll find Chesterwood, the former home and studio of renowned sculptor Daniel Chester French, best known for creating the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Explore the artist's studio and admire his sculptures and beautiful... Read MORE...