During the mid-1700s, the Massachusetts colonial government built a series of forts along the northwestern border, to defend against hostile French and Native American incursions. Of these, by far the most important was Fort Massachusetts, in modern-day North Adams. This fort defended the westernmost flank of the line of forts, and it was the site of several battles during King George's War. Among these was the 1746 Siege of Fort Massachusetts, when 30 colonists faced an army of nearly a thousand French and Native American soldiers. This episode tells the story of the siege and the men, women, and children who endured not only the battle itself, but also the subsequent year in captivity in Canada, where more than half of them died.

Mount Tom is one of the most distinctive landscape features in the Connecticut River Valley, and during the early 20th century it was the site of a popular summit house, which included a railroad to the top of the mountain. This episode explores the history of both the railroad and the summit house, including their eventual demise during the Great Depression.

This episode will explore the brief heyday of steamboats on the Connecticut River during the 1830s and 1840s, when steamboat operators attempted to overcome the many obstacles to navigation upstream of Hartford, in the hopes of turning towns like Springfield into major steamboat ports.

Welcome to the Western Mass History podcast!