The Town of New Ashford, with its rough and mountainous terrain, was       

established in 1781.  The town lies in the northern part of Berkshire      

County and has always been one of the smallest communities in the          

Commonwealth.  New Ashford is well supplied with water, since the Green    

River rises in town before flowing north, but has never had very much      

arable land.  Despite that, the earliest settlers, Evans Roys and Hezekiah 

Beach, arrived from Connecticut in 1762 and Peregrine Turner felt          

optimistic enough to open the first store in town shortly after.  Several  

town residents were actively engaged in the battles of the Revolution and  

were present at the Battle of Bennington in 1777 and the surrender of      

Burgoyne.  In the 19th century, a census of the town showed that of 44     

adults listed in a business directory, 38 reported farming as their primary

occupation,  with only a half dozen working as laborers in the saw and     

grist mills or selling farm equipment.  In 1885, the Berkshire County      

Gazetteer noted that "no doctor or lawyer has ever been located in town".  

New Ashford is sited in a picturesque gorge, lying between the giant       

foothills of Saddle Ball and a spur of the Taconics.  The beauty of its    

natural surroundings very early on dictated a new business for residents,  

the tourist business, and the first hotel was opened by William            

Starkweather.  A tourist guide of 1889 describes the views in town as      

creating the effect of "the Switzerland of Berkshire".  The view from the  

summit of Saddle Ball, one of the prominent peaks in northern Berkshire    

County, was generally felt to be one of the grandest in the area.  In      

addition to Saddle Ball, a portion of 2700' high Brodie Mountain is in New 

Ashford, which became the site of a growing winter recreation industry in  

the 1930's, bringing in skiers and ski racers from around the state.  The  

town had some valuable beds of marble and an interesting cave over 100'    

long, with 20' high arches inside and glittering stalactites adding to its 

enticements for tourists.                                                  

        (Narrative compiled from historical materials)