Editing Pittsfield, Massachusetts (section)

==History==
The [[Mohicans]], an [[Algonquian people]], inhabited Pittsfield and the surrounding area until the early 18th century, when the population was greatly reduced by war and disease brought by white invaders. Many migrated westward or were subjugated to live on the fringes of their land.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Calloway|first1=Colin G.|title=After King Philip's War : presence and persistence in Indian New England (Reencounters with Colonialism: New Perspectives on the Americas)|date=July 6, 2000|publisher=University Press of New England|location=Hanover|isbn=978-1-61168-061-4|edition=Kindle eBook}}</ref>

In 1738, a wealthy Bostonian named Col. Jacob Wendell bought {{convert|24000|acre|km2}} of land known originally as "Pontoosuck", from a Mohican word meaning "a field or haven for winter deer", as a speculative investment. He planned to subdivide and resell to others who would settle there. He formed a partnership with [[Philip Livingston (1686–1749)|Philip Livingston]], a wealthy kinsman from [[Albany, New York]], and Col. John Stoddard of [[Northampton, Massachusetts|Northampton]], who had claim to {{convert|1000|acre|km2}} here.

A group of young armed militia men came and began to clear the land in 1743, but the threat of Indian resistance around the time of [[King George's War]] soon forced them to leave, and the land remained unoccupied by Englishmen for several more years.

Soon, many colonists arrived from [[Westfield, Massachusetts]], and a village began to grow, which was incorporated as Pontoosuck Plantation in 1753 by Solomon Deming, Simeon Crofoot, Stephen Crofoot, Charles Goodrich, Jacob Ensign, Samuel Taylor, and Elias Woodward. Mrs. Deming was the first and the last of the original colonists, dying in March 1818 at the age of 92. Solomon Deming died in 1815 at the age of 96.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=294&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Heatseekers&ci=3026126&cdi=7158391&cid=02/01/1997 |title=Central Part of Pittsfield, Massachusetts |date=August 31, 1844 |publisher=Rural Repository - A Semi-Monthly Journal Embellished with Engravings - One Dollar a Year - Hudson NY |access-date=February 4, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110213708/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=294&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Heatseekers&ci=3026126&cdi=7158391&cid=02%2F01%2F1997 |archive-date=January 10, 2008 }}</ref>

Pittsfield was incorporated in 1761. Royal Governor [[Sir Francis Bernard, 1st Baronet|Sir Francis Bernard]] named Pittsfield after British [[nobleman]] and [[politician]] [[William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham|William Pitt]].<ref name=placenames>{{cite book|last1=Lillard|first1=David|title=Appalachian Trail Names: Origins of Place Names Along the AT|date=2002|publisher=Stackpole|location=Mechanicsburg, PA|isbn=081172672X|page=97|edition=1st|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XRsC_EBRPEwC&q=pittsfield+ma+%22named+for+william+pitt%22&pg=PA97}}</ref> By 1761 there were 200 residents and the plantation became the Township of Pittsfield.

By the end of the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], Pittsfield had grown to nearly 2,000 residents, including Colonel John Brown, who in 1776 began accusing [[Benedict Arnold]] of being a traitor, several years before Arnold defected to the British. Brown wrote in his winter 1776–77 handbill, "Money is this man's God, and to get enough of it he would sacrifice his country."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/2381381/Colonel-John-Brown-of-Pittsfield-Massachusetts-the-Brave-Accuser-of-Benedict-Arnold-by-Howe-Archibald-Murray-1848 |title=Colonel John Brown, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the Brave Accuser of Benedict Arnold| year=1908|access-date=May 14, 2009}}</ref>

Pittsfield was primarily turned into an agricultural area because of the many brooks that flowed into the [[Housatonic River]]; the landscape was dotted with mills that produced lumber, grist, paper, and textiles. With the introduction of [[Merino]] sheep from Spain in 1807, the area became the center of woolen manufacturing in the United States, an industry that would dominate the community's economy for almost a century.<ref name=merinosheep>{{cite news|last1=Bush |first1=Sue |title=Sheeptacular Sculptures Reunite in Downtown Pittsfield Exhibit |url=http://www.iberkshires.com/columnist.php?colm_id=12&story_id=17397 |access-date=July 22, 2014 |work=iBerkshires.com |date=May 31, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729150912/http://www.iberkshires.com/columnist.php?colm_id=12&story_id=17397 |archive-date=July 29, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:House of Mercy (Public Documents of Massachusetts, 1877).png|thumb|200px|[[House of Mercy (cottage hospital)|House of Mercy]], first [[cottage hospital]] in the U.S.]]
[[File:Pittsfield Union Station, circa 1880.jpg|thumb|left|[[Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center|Pittsfield Union Station]], ''circa'' 1880]]
The town was a bustling metropolis by the late 19th century. In 1891, the City of Pittsfield was incorporated and [[William Stanley Jr.]], who had recently relocated his Electric Manufacturing Company to Pittsfield from [[Great Barrington, Massachusetts|Great Barrington]], produced the first electric transformer. Stanley's enterprise was the forerunner of the internationally known corporate giant, [[General Electric]] (GE). Thanks to the success of GE, Pittsfield's population in 1930 had grown to more than 50,000. While GE Advanced Materials (now owned by [[SABIC]]-Innovative Plastics, a subsidiary of the Riyadh-based Saudi Basic Industries Corporation) continues to be one of the city's largest employers, a workforce that once topped 13,000 was reduced to less than 700 with the demise and/or relocation of General Electric's [[transformer]] and [[aerospace]] portions. On October 8, 2015, SABIC announced it would relocate its headquarters from Pittsfield to Houston, Texas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wamc.org/post/sabic-leaving-pittsfield-and-moving-headquarters-houston|title=SABIC Leaving Pittsfield And Moving Headquarters To Houston|last=Levulis|first=Jim|website=wamc.org|date=October 8, 2015|access-date=June 21, 2016}}</ref>

[[General Dynamics]] occupies many of the old GE buildings and its workforce is expanding. Much of General Dynamics' local success is based on the awarding of government contracts related to its advanced information systems.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} In September 2018, [[Governor of Massachusetts|Massachusetts Governor]] [[Charlie Baker]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts|Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor]] [[Karyn Polito]], and other Baker administration officials attended the groundbreaking of a $13.7 million project to build a [[List of life sciences|life sciences]] and advanced manufacturing center in the city.<ref>{{cite web|title=Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates Groundbreaking for Berkshires Life Sciences Innovation Hub|website=www.mass.gov|url=https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-celebrates-groundbreaking-for-berkshires-life-sciences-innovation|date=September 25, 2018|access-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref>

===1902 presidential incident===
{{Main|1902 Pittsfield Streetcar Incident}}
On September 3, 1902, at 10:15 am, during a two-week tour through [[New England]] campaigning for [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[United States Congress|congressmen]], the [[barouche]] transporting [[President of the United States|President]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]] from downtown Pittsfield to the Pittsfield Country Club [[1902 Pittsfield Streetcar Incident|collided]] head-on with a [[tram|trolley]]. Roosevelt, [[Governor of Massachusetts|Massachusetts Governor]] [[Winthrop Murray Crane]], secretary to the president [[George Bruce Cortelyou]], and [[bodyguard]] [[William Craig (Secret Service)|William Craig]] were thrown into the street. Craig was killed; he was the first [[United States Secret Service|Secret Service]] agent killed while on a presidential protection detail. Roosevelt, whose face and left shin were badly bruised, nearly came to blows with the trolley motorman, Euclid Madden. Madden was later charged with [[manslaughter]], to which he pleaded [[guilt (law)|guilty]]. He was sentenced to six months in jail and a heavy fine.

===Baseball in Pittsfield===
[[File:Pitts09a.jpg|thumb|Wahconah Park (built in 1919)]]
In 2004, historian John Thorn discovered a reference to a 1791 by-law prohibiting anyone from playing "baseball" within {{convert|80|yd}} of the new meeting house in Pittsfield. A reference librarian, AnnMarie Harris, found the actual by-law in the [[Berkshire Athenaeum]] library and its age was verified by researchers at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center. If authentic and if actually referring to a recognizable version of the modern game, the 1791 document, would be, as of 2004, the earliest known reference to the game in America. (''See [[Origins of baseball]].'') The document is available on the [[Berkshire Athenaeum|Pittsfield Library]]'s web site.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pittsfieldlibrary.org/baseball.html |title=Pittsfield's 1791 Baseball Bylaw |date=August 2006 |publisher=Pittsfield Library |access-date=August 15, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727180324/http://www.pittsfieldlibrary.org/baseball.html |archive-date=July 27, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

A finding that [[baseball]] was invented in 1839 by [[Abner Doubleday]] in [[Cooperstown, New York]], provided the rationale for baseball centennial celebrations in 1939 including the opening of a National [[Baseball Hall of Fame]] and Museum in that city. Few historians ever believed it and even the Hall's vice president, [[Jeff Idelson]], has stated that "Baseball wasn't really born anywhere."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=1799618 |title=Pittsfield uncovers earliest written reference to game |date=May 11, 2004 |publisher=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |quote=There's no way of pinpointing where the game was first played. Baseball wasn't really born anywhere. |access-date=February 6, 2009}}</ref>

In 1859, the first intercollegiate baseball game was played in Pittsfield. [[Amherst College|Amherst]] defeated [[Williams College]], 73–32.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/history/index.asp?hdate=07.01 |title=Today in History |date=July 1, 1859 |access-date=February 6, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609112311/http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/history/index.asp?hdate=07.01 |archive-date=June 9, 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Frank Grant.jpg|thumb|right|Ulysses Frank Grant]]
[[Frank Grant (baseball)|Ulysses Frank Grant]], born August 1, 1865, in Pittsfield (died May 27, 1937), was an African American baseball player in the 19th century who played in the International League and for various independent teams.

Professional baseball was played in Pittsfield's [[Wahconah Park]] from 1894 through 2003. Teams included the early [[Pittsfield Colts]] and [[Pittsfield Hillies]], the [[Pittsfield Electrics (Eastern Association)|Pittsfield Electrics]] of the 1940s, the [[Pittsfield Red Sox]] from 1965 to 1969 with such then A-league players and future major leaguers as [[George Scott (first baseman)|George Scott]], [[Carlton Fisk]], and [[Reggie Smith]], the [[Pittsfield Senators]] (later Rangers) of the 1970s, and the 1985–1988 AA [[Pittsfield Cubs]] featuring future stars [[Mark Grace]] and [[Rafael Palmeiro]]. From 1989 to 2001, the [[Pittsfield Mets]] and Pittsfield Astros (2001 only) represented the city in the [[New York–Penn League]]. The Astros have since moved to [[Troy, New York]], and are now known as the [[Tri-City ValleyCats]].

In 2005, Wahconah Park became the home stadium of the [[Mystic Schooners|Pittsfield Dukes]], a [[List of collegiate summer baseball leagues|summer collegiate baseball]] franchise of the [[New England Collegiate Baseball League]] owned by [[Dan Duquette]], former [[Boston Red Sox]] general manager. The Dukes had played the 2004 season in [[Hinsdale, Massachusetts]], as the Berkshire Dukes. In 2009, the franchise changed its name to the [[Pittsfield American Defenders]]. The American Defenders' name refers to both the United States military and a line of [[baseball glove]]s produced by [[Nocona Athletic Goods Company]]. Duquette's ownership group also owned the [[American Defenders of New Hampshire]], members of the independent [[Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball|Can-Am League]].

Since 2012, Wahconah Park has been the home of the [[Pittsfield Suns]] of the [[Futures Collegiate Baseball League]].

[[Mark Belanger]], eight-time Gold Glove winning shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, [[Turk Wendell]], relief pitcher for the New York Mets, and [[Tom Grieve]], outfielder for the Texas Rangers, were all from Pittsfield.

The love of baseball in the Berkshires, and especially Pittsfield, extends for all ages. Pittsfield has two Little League teams, Pittsfield American and National, who are the two dominant powers in Berkshire County Little League and Western Massachusetts. The 2022 Pittsfield 13U Babe Ruth baseball team made a run to the Babe Ruth 13U World Series Championship game. Winning the New England Regional and going all the way to the Title Series, before losing to Kado, Hawaii. Pittsfield hosted the 2023 Babe Ruth 15U New England Regional Tournament at Wahconah Park. Pittsfield received an automatic bid for hosting and advanced to the championship game, but fell to Norwalk, Conn.

Both Pittsfield high schools are known for their baseball and softball prowess. Taconic High School won state championships in 2017 and 2019 and reached the Final Four in 2023. It was the No. 1 overall seed in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division III bracket in 2022 and beat city-rival Pittsfield High three times. Twice in the regular season and once again in the PVIAC Western Massachusetts Class B Championship Game in front of a crowd of over 3,500 at Wahconah Park. However, the two teams met in the Division III Sweet 16 and Pittsfield High pulled off the upset to send its crosstown rival home.