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History of Otis
Present day, Otis was named “North Eleven Thousand Acres” according to the king of England’s “Land Grant,” December 12, 1737. This became the Tyringham equivalent a year later in 1738. It was not until 1761 that Berkshire County was created from Hampshire County. Loudon becomes an incorporated village in 1773, and various families obtain land grants. Bethlehem is incorporated eight years after the commonwealth of MA is incorporated in 1789. In 1809, Bethlehem and Loudon are united under Loudon. One year later Paul Larkhom travels to Boston to meet with the mayor of Boston, Harrison Gray Otis, and accepts from him, his surname. The Town of Otis was officially incorporated June 13, 1810.
By 1849 the early settlers have established homes and businesses. Along the Farmington River, there were 18 sawmills, 7 blacksmith shops, tanneries, and 2 iron foundries, along with dish and bowl shops.
The historic Knox trail ties Otis and Sandisfield together as well as Blandford. General Henry Knox hauls his famous cannons through Otis on January 11, 1776, and in November of 1777, Johnny Burgoyne marches his defeated army through Bethlehem from the Battle of Saratoga.
While the early 1800 population was around 1100, it has grown now to a summer population of 6000 or more. Otis has maintained its link to the past in many important ways through, churches, historic nineteenth century federal and colonial homes, gravesites, names of ponds and road signs, portraits, papers, and artifacts in the library’s museum. Our Otis town hall has a collection of legislative resolves dating from 1808-to the present, along with maps from the 1760’s. Otis’s restoration committee works on an 1850 schoolhouse in East Otis. General stores date from the 1800’s. In 2010 the town will have a well-deserved 200th year birth party with a massive parade.
Written By
Henry Wingate
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