Dr. Joab Kellis

Maps are a vital source of information. They help us get where we want to go and can also lead us back in time. Older maps help us to see how roads and properties have evolved over the years.

Sometimes maps include family names from days gone by. This 1855 map of Stockbridge shows the name of one Dr. J(oab) Kellis near Evergreen Hill.

Joab Kellis, M.D., Berkshire county’s first African American physician, was born and raised in Stockbridge and studied medicine under Dr. Erastus Sergeant. He served the communities of both Lee and Stockbridge and was well regarded for his medical, political, historical, and theological knowledge. When he died in 1866 at the age of 63 in abject poverty, he was so well regarded by the townspeople that the town of Stockbridge saw fit to pay for his funeral and eventually his tombstone.

1855 Map of Stockbridge & West Stockbridge 2011.050.10