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Events and Exhibits

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Ice harvesting on Mohawk Lake – Glendale, MA
J. Hall images

Online Exhibit!

Ice Age: Stockbridge’s history with ice, from industrial to romantic

Learn about the ice-harvesting operations of the Schneyer Ice Company, whose descendants donated a collection of ice-cutting tools to the Stockbridge Library, Museum & Archives in 1986. We also discuss Ice Glen, the geographical wonder that many believe inspired Hermann Melville, who mentioned an “Icy Glen” in Moby Dick.

Available online!

Mohican History Walking Tour of Stockbridge

Welcome to Footprints of Our Ancestors: “Revisiting Indiantown”

Click on the link below to download:

Mohican-Walking-Tour-Booklet

Glendale Woolen Mill, Glendale, MA: #94.312, Museum & Archives photographs

When you think of Stockbridge the last image that comes to mind is large scale industry, and yet in the village of Glendale there was the Glendale Woolen Mill, which ran for nearly 100 years, producing wool, sateen, and other fabrics. The Glendale Woolen Company also opened the village’s general store, the post office, and provided land to build a chapel.

Ice cleat, upper (98.004)
Ice scraping/shaving tool, lower (2020.022) Museum & Archives

What are these items and how are they related? Not sure? The top artifact is an ice cleat that would attach to your boots if you were harvesting ice on Mohawk Lake in Glendale or Echo Lake in Interlaken. The smaller item was used to shave ice off of a cake of ice.

Left: Sign: “Souvenirs of Stockbridge… by Rev. Jonathan Edwards” (2003.058: Museum & Archives)
Right: Edward’s house, on Main Street in Stockbridge (Museum & Archives photo collection).

“The Edward’s house was situated on Main Street in town and served as the residence of Rev. Jonathan Edwards from 1751 to 1758. It later became a school for boys run by Ferdinand Hoffmann and Jared Reid from 1855-1873. In 1900 the building was demolished and parts of the house were made into souvenirs visitors could purchase in order to own a small bit of town history.

In This Section

Ice Age: Stockbridge’s history with ice, from industrial to romantic

In the following, we take a look at the ice-harvesting operations of the Schneyer Ice Company, whose descendants donated a collection of ice-cutting tools to the Stockbridge Library, Museum and Archives in 1986. We also discuss Ice Glen, the geographical wonder that many believe inspired Hermann Melville, who mentioned an “Icy Glen” in Moby Dick.