A Walk in the Footsteps of the Pioneers Through Monterey Village

Each year, the Bidwell House Museum is excited to participate in the Housatonic Heritage Walk series that takes place throughout the Berkshires and northern Connecticut. This year the Museum will be offering three guided walks, the first on September 14 with Rob Hoogs.

When you drive on Route 23 through the village of Monterey today, you’d never imagine how many people slogged their way through here from the mid-1600s through the 1800s: Rev. John Sargeant, the minister to the Stockbridge Indians, rode his horse “thro’ a most doleful wilderness” on his way to meet his native parishioners for first time in 1734. Capt. John Brewer arrived in the fall of 1739 to build the sawmill and the grist mill in what became the village; he “improved” the road to pass his mills and home site. And Col. Knox’s caravan of cannons was pulled on sleds by oxen from Ticonderoga to Boston in January of 1776.

Join Rob Hoogs, from the Bidwell House Museum and Monterey Historical Society, for a walk through time as we explore the road, buildings and remains of mills, houses, stores, meeting house, a fort, and the remains of the old sleigh road. We will gather at the Monterey Town Hall (old Monterey Grange) and walk about one mile past these historic sites along the road, take a peek inside some of the buildings, and then walk through a field to the old Brewer home/fort site and through woods along the old sleigh road. We’ll then backtrack to the starting point.

The total walk will be about 2 miles, and last approximately two hours. The walk in some places is rough and may be wet. Wear good walking or hiking shoes, bring trekking poles if you like, and bring water and bug repellant; there will probably be ticks in the field and woods.

This walk is free and is being offered as part of the Housatonic Heritage Walk series. The walk is limited to 20 people and attendees are asked to pre-register on the Museum website,