Poor in the Berkshires: Poverty and Public Relief Before 1935

OLLI at BCC Distinguished Speakers Series and 

Berkshire County Historical Society presents:

Poor in the Berkshires: Poverty and Public Relief Before 1935 with Cynthia Farr Brown

What happened two centuries ago when people had no food, no housing, or no fuel? Where did people go for support? How did they understand poverty? What did law and custom prescribe? What changed over time - and how quickly or slowly? This talk will examine being poor in the Berkshires, from the mid-18th century when Europeans settled in the region, until the depths of the Great Depression. Using primary records, newspaper accounts, and more, we can learn about who was among the poor and how communities both supported and at times chose not to support those in need. 

Cynthia Farr Brown is President of the Board of Directors of the Berkshire County Historical Society at Arrowhead. She also serves on the board of the Non-Profit Center of the Berkshires and on the executive committee of Berkshire Educational Resources K12 (BERK12). Brown has a doctorate in United States history and her scholarly publications have included co-editing the institutional history, "Lesley University: Celebrating Excellence 1909-2009" as well as other publications. She is currently Senior Associate Commissioner for Regulatory and Veterans Affairs at the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.

$10 for OLLI members and the general public.

Pre-registration is required.

This lecture will be hybrid: In-person at BCC and Online via Zoom

Distinguished Speaker Series Sponsored by Kimball Farms Life Care 

OLLI at BCC is sponsored in part by Berkshire Health Systems