A riveting account of one of the most scandalous unsolved murders at the turn of the nineteenth century: the killing of twenty-four-year-old May Fosburgh. Shots rang out in a prominent Pittsfield family home on the morning of August 20, 1900, ending the life of young socialite May Fosburgh. Who pulled the trigger was unclear, and the scandal captivated attention well beyond the Berkshires. Her brother was a top suspect, but the distraught family claimed an intruder was to blame. Investigators, media and the public struggled to make sense of conflicting details, including suspicious gunpowder residue, as the mystery remained unsolved. Author Frank J. Leskovitz unravels the tale that still lingers in the hills generations later. Includes photos! “A clear, thorough account of this old crime . . . The book respects the dead but also respects the interest readers take in the past.” —Greenfield Recorder

Pittsfield is truly the heart of the Berkshires. The Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts have long been a cultural hub and an area of exceptional natural beauty, and Pittsfield, the area's largest community, has always been at the center of attention. The town center, now known as Park Square, was the site of the first agricultural fair ever held in the United States, and Pittsfield became well-known as the adopted home of such literary luminaries as Oliver Wendell Holmes and Herman Melville, who wrote his classic novel Moby-Dick at his home, Arrowhead. In addition to Pittsfield's rich cultural heritage, the town's commerce and industry have fueled the region from the early days when Arthur Scholfield operated the only wool-carding machine in America, to the city's more recent role as an innovator in the electrical industry. Pittsfield celebrates the scenic beauty, the cultural heritage, and the ingenuity of the people and places of the town using nearly 200 vintage images. Inside find Pittsfield's famous sons and daughters, scenic novelties like Balance Rock, the diving horses that performed at Pontoosuc Lake, and even the famous trolley wreck that almost killed Theodore Roosevelt.