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Lee is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States settled by. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, metropolitan statistical area. The population was 5,943 at the 2010 census. Lee, which includes the villages of South and East Lee, is part of the Berkshires resort area. ==History== Lee occupies land which was originally territory of Mahican Indians. The first non-native settlement in the area was known as Dodgetown as early as 1760. Dodgetown was named after its founding settler, Asahel Dodge, who immigrated to the area from Cape Cod. Lee was incorporated in 1777 from parts of Great Barrington and Washington. It is named after Revolutionary War General Charles Lee. Lee is a former mill town. In the autumn of 1786 during Shays' Rebellion, about 250 followers of Daniel Shays encountered state troops commanded by General John Paterson near East Lee. The Shaysites paraded a fake cannon crafted from a yarn beam, and the troops fled. Early industries included agriculture, lumbering, and lime making. Abundant streams and rivers provided water power for mills which produced textiles and wire. In 1806, papermaking became the principal industry with the construction of the Willow Mill by Samuel Church in South Lee. In 1827, the Columbia Mill in central Lee was established, and would eventually be the first to supply 100% groundwood newsprint to ''The New York Times''. By 1857, there were 25 paper mills in Lee. The Smith Paper Company discovered how to manufacture paper solely from wood pulp in 1867, and through the 1870s was the largest producer of paper in the country. The mills previously owned by Smith Paper Company were closed in 2008.〔(Lee Paper Mills -- Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. ) 〕 Today, Lee has only a single papermaking facility. The town's marble is famous for its quality. The first quarry was established in 1852. In 1867, almost of marble was excavated and shipped on the Housatonic Railroad. Buildings constructed of Lee marble include a wing of the Capitol in Washington and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. The town's 19th century prosperity is still evident in its architecture, including its town hall, library, several churches and private homes. South Lee includes a historic district listed on the National Register. Lee has become a popular tourist destination, noted both for its New England charm and its bed and breakfast establishments. It is known as the "Gateway to The Berkshires" because it provides one of only two exits on the Massachusetts Turnpike which serve the county. Arlo Guthrie's court appearance before the blind judge and his seeing-eye dog for dumping garbage as noted in the song "Alice's Restaurant" took place in the courtroom at the Lee town Hall pictured above. Lee was a filming location for ''Before and After'' (1996) and ''The Cider House Rules'' (1999). Image:North End from Prospect St., Lee, MA.jpg|North End c. 1907 Image:Columbia Mills, Lee, MA.jpg|Columbia Mills c. 1912 Image:Marble Quarry, Lee, MA.jpg|Marble quarry c. 1905 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lee, Massachusetts」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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