Lee, Massachusetts
Berkshire county. This is a pleasant town on the Housatonick river, admirably located for manufacturing purposes. It contains a cotton and a woolen mill, 12 paper mills, and various other manufactures by water power. The amount of manufactured goods for the year ending April 1, 1837, was $405,000. The paper manufactured, amounted to $274,500. The articles manufactured, besides paper, cotton and woolen goods, were leather, hats, boots, shoes, bar iron, iron castings, axes, shovels, spades, hoes, forks, ploughs, chairs, tin, cabinet and wooden ware, carriages, chair stuff, &c. The soil of the town is good, particularly for grazing. The wool of 2,000 sheep, in 1837, was valued at $4,500. There is an abundant supply of iron ore and marble of excellent qualities. Lee was incorporated in 1777. It lies 130 miles W. from Boston and 5 S.E. from Lenox. Population, in 1830, 1,825; 1837, 2,095.
