Florida, Mass. is a small town in the Berkshires located along the Mohawk Trail high up in the foothills of the Green Mountain Range, is the site of one of the great engineering feats of the 19th century – the Hoosac Tunnel. The Florida section of the Deerfield River is very wide, from 25′ to 150′, and offers the best brown, rainbow, and brook trout fishing in the Berkshires.
“In 1805, when the town was incorporated, there was talk of the United States purchasing the territory of Florida from Spain. The new village among the mountains chose the name of the flat, tropical region of palms and pelicans. Perhaps an overdeveloped sense of humor on the part of the town fathers contributed to the extraordinary choice.” (The Berkshire Hills, by Federal Writers’ Project, © 1939, Berkshire Hills Conference, Inc.)
Florida, MA facts:
- Town Hall: 379 Mohawk Trail, Drury, MA 01343
- Phone: (413) 662-2448
- Population: 676
- Settled/Inc’d: 1783/1805
- Named for: Florida (see note below)
- Elevation: 2,180′
- Town website: townofflorida.org
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