Welcome

Welcome to the Catamount Hill Association

The Catamount Hill Association began in 1875 when the former residents of the dwindling settlement atop Catamount Hill in Colrain, Massachusetts returned for a reunion with old friends and to reminisce about the “old days”. Every five years since then, those residents and their succeeding generations have continued to gather, gradually shifting their purpose to preserving the heritage of Catamount Hill and, in particular, honoring the memory of the patriots who lived there and their activities relating to the War of 1812.

In 2014, after nearly 140 years as an informal association, we were recognized as a non-profit corporation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While we still convene Quinquennial Reunions and otherwise continue traditions and programs that have been in practice since 1875, we also seek to foster understanding of the value of the historic and natural features of Catamount Hill, from collecting and preserving related artifacts to researching, preparing and disseminating scholarly works; from  identifying, cataloging and advocating the preservation of the Hill’s remaining stone structures to conducting public programs, activities and educational outreach.

There are two categories of membership in the Association. Descendant Family Members are those whose forebears are known to have lived on Catamount Hill before 1875. General Members are those who wish to participate in furthering the aims of the Association.

As we do not collect dues, the Association is funded by contributions from its members and friends and by the sale of our publications.

Are You A Catamount Hill Descendant?  …Or Not?

While you need not be descended from a Catamount Hill family to be a member of the Association – indeed, some of our most active members are not descendants – a list of the families known to have settled on Catamount Hill is being compiled and will be posted soon.  If you believe you may be descended from any of these families, we want to hear from you.  And if you don’t know or even if you do know that you aren’t a descendant, but you have an appreciation for the way life was lived on a New England hilltop during our country’s first century of independence, we want to hear from you.