COLRAIN — The Catamount Hill Association, a nonprofit founded by descendants of residents who lived on the hill before 1875, will hold its annual meeting in the basement of First Baptist Church at 81 Foundry Village Road on Saturday, Aug. 13, at 1 p.m.
The group that settled on Catamount Hill was a tight-knit, isolated community, being a minority political party in favor of the War of 1812 at the time, according to Catamount Hill Association historian Prentice Crosier. The settlers came to Colrain after fighting across the Northeast in the American Revolution.
Since 1875, there has been a reunion of the descendants every five years, Crosier said. In 2016, the Catamount Hill Association became a tax-exempt nonprofit, and now has annual meetings.
At the Aug. 13 meeting, North Adams historian Paul Marino will speak about a resident of Catamount Hill, Ammon Davenport, who was a successful dentist in the late 19th century.
“Although he went to Catamount Hill’s one-room schoolhouse and did lessons by fireside on birch bark, he became well-educated and successful,” said Crosier, who is also Davenport’s great-great-great-great-grandson.
The group is proud of the location for being the first schoolhouse to have the American flag raised above it. Crosier explained the flag was not the symbol it is today, but it was a strong message of the residents of the area. Today there is a plaque on the land owned by the organization.
About 350 people are members of the Catamount Hill Association. The Aug. 13 meeting will be in person, with a remote option. Any member of the public is allowed to attend.
“It is nice to be connected to a place and time and lineage,” Crosier said, “and all these interesting people who are involved in changes that happened as the U.S. grew to what it is today.”
Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.