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Western Summit Gift Shop Reopens on Mohawk Trail

The Wigwam has reopened as West Summit Merchant, although the old sign is still above the shop. The Planning Board approved the business in June.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A gift shop that opened for the debut of the Mohawk Trail has reopened in time for its centennial.

West Summit Merchant, formerly known as the Wigwam, opened this past weekend at the popular overlook at the top of the Hairpin Turn.

"I really don't know what to expect," said proprietor Keith Bona on Monday, but he's noted there's plenty of traffic from all over the country making its way over the historic roadway. "On the first day, I think we had every western state there."

He ticked off license plates from California, Colorado, Nebraska, California, Oregon and Washington, tourists from as Sweden and Japan.

Bona, who operates Berkshire Emporium and Antiques on Main Street, took on the task of reviving the gift shop at the request of owners Roger and Colleen Hurst. The two parties partnered to renovate the building, fill it with inventory and manage it.

So this weekend a family of four from Pennsylvania came in and bought Yankee souvenirs; then a German man with little English stopped by and picked up Red Sox stuff. And they're all getting out of their cars to look across the Hoosac Valley without really knowing where they are — or that North Adams is the city in the distance.

Bona, also a city councilor, said he's gone outside and spoken to the travelers to explain what's in the valley, suggesting they stop in the city for lunch, or drive up Mount Greylock or visit one of the world-class museums below. A graphic artist, he's hoping to put up signage and directions to some of the more interesting spots to visit in the city, Adams and Williamstown.

Motorists stop for the scenery, such as this sunset from the summit.

"I understand the Mohawk Trail isn't what is was in the 1960s, but there is a bit of a revival of travelers doing short back-road New England destination trips," Bona said in announcing the opening of the shop. "I've seen a lot of people in my Main Street store over the past couple of years that let the road decide where they may end up."

The gift shop was opened in 1914 by the Mansfield sisters to take advantage of what was then a newly built scenic road that somewhat followed the path blazed by native tribes and pioneers. The property changed through several hands and the shop was shuttered in 2009 when the Berkshire Natural Resources Council purchased it along with its attached 37 acres to add to its conserved land along the mountain ridge.

A year or so later, owners of the Red Lion Inn and the Porches bought the shop, tourist cabins and house along the roadway to turn into a boutique hotel, but modern codes and complex terrain scrubbed the idea. The Hursts purchased the property as a home because Colleen grew up in the area and Roger liked the view, according to Bona. They also operate the Mountain Top Grill food truck at the site.

The inventory consists of gifts, local crafts, Native American products and souvenirs, and a selection of antiques; Bona said he sends visitors looking for more to his Main Street store. Fudge, which had been made on site in the past, is now being supplied by I Got Goodies, which has some of the original fudge-making equipment from the Wigwam.

The seasonal gift shop will be open from May to mid-October Thursday through Monday. Bona said the response has been "overwhelming."

"As a business person, it comes down to will it make money or not," he said. "My expectations aren't high to start, and I will be happy to cover expenses, and hopefully put a little aside. As a local resident, it's a nice feeling knowing I helped reopen a little store many consider a landmark. The rest is up to the patrons to see how it will succeed.

"If a quarter of the people who stop for the view buy one item, we should be alright."

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.