Imagine a bustling scene: three sawmills slicing through timber, three gristmills grinding grain, and a carding machine processing wool.

Add to that a lively social scene with five taverns, three stores, and a multitude of other businesses – tanneries, blacksmith shops, even a brewery.

This shift mirrored trends across upstate New York, where farming eventually declined in the latter part of the 20th century.

Pierstown's origins trace back to the Pīer family, pioneers who settled the land as part of the Great Barrington Purchase around 1786.

Notably, brother Abner served in the Revolutionary War, enduring a harrowing ordeal during the Cherry Valley Massacre where he was tomahawked, scalped, and wounded, yet miraculously survived.