Amherst Historical Society and Museum

History Begins at Home

Got Milk?

Guernsey
Guernsey

 

 

Dairy has long been a farm industry in Amherst and the cows of choice have been Jersey, Guernsey or Holstein. These bottles collected by John Bowe of Florence, Mass. supply with us basic information about the farm, the milk, the packaging and the market.

Holstein
Holstein

 

 

 

 

With the gift of his milk bottle collection, Mr. Bowe also provided us with basic information on each dairy. Please let us know if you have stories to add.

 

Jersey
Jersey

 

 

 

Want to learn more about farming in Amherst? Check out Harvesting History, the story of our farms from 1700-2010.

About the Museum

Visit the Amherst History Museum, located at the Simeon Strong House, 67 Amity St., Amherst MA. We held our first exhibition in 1899, received our charter in 1903, and are celebrating over 100 years of the Society’s ownership of the c.1759 Simeon Strong House.

The Amherst History Museum is closed for the 2020 season due to the coronavirus. You can find directions here.

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Support Us


The Amherst History Museum accepts donations of any size at any time of the year. We hold our Annual Appeal in late November and renew all memberships in the Spring.

A gift to the Amherst History Museum, whether in memory of a loved one or in honor of a special accomplishment, is always a unique way to help the Amherst Community and recognize an extraordinary individual.

BECOME A MEMBER

Amherst A to Z

Want to know where Amherst’s Cold War bunker is located? Or where the “curragh” district of Amherst was? Or learn about a local factory that made “collapsing skirts!”

These are all entries under the letter “C” in the book Amherst A to Z, written by Elizabeth Sharpe. The book is illustrated with pictures of artifacts from the Amherst History Museum, historic images from the Jones Library’s Special Collections, as well as photographs of our town and the folks who live here.

BUY THE BOOK