In the dooryard of Edwin L. Parker, on the shore of Onota Lake, Pittsfield, stands an old counterfeiting machine whose history dates back beyond revolutionary days, when the manufacture of spurious coin was carried on in New York and Philadelphia. No one has the authentic history of the machine and how long it was used for illegal stamping of spurious coins before it lived down its dark record by many years of honest labor and was finally retired from active operations.

The machine was used by a gang of New York counterfeiters in about 1770, whose operations attracted the attention of government officers. The coin makers sent the machine to Philadelphia in a load of charcoal. The machine was overtaken by the officers and the gang was taken back to New York, where the plates and dies were destroyed.

During the war of 1812 the machine was shipped to Pittsfield, where Lemuel Pomeroy, who made guns for the government, used it to stamp out the S-shaped plates which went on the stock of the flint-lock muskets. The gun factory burned, and the machine fell into the Housatonic River. Caleb Goodrich then bought the machine and used it for "gumming" the old-fashioned up-and-down saws used in sawing lumber. From there it was taken to the Plunkett mill and was used for a like purpose.

About 30 years ago it was purchased by its present owner of the administrator of Mr. Goodrich's estate. Soon after the circular saw came into use and there was no more use for a "gumming" machine. Since that time the machine has stood in the dooryard of Mr. Parker where it has been used as a hitching post and as a tether post for young cattle.