Massachusetts Archives and Libraries: Difference between revisions

<center>For detailed information about Massachusetts research,<br>see the [[Massachusetts Genealogy Guide|'''Massachusetts Genealogy Guide''']] page.</center>  

<br>These archives, libraries, societies, and museums preserve sources, maintain indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in Massachusetts.  

=== Wiki Articles on Major Repositories in Massachusetts ===

{{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|New England Historic Genealogical Society}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|American Antiquarian Society}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Massachusetts State Archives}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Massachusetts Historical Society}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|State Library of Massachusetts}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Berkshire Athenaeum}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Boston Public Library}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Dedham Historical Society Library}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Haverhill Public Library}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Houghton Library|Houghton Library Harvard University}} {{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Jones Library}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Onondaga Historical Association Library}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Peabody Essex Museum}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Plymouth Public Library}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Springfield History Library and Archives}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|University of Massachusetts Amherst Library}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Vermont Historical Society}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|National Archives at Boston}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|Pittsfield Federal Records Center}}{{·}}}} {{Nowrap|{{AutoLink|New York Public Library}}}}

=== National Repositories  ===

:CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT documents, photos, and maps of 80 federal agencies, War of 1812, fortifications, coastal facilities, World War II research at Harvard and MIT, federal bankruptcy courts, First Circuit Court of Appeals, Navy, Coast Guard, westward expansion, ethnology, genealogy, Revolutionary War, Civil War, captured German records, territorial papers, censuses, passenger arrival records for Boston and New England, Canadian border crossings.<ref name="DB124">William Dollarhide and Ronald A. Bremer. ''America's Best Genealogy Resource Centers'' (Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1998), 124. {{WorldCat|39493985|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}. {{FHL|728550|item|disp=FHL Ref Book 973 J54d}}.</ref><br><br>

'''[[Pittsfield Federal Records Center]]'''<br>10 Conte Drive<br>Pittsfield, MA 01201-8230<br>Telephone: 413-236-3603<br>Fax: 413-236-3609 <br>E-mail: [mailto: frc@nara.gov frc@nara.gov]<br>Internet: http://www.archives.gov/frc/pittsfield/ <br>  

:The Pittsfield Center has CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT federal government agency and court documents. Their large genealogy microfilm collection has been transferred to the '''''Berkshire&nbsp;Athenaeum&nbsp;''''' listed below.<ref name="Pitts">[http://www.pittsfieldlibrary.org/genealogy.html Genealogy Resources] in Berkshire Athenaeum'' (accessed 14 November 2013).</ref><br><br>

:Best overall collection for New England vital records and probates, and excellent collection for Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, and Europe. The manuscript collection for members only has diaries, letters, account books, business papers, church and town records, sermons, maps, wills, deeds, unpublished town and family genealogies, photos, and papers of the region's best genealogists since 1850.<ref name="DB55759">Dollarhide and Bremer, 5, 57, and 59.</ref><br><br>

=== Statewide Repositories  ===

:*[http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcsrch/VitalRecordsSearchContents.html Index to Vital Records (1841-1910)]<br><br>

:Excellent historical materials, original town records, newspapers and genealogies. This collection does '''not''' repeat the New England Historic Genealogical Society collection.<ref name="DB57">Dollarhide and Bremer, 57.</ref><br><br>

:Published books, periodicals, state and town histories, government publications, city directories, maps, tax records, newspapers and indexes.<ref name="DB57" />

=== Regional Repositories ===

:Best genealogical respository in western Massachusetts, including newspapers, books, and family histories. Now includes the former '''''Pittsfield Federal Records Center''''''s 71,000 microfilms of censuses, Revolutionary War pension and bounty land warrants, service records 1784-1901, Mexican War, Civil War, World War I, New England naturalizations, 1791-1966, passenger arrivals at Boston, New York, Philadelphia and east coast ports, Canadian border crossings, Indian enrollment cards, Russian Consular records, Barbour Collection for Connecticut, and Vermont vital records index.<ref name="Pitts" /> <ref name="DB59" /> <ref name="DB12425">Dollarhide and Bremer, 124-25.</ref><br><br>

:Their collection includes New England newspapers, city directores, town records, county and local histories, and genealogies.<ref name="DB57" /><br><br>

:Great collection of manuscripts including deeds, vital and town records from the 15 towns created from old Dedham (south of Boston).<ref name="DB57" /><br><br>

:One of New England's largest collections of original manuscripts, books, genealogical periodicals, and surname folders, local history collection, genealogy databases, Massachusetts vital records to 1910, federal and state censuses, 9,000 New England town and family histories.<ref name="DB59" /> <ref>[http://www.haverhillpl.org/about/local-history/#genealogy-resources Genealogy Resources] in ''Haverhill Public Library'' (accessed 14 November 2013).</ref><br><br>

:Manuscripts and rare books from many nations, but especially New England, Britain and Europe, historical archives of publishing history, political and missionary archives, paintings and artifacts. Largest volume of primary historical documents.<ref name="DB57" /><br><br>

:The Boltwood Collection includes 20,000 documents, genealogies, family folders, genealogy periodicals, newspapers, and local histories with an emphasis on Amherst and the Pioneer Valley.<ref name="DB59" /> <ref>[http://www.joneslibrary.org/specialcollections/collections/index.html Collections and Finding Aids] in ''Jones Library - Special Collections'' (accessed 14 November 2013).</ref><br><br>

:Essex County books, manuscripts, and government records such as probate records, customs records, and maritime records. Can often help find trans-Atlantic ship logs, and ship images.<br><br>

:Can help identify Massachusetts emigrants headed west using vital records, land records, and probate records from many New England towns. They also have French Canadian records, the Loiselle Index, New York passenger arrivals, computer databases, over 20,000 genealogy books, 6,000 microforms, 50,000 photos and 2.5 million manuscripts including diaries, and account books.<ref name="DB59" /> <ref>[http://www.springfieldmuseums.org/the_museums/springfield_history/exhibits/view/156-springfield_history_library_archives#.UoTortJQFu0 Springfield History Library and Archives] in ''Springfield Museums'' (accessed 14 November 2013).</ref><br><br>

:Very large set of biographies, genealogies, and never-published histories, and church, business, fraternal, insurance, and manufacturing records. They also have the ''Massachusetts Archives Collection&nbsp;'' microfilms, Franklin, Hampshire, and Suffolk counties' probate records, especially Connecticut River Valley towns.<ref name="DB59" /><br><br>

=== Outside Massachusetts  ===

:The Genealogy Division has an outstanding collection of American history at national, state and local levels; international genealogy and heraldry in Roman alphabets; Dorot Jewish collection; manuscripts, photos; New York censuses, directories, vital records, Revolutionary War soldiers, Irish in America, and '''Massachusetts''' records.<ref name="DB81">Dollarhide and Bremer, 81.</ref><br><br>

:10,000 family folders for northeastern families, including many from '''Massachusetts'''.<ref name="DB59" /><br><br>

:Their collection includes a comprehensive name index of '''Massachusetts''' people, strong collection of family and town histories of New England, vital records, cemetery transcripts, genealogical periodicals, manuscripts, maps, and photos.<ref name="DB59" /><ref>[http://vermonthistory.org/research/genealogy/genealogy-research-at-the-vhs Genealogy Research at the Vermont Historical Society] in ''Vermont Historical Society'' (accessed 14 November 2013).</ref><br><br>

=== Guides  ===