Local
History:
This special collection includes all types
of material on the city of Worcester and Worcester
County. It also includes information about the
state of Massachusetts and history of the other
five New England states. Genealogy is included
as it is so closely entwined with history. The
library collects primarily print and microformat
items. Manuscripts, archives and objects are
not collected.
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Genealogy
Resources:
The library has a good collection of
materials to help anyone doing genealogical
research. We collect printed items and microfilms
and have started to build a collection of genealogy
CD-Roms. When you come to the library you will
find the following:
-
City and town histories for Massachusetts,
with a good selection for the other New
England states
-
Worcester city material, such as yearbooks,
church histories, business histories, annual
reports and more
-
Directories for the city of Worcester (
and some for other cities also)
-
Most of the newspapers published in Worcester
-
The federal manuscript census for Massachusetts,
1790 - 1920
-
The soundex for the 1880, 1900, and 1920
censuses
-
The federal manuscript census for New England
(except Massachusetts), 1790 - 1860
-
Passenger lists for the port of Boston,
1820 -1920
-
Indexes for the passenger lists for the
port of Boston
-
Index to naturalization applications, New
England, 1793 - 1906
-
The 1890 Veterans census for Massachusetts
-
Vital Records for the cities and towns
in Massachusetts, to 1850 (print series);
or as far up as 1905 in the microfiche set.
(end dates vary a great deal; you must check
each town)
-
Many books which will help you learn how
to do all phases of genealogy
Please ask our Reference Librarians if you
need help in locating and using any of these
materials.
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Genealogy Resources:
I. PASSENGER
AND IMMIGRATION LISTS
United States. Immigration and Naturalization
Service Book Indices, Boston passenger lists,
1899-1920
Index to passenger lists arriving at Boston,
1848-1891Index to passenger lists arriving
at Boston, Jan. 1, 1902-June 30, 1906
Index to passenger lists arriving at Boston,
Jan. 1, 1907-1920
Passenger lists arriving at Boston,
1820-1920
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II. THE
CENSUS
1. Microforms
U.S. Bureau of the Census
Census enumerations of
geographic subdivisions and enumeration districts--for
Massachusetts, 1910.
U.S. Bureau of the Census
Population scheduled
of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th
census of the United States for Massachusetts,
1800-1860.
U.S. Bureau of the Census
Population schedules of the
2nd-14th census of the United States for Massachusetts
(except 1890) (1800-1920)
U.S. Bureau of the Census
Index (Soundex) to the
1880 Population Schedules for Massachusetts
Index (Soundex) to the 1900
Population Census Schedules for Massachusetts
Index (Soundex) to the 1920
Population Census Schedules for Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Census of Massachusetts, 1855 and 1865
2. Book Form
Accelerated Indexing Systems
Census indexes 1800-1850
for Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Dilts, Bryan Lee
1890 Massachusetts Census
index of Civil War Veterans or their widows.
(Salt Lake City: Index pub., 1985).
U.S. Census
Heads of families at
the first Census of the United States in the
year 1790 for Connecticut, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, South Carolina and Virginia.
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III. MAPS
AND ATLASES
1. Massachusetts
Micro
912.744
M4142m
1794-1830
Massachusetts Archives
Maps and plans of the towns, 1794 (microfilm)
Maps
and plans of the towns, 1830 (microfilm)
Walling and Gray
Official
topographical atlas of Massachusetts
Boston: Stedman,
Brown & Lyon, 1871 (small map file)
912.744
fM4
Atlas of Massachusetts
from topographic surveys.
1884-1888. Boston: Commonwealth
of Mass. Commissioners, 1890.
Micro
912.744
S1985
Sanborn Map Co.
Sanborn fire insurance
maps of Massachusetts, 1884-1951 (48 rolls
of microfilm)
912.744
fW174m
Walker, O. W.
Atlas of Massachusetts.
Boston: Geo. H. Walker Co., 1904.
912.744
fW174m3
Atlas of Massachusetts.
Boston: Walker Lithograph & Publishing Co.,
1909.
912.744
fW174m4
Atlas of Massachusetts.
Boston: Walker Lithograph & Publishing Co.,
1922.
2. Counties
912.744
fH22r
Richards Map Co.
New topographical atlas
of the County of Hampden. Springfield:
L.J. Richards & Co., 1894.
912.744
fW22r2
Atlas of Hampden County
Springfield, 1912.
912.7443
fB415a
1871
Beers, Frederick W.
Atlas of Worcester County,
New York: F.W. Beers, 1870. Reprinted Charles
F. Tuttle, 1974.
912.7443
fR5
Richards Map Co.
Atlas of Worcester County.
Springfield, 1898.
3. Cities and Towns
912.744
fB8w
Craig, George A.
Atlas of Brookfield,
West Brookfield & North Brookfield towns,
Massachusetts. Boston: Geo. H. Walker &
Co., 1885.
912.7443
fG2
Atlas of Gardner town,
Massachusetts. Boston, Oscar W. Walker
& Co., 1886.
912.744
fS7
Craig, George A.
Atlas of Spencer Town,
Massachusetts. Boston: Geo. H. Walker Co.,
1884.
912.744
fW1
Atlas of Winchendon Town,
Massachusetts. Boston: Oscar C. Walker
& Co., 1886.
MAPS
912.74431
B788t
Bowring, Larry A.
The Town Of Worcester,
Massachusetts, circa 1776. Worcester: N.P.,
1975.
MAPS
912.74431
B636p2
Blake, Francis E.
Plan of the Town of Worcester,
1795. Copied from the original in the State
Archives by F.E.Blake, Jan. 1883.
MAPS
912.74431
P538m
1829
Phelps, Ed. E.
Map of the Village of
Worcester. Worcester: C. Harris, 1829.
MAPS
912.74431
S811w
1831
Stebbins, A.
Worcester Map. 1831.
Boston: Massachusetts Archives, 1983.
912.74431
B416a
Beers, F. W.
Atlas of the City of
Worcester. New York: F.W. Beers, 1870.
Reprinted by Charles F. Tuttle, 1971.
Sanborn Insurance Map co.
Worcester, Massachusetts,
1876.
912.7443
fW92h
Hopkins, G. M.
Atlas of the City of
Worcester, Massachusetts. Philadelphia:
G.M. Hopkins, 1886.
Sanborn Insurance Map Co.
Worcester, Massachusetts.
1892. (Microfilm only).
912.744
W9r
Richards, L.J. & Co.
Atlas of the City of
Worcester, Massachusetts. Springfiled,
L.J. Richards Co., 1896.
912.74431
qI38w
Worcester Index.
A Bureau of Information showing in detail the
official plan of real estate maps from the latest
surveys. Worcester: Index Pub. Co., 1901.
912.74431
S198i
1910
Sanborn Insurance Map Co.
Insurance Maps of Worcester
1910, 3 vols.
912.744
fW9r2
Richards, L.J. & Co.
Atlas of the City of
Worcester, Massachusetts. Springfiled:
L.J. Richards Co., 1911.
912.74431
fR579i
Richards Map Co.
Richards standard atlas
of the City of Worcester, Massachusetts.
1922.
Sanborn Insurance Map Co.
Insurance Maps of Worcester,
1936. 4 vols. (microfilm only)
912.74431
S198w
1969 & 1978
Sanborn Insurance Map Co.
Worcester, Massachusetts
1969, 4 vols. Worcester, Massachusetts
1978, 4 vols.
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IV. CITY
DIRECTORIES IN THE WORCESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY
COLLECTION
Worcester City Directories
(irregular after 1977)
1928-1929, 1842-present
Worcester House Directories
(irregular after 1977; combined with city directories
1997)
1850, 1860, 1872, 1888-1993
Worcester Suburban Directories
(issued on an irregular basis; covers only towns
immediately surrounding Worcester)
1899-present
Skandinavisk adresskalender
1904, 1907, 1910
Worcester Canadien
(issued on an irregular basis)
1892-1908
Worcester society blue book
(issued on an irregular basis)
1902-1950
The directories for the rest of the state are
primarily on microform. Those published before
1861 are on microfiche; after that date they
are on microfilm. Boston is on paper after 1935.
The dates shown are the beginning and ending
dates. There may be some town directories for
every year in the period. There maybe some town
directories in paper in the Worcester Room catalogued
collection.
1789-1981 Boston (microfiche, microfilm,
paper) Brighton & Brookline Business
1850Cambridge
1847-1860; 1902-1931Charlestown
1831-1860Chelsea
1847-1860Clinton
1856Dorchester
1850East Boston
1848/49, 1849, 1852Fall River
1853-1935Fitchburg
1847-1860Gloucester
1860Haverhill
1853-1860/61; 1902-1935Lawrence
1847-1860/61Lowell
1832-1835Lunenburg
1834Lynn
1832-1860Massachusetts
(a business directory, not individuals)
1850/51Massachusetts Register
(a business directory, not individuals)
1852-1859Medford
1849New Bedford
1836-1859Newburyport
1849-1860Pittsfield
1854-1860Plymouth
1846, 1860Roxbury
1847-1860Salem
1847-1860Springfield
1840-1860/61Somerville
1851South Boston
1852Taunton
1931-1932 Wakefield, Stoneham and Reading
1931 & 1935 Webster, Oxford and Grovernorsdale,
CT
1930 Wellesley
1929-1930 Westfield, Blandford, and Chester
1929-1930 Weymouth
1932 Whitman
1929-1930 Winthrop
1932 Woburn and Winchester
1928 Woonsocket Suburban
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V. NEWSPAPER HOLDINGS
The Library has the following newspapers available
for use at the
library. They are on microfilm and are not indexed
unless noted with the entry.
Aegis (weekly, title varies), 1801 - 1860
Blackstone Valley News/Tribune Advertiser (Whitinsville,
MA), 1970 - 1977
Boston Globe, 1960 - present. Indexed from
approximately 1980 in paper or on Newsbank online.
Brookfield Weekly Times, Jan. 1882 - Dec. 1884
Brookfield Times, April 16, 1886 - Dec. 1888;
Jan. 3, 1890 - Dec. 1916
Daily Morning Manuscript (Worcester, MA), 1851
- 1854
Massachusetts Spy (weekly), 1775 - 1820 (microcard);
1792 - 1865 (paper); 1821 - 1878 (microfilm)
The messenger 1893 - 1950
New York Times, 1851 - present. Indexed
North Brookfield Journal, 1875 - Dec.29, 1887
North Brookfield Journal, Jan.12, 1878 - Oct.30,
1914; 1916; 1919
Skandinanska Our Field/Good Templaren (Worcester,MA),
(Swedish)1924 - 1928
Skandinavia (Worcester, MA), (Swedish) 1888
- 1918
Spencer Sun, Oct.31, 1872 - Dec. 30, 1887
Spencer Leader, Jan. 6, 1894 - Dec. 31, 1953
Svea (Worcester, MA), (Swedish), 1914 - 1966
Travailleur (French), 1879 - 1892 (paper);
1931 - 1978 (microfilm)
Uxbridge Compendium, Jan. 5, 1883 - June 27,
1913
Uxbridge & Whitinsville Transcript, Jan.
5, 1901 - Dec. 27, 1908
Worcester Daily Press, 1873 - 1876
Worcester Daily Spy, 1845 - 1904
Worcester Evening Gazette, 1866 - April 16,
1989
Worcester Evening Post, 1897- 1938, (being
indexed on our homepage, 1897 - 1898 so far)
Worcester Palladium (weekly), 1834 - 1876
Worcester Telegram, 1884 (Sunday), 1886 (Daily)
- April 16, 1989
Worcester Telegram and Gazette, April 17, 1989
- present. Indexed
in Newsbank Online
Worcester Transcript (daily), 1851 - 1854
Early American Newspaper Series
This is a collection of 100 New England newspapers
published before 1821. They are primarily from
Massachusetts but all the states are represented.
The earliest is the Boston Newsletter from 1704.
The bulk of the collection is on micro-opaque
cards but some have been reproduced on microfilm.
Other Holdings:
The Worcester Collection has a number of papers
from Worcester County towns that we keep for
only one year.
They include papers from Auburn, Barre, Clinton,
Grafton, Holden, Lancaster, Northbridge, Spencer,
Webster, and Westborough.
We also keep indefinitely some specialized
papers like the
Catholic Free Press, Jewish Chronicle Leader,Senior
Advocate
and Hispano Vocero.
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Worcester
and Genealogy Resources: