Life From The Roots
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Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Scramlin --- What a Difference Time Makes -- Using Google Photos
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
John Houghton and Mary Farrar of Lancaster, Massachusetts -- Tombstone Tuesday
Monday, April 1, 2024
Stevens Memorial Library, Ashburnham, Massachusetts (See Resources for Genealogists)
The front doors I entered into, and faced the front counter and office area.
The cabinets and map draws are on both sides of the room. The clock is a Silas Hoadley Clock, circa 1800-1810. I never looked at the holding above because I went to the unit shown below.
- Bette Davis, legendary actress of film, television, and theater. She lived in Ashburnham while attending Cushing Academy, graduating in 1927." I'm sharing this because, Bette was born in Lowell, MA, the city I live in.
Friday, March 22, 2024
Scituate Public Library (See the Resources for Genealogists)
(781) 545-8727
I could hardly get the entire library in one shot. Usually, I begin photographing what I see as I enter, usually the counter for checking out and returning books. Because I was really interested in the genealogy section, I am showing that first. Information about their collection of local history and genealogy collection is below.
The collection in the Local History Room consists of print, microfilm, and online sources. Materials in the Local History Room may only be used in the Library. Whenever possible duplicate titles are added to the Library's general circulating collection and are available for checkout.
Print Collection
Our print collection consists of, but is not limited to:
- Cemetery Records
- Family Histories
- Military Information
- Histories of Massachusetts Counties, Cities and Towns
- Vertical File Materials
- Scituate Town Reports 1873 – present
- School Yearbooks 1924 – present
- New England Historical Register 1965 – present
- Local Authors
For more information about Scituate's history, visit the Scituate Historical Society or the Scituate Town Archives.
Microfilm Collection
Scituate Herald: (incomplete holdings)
September 13, 1929 - December 1939 (gap September 1938 - August 1939)
January 1940 - October 1942 (gap April 18, 1941 - February 5, 1942)
January 1942 - December 1943 (incomplete)
January 1944 - February 16, 1967
South Shore Weekly Mirror: October 13, 1955 - December 1955
South Shore Mirror: January 1957 - December 1979*
*note: January 1975 - December 1975 titled South of Boston Mirror
South of Boston Mirror: May 22, 1974 - December 1, 1974
Scituate Mariner: January 1979 - December 2018
Scituate Mirror: January 1980 - December 1981
Digital Scituate - Digitized resources to view online:
- Chimes - Scituate High School Yearbooks beginning with 1924.
- Town Reports - Scituate's annual reports, searchable online. The years spanning 1848-1874 are contained in one digitized volume.
- Newspapers
- Scituate Mariner (1979-2018)
- Scituate Herald (1929-1967)
- South Shore Weekly Mirror (1975-1977)
- South Shore Mirror (1957-1979)
- South of Boston Mirror (1974-1975)
- Scituate Mirror (1974-1981)
- Mirror (1975-1977)
Thursday, February 1, 2024
A Library List in Alphabetical Order
Working on this
During the past 12 years, I've visited about 98 libraries to date. The purpose is to see what they have to offer genealogists for research. For this year, I visited:
Reading. MA, on February 11th (to see renovated library)
Littleton, MA, on March 1st (to see rebuilt library)
Scituate, MA on March 16th (first visit)
Ashburnham, MA on March 30 (first visit)
There is quite a difference from the first ones I visited and wrote about to the recent ones. The Lynnfield Library in Massachusetts was the first one I visited, and I was there a lot. I learned they had the same books I was using in Boston at NEHGS, however, I could save a lot of time by not going into the city.
Initially, I just took photos of the genealogy room or area and didn't do much writing. The most recent posts contain more writing and many more photos and I tried to showcase the entire library. In the beginning, I would secretly take my pictures, but during the past four years, I made it a point to talk to all the librarians...they have a wealth of information. Even if they didn't know much about genealogy, they knew where the books, maps, and local cemeteries were. Of course, the best librarians were the ones interested in genealogy. I think of Susan from Littlefield, MA, and Mary Bacon from Tyngsborough.
This is a newly revised list, put in alphabetical order by name of towns in the state category.
MAINE (17)
Jessup Memorial Library / Bar Harbor Library, Bar Harbor, Maine
Patten Free Library, Bath, Maine
McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Maine
Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick, Maine
Freeport Community Library, Freeport, Maine
Lewiston Public Library, Lewiston, Maine
Orr's Island Library, Harpswell, Maine
Kennebuck Free Library, Kennebuck, Maine
Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, Kennebunkport, Maine
Rice Public Library, Kittery, Maine
Ogunquit Memorial Library, Ogunquit, Maine
Libby Memorial Library, Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Maine Historical Society and Library, Portland, Maine
Topsham Public Library, Topsham, Maine
Wells Public Library, Wells, Maine
Wiscasset Public Library, Wiscasset, Maine
York Public Library, York, Maine
MASSACHUSETTS (65)
Stevens Public Library, Ashburnham, Massachusetts
Acton Memorial Library, Acton, Massachusetts
Amesbury Public Library, Amesbury, Massachusetts
Memorial Hall Library, Andover, Massachusetts
Robbins Library / Arlington Library, Arlington, Massachusetts
Bedford Free Public Library, Bedford, Massachusetts
Billerica Public Library, Billerica, Massachusetts
Berkshire / Pittsfield Athenaeum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Massachusetts
Boston Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts (Private)
Boston Athenaeum, Boston, Massachusetts (What was in it for Me?)
Boston Public Library. Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts State Library, Boston, Massachusetts
New England Historical and Genealogical Library (NEHGS), Boston, Massachusetts
These were written in 2011, and there have been some changes at the library.
Are You Visiting NEHGS? #1
Are You Visiting NEHGS in Boston, Massachusetts? #2
Bolton Public Library, Bolton, Massachusetts
Sargent Memorial Library, Boxboro, Massachusetts
Burlington Public Library, Burlington, Massachusetts
Gleason Public Library, Carlisle, Massachusetts
Adams Library, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Bigelow Free Public Library, Clinton, Massachusetts
Concord Free Library, Concord, Massachusetts
Peabody Institute Library, The Danvers Archival Center
Parker Memorial Library, Dracut, Massachusetts
Georgetown Peabody Library, Georgetown, Massachusetts
Groton Public Library, Groton, Massachusetts
Haverhill Public Library, Haverhill, Massachusetts
Harvard Public Library, Harvard, Massachusetts
Hudson Public Library, Hudson, Massachusetts
Ipswich Library, Ipswich, Massachusetts
Thayer Memorial Library, Lancaster, Massachusetts
Lawrence Public Library, Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lenox Library, Lenox, Massachusetts
Leominster Public Library, Leominster, Massachusetts
Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, Massachusetts
Lincoln Public Library, Lincoln, Massachusetts
Reuben Hoar Library, Littleton, Massachusetts
Doing Research in Lowell, Massachusetts? Here's Help, Lowell, Massachusetts
Pollard Memorial Library, Lowell, Massachusetts
Lynnfield Public Library, Lynnfield, Massachusetts
Marlborough Public Library, Marlborough, Massachusetts (New June 2022) working on it
Medford Public Library, Medford, Massachusetts
Merrimac Public Library, Merrimac, Massachusetts
Nevins Memorial Library, Methuen, Massachusetts
Flint Public Library, Middleton, Massachusetts
Newburyport Public Library, Newburyport, Massachusetts
Peabody Institute Public Library, Peabody, Massachusetts
Lawrence Library, Pepperell, Massachusetts
Reading Public Library, Reading, Massachusetts
Rowley Public Library, Rowley, Massachusetts
Salem Public Library, Salem, Massachusetts
Salisbury Public Library, Salisbury, Massachusetts
Scituate Public Library, Scituate, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts
Stockbridge Public Library Association, Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Randall Library, Stow, Massachusetts
Goodnow Library, Sudbury, Massachusetts
Tewksbury Public Library, Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Tyngsborough Public Library, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield Massachusetts
Waltham Library, Waltham, Massachusetts
Watertown Free Library, Watertown, Massachusetts
Wayland Public Library, Wayland, Massachusetts
J.V. Fletcher Library, Westford, Massachusetts
The Forbush Library, Westminster, Massachusetts
Wilmington Memorial Library, Wilmington, Massachusetts
Winchester Public Library, Winchester, Massachusetts
Woburn Public Library / Winn Memorial Library, Woburn, Massachusetts
NEW HAMPSHIRE (13)
Derry Public Library, Derry, New Hampshire
Dublin Public Library, Dublin, New Hampshire
Gilmanton Library, Gilmanton, New Hampshire
Hudson (George H. and Ella M. Rodgers Memorial Library) Hudson, New Hampshire (New July 2022)
Keene Public Library, Keene, New Hampshire
Kelley (Salem), Public Library, Salem, New Hampshire
Leach Library, Londonderry, New Hampshire
Manchester City Library, Manchester, New Hampshire
Merrimack Public Library, Merrimack, New Hampshire
Nashua Public Library, Nashua, New Hampshire
New Ipswich Public Library, New Ipswich, New Hampshire
Pelham Public Library, Pelham, New Hampshire
Peterborough Public Library, Peterborough, New Hampshire
NEW YORK (1)
New York City Public Library, New York
VERMONT (2)
St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Norman Williams Public Library, Woodstock, Vermont
MISCELLANEOUS: The DAR Library in Washington, DC, and my employment there.
http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-job-at-dar-part-1.html
http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2009/11/dar-job-2.html
http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2009/11/dar-becoming-member-and-100-year.html
Ipswich Library, Ipswich, Massachusetts
Thayer Memorial Library, Lancaster, Massachusetts
Lenox Library, Lenox, Massachusetts
Leominster Public Library, Leominster, Massachusetts
Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, Massachusetts
Lincoln Public Library, Lincoln, Massachusetts
Reuben Hoar Library, Littleton, Massachusetts
Doing Research in Lowell, Massachusetts? Here's Help, Lowell, Massachusetts
Pollard Memorial Library, Lowell, Massachusetts
Lynnfield Public Library, Lynnfield, Massachusetts
Medford Public Library, Medford, Massachusetts
Nevins Memorial Library, Methuen, Massachusetts
Newburyport Public Library, Newburyport, Massachusetts
Lawrence Library, Pepperell, Massachusetts
Reading Public Library, Reading, Massachusetts
Rowley Public Library, Rowley, Massachusetts
Salem Public Library, Salem, Massachusetts
Salisbury Public Library, Salisbury, Massachusetts
Stockbridge Public Library Association, Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Randall Library, Stow, Massachusetts
Goodnow Library, Sudbury, Massachusetts
Tewksbury Public Library, Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield Massachusetts
Waltham Library, Waltham, Massachusetts
Watertown Free Library, Watertown, Massachusetts
J.V. Fletcher Library, Westford, Massachusetts
The Forbush Library, Westminster, Massachusetts
Wilmington Memorial Library, Wilmington, Massachusetts
Winchester Public Library, Winchester, Massachusetts
Woburn Public Library / Winn Memorial Library, Woburn, Massachusetts
NEW HAMPSHIRE (13)
Dublin Public Library, Dublin, New Hampshire
Gilmanton Library, Gilmanton, New Hampshire
Keene Public Library, Keene, New Hampshire
Leach Library, Londonderry, New Hampshire
Manchester City Library, Manchester, New Hampshire
New Ipswich Public Library, New Ipswich, New Hampshire
Peterborough Public Library, Peterborough, New Hampshire
NEW YORK (1)
New York City Public Library, New York
VERMONT (2)
St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Norman Williams Public Library, Woodstock, Vermont
MISCELLANEOUS: The DAR Library in Washington, DC, and my employment there.
http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-job-at-dar-part-1.html
http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2009/11/dar-job-2.html
http://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2009/11/dar-becoming-member-and-100-year.html