On Display in the State Library

Prior to 1939, the Commonwealth included four towns that are now no longer in existence: Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott. This past September, we were excited to mount a new exhibit outside of the library, “The Four Lost Towns of the Quabbin Reservoir,” which shared information and period documents about these towns and the sacrifices that they made so that the Commonwealth could develop the Quabbin Reservoir. This month, we are excited to welcome author Elena Palladino to speak on her recent book Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley: Drowned by the Quabbin. To complement both the new exhibit and our upcoming Author Talk, this month in our Collection Spotlight case, we are displaying two historical maps that depict the Commonwealth before and after the development of the Quabbin Reservoir.

1902 map is shown on the left and 1939 map is shown on the right

As my colleague wrote in the exhibit’s introduction panel, “In 1938, the towns of Greenwich, Dana, Enfield, and Prescott were disincorporated, evacuated, and flooded to accommodate the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir. Centrally located in the Swift River Valley, the Quabbin was constructed as the solution to providing drinking water to the state’s metropolitan areas. To facilitate this plan, the legislature created the Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission in 1926 (Act Chapter 375). The MDWSC undertook the project, overseeing the creation of the reservoir and flooding of the Swift River Valley. In addition to the four towns, villages and parts of other towns were also taken by the state for the project. It was the first time the legislature had to disincorporate a whole town. Per 1938 Act Chapter 240, the four towns would cease to exist in Massachusetts.” Read more about each of these towns in the online version of the exhibit.

In our Collection Spotlight case, we are sharing two maps of the Commonwealth, one from 1902 and one from 1939, which was just after the completion of the Quabbin. The 1902 map is the simply titled “Map of Massachusetts,” and was published by George H. Walker & Company, a prolific publisher of lithographs located in Boston. To the left of center of the map, and also highlighted in the image here, you will see the boundary lines for Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott, all grouped together. Of note is the train track that is shown running through the towns and labeled as the B&A - this is the Athol branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad. The majority of this branch was closed in the 1930s when construction of the reservoir began. The map also identifies post offices and money order post offices, of which there are a few located within these towns. Even this small designation on the map emphasizes that these were active communities that people lived and worked in before they were destroyed, thirty-seven years after the publication of this map. The 1939 map is titled “Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Public Health: showing location of cities and towns and health districts.” Though the reservoir is not actually shown in this map, if you look in the circled portion in the map above,  you will see that Enfield, Greenwich, Dana, and Prescott are not shown and that the nearby towns of Belchertown, Pelham, New Salem, Petersham, Hardwick, and Ware have grown in size. That is because any land of the four lost towns that remained after the development of the reservoir were then incorporated into the surrounding municipalities.

While these maps will only be on display through January 4, you can visit us to view the Quabbin exhibit through September 2024. We are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 5:00 and the online version of the exhibit is available anytime! More information about our upcoming Author Talk on  Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley is available here; we hope that you'll be able to join us on December 6, but if you are unable to make it, a recording will be uploaded to our YouTube page a few days following the event.

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

State Library Newsletter - December Issue

Happy December! Our monthly newsletter is out today, and is full of information about our online store, upcoming events, exhibited items, and more!

Pictured here is a preview, but the full issue can be accessed by clicking here. And you can also sign up for our mailing list to receive the newsletter straight to your inbox.

 

Author Talk with Elena Palladino

• Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley: Drowned by the Quabbin
• Wednesday, December 6, 2023. 12pm - 1:00pm
• State Library of Massachusetts - Room 341, Massachusetts State House
• Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/user/mastatelib

The State Library of Massachusetts Author Talks Series is excited to host author Elena Palladino on December 6th!

Please join us on Wednesday, December 6th at noon, in our historic reading room to hear Elena Palladino speak on her 2022 book, Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley: Drowned by the Quabbin. For anyone who cannot make it into the library, we will be livestreaming the talk on our YouTube channel, courtesy of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Broadcast Services.

About the book: In 1938, four Massachusetts towns were disincorporated, evacuated, and flooded to accommodate the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir. The reservoir was the solution to providing Boston and the State’s metropolitan areas with fresh drinking water. In Lost Towns of the Swift River Valley, Palladino tells the story of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott, the towns which were sacrificed to make room for the Quabbin. Through archival research, Palladino recounts the history of these communities through three townspeople of the Swift River Valley: Marion Smith, a woman from a wealthy manufacturing family, William Segur, the country doctor, and Edwin Howe, postmaster and general store owner. Palladino brings life and feeling to these communities that once were thriving and home to many.

About the author: Elena Palladino is a Massachusetts native, growing up in Sturbridge and now residing in Ware. Palladino’s family lives in Marion Smith’s former home, which sparked her interest in the history of the Quabbin. Palladino holds a BA degree in English from Simmons College, an MA in literary and cultural studies from Carnegie Mellon University and an EdM in higher education from Harvard University. She currently works in higher education in Western Massachusetts and also sits on the board of directors for the Swift River Valley Historical Society and Friends of Quabbin. For more on Palladino and her “Quabbin House” visit this page.

If you are able to join us in person for this talk, attendees will be able to participate in a question-and-answer session with the author as well as purchase a copy of the book for $24.00 (payments can be made via Venmo or cash). As always, this author talk is free and open to all. Assisted listening devices will be made available upon request. Any questions or concerns, please email us.

In addition, now on display is the State Library’s new annual exhibit: The Four Lost Towns of the Quabbin Reservoir. We invite you to visit the library (room 341 of the State House) to view the exhibit and learn more about the towns of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott. A few highlights of the exhibit include Prescott’s last Annual Town Report, a picture from Greenwich’s last town meeting, and documents from the Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission, the state agency responsible for the reservoir. The State Library is open Monday - Friday, 9-5, and the full exhibit is also available to view on Flickr!

Want to stay up to date on future Author Talks at the State Library? Join our mailing list. Also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or X for updates! For more information on the State Library Author talks series, please visit our site.

 

Author Talks Working Group

Celebrate with a Grateful Heart

With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up this Thursday, we thought it was a good time to share some of the Thanksgiving Day proclamations that are in our collection! 

In November 2019 we displayed our Proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer that was issued by Governor John Hancock on November 8, 1783. Printed as a broadside and distributed throughout the Commonwealth to notify citizens of the upcoming observance, this document established Thursday, December 11 as a day for all Massachusetts residents to devote themselves to prayer and giving thanks. It also was issued to commemorate the official ending of the Revolutionary War. Though this 18th-century day of Thanksgiving is different from the holiday that we celebrate today, the proclamation urges citizens to “assemble to celebrate with grateful hearts and united voices,” a sentiment that continues today, much as it did well over two hundred years ago. Read more about this historic proclamation in our previous blog post.

This 1783 proclamation is just one of many in our Special Collections holdings. You can see images of our oldest proclamation from 1779 and a 1796 proclamation issued by Governor Samuel Adams in another past blog post. Our collection includes 112 Thanksgiving Day proclamations that have been digitized and uploaded to our online repository. They date from 1779 to 1903 with continuity, and then there are a few more recent ones issued by Governor Baker. If Governor Healey issues a proclamation, it will also be added to our collection! Explore the full collection of proclamations here, using keyword "Thanksgiving."

A reminder that the library will be closed this upcoming Thursday and to those who celebrate, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving!

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

’Tis the Season for Cranberries!

Image courtesy of A complete manual for
the cultivation of the cranberry

One of the images that people conjure in their minds when they think about Massachusetts is the cranberry, and that is for good reason. Not only is the cranberry the official berry of our state, but it also has quite a history in the Commonwealth. We have a blog post about the cranberry from a few years back and since it’s cranberry season, we thought it was the perfect time to shed some light on that post once again! The post delves into the history of the cranberry in the Commonwealth from the Indigenous people of this land, to the arrival of European colonists in Plymouth in 1620, then moves into the 1800s when a sea captain brought cranberries to Cape Cod, and next provides information on the contemporary cranberry industry. There are some great images as well, so be sure to give it a read!

In addition to the wealth of information in that blog post, we wanted to highlight some other fun facts about the berry of the Commonwealth. The cranberry was a highly-valued crop to the Indigenous people of the current New England area. They referred to this berry as Sassamenesh. When the colonists arrived in New England, they called this berry the “crane-berry,” after the white blossoms that appeared in early June, which resembled the heads of cranes.

Image courtesy of A complete manual for the cultivation of the cranberry

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association (CCCGA), established in 1888, is one of the nation’s oldest farmer’s associations. According to their website, cranberry cultivation began in 1816. Revolutionary War veteran Captain Henry Hall from Dennis, Massachusetts, had wild cranberry bogs and noticed that the berries grew better when sand from the Cape Cod dunes blew over them. Captain Hall then began transplanting cranberry vines and spreading sand on them to spark their growth. The sand not only helps the vines grow, but also slows the growth of insects and weeds. Word spread about the technique Hall discovered and it was adopted by the increasing number of growers throughout the 1800s. Today, cranberry growers spread one or two inches of sand on their cranberry bogs every three years. As time has gone on, the cranberry has adapted to change and the modern world, just like its name. Earl Mills Sr, Flying Chief Eagle of the Mashpee Wampanoags, said that in many ways, “the history of this indigenous fruit mirrors that of the native people.”

Images courtesy of A complete manual
for the cultivation of the cranberry

Did you know that UMASS Amherst’s Center for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment has a Cranberry Station in East Wareham, MA? Serving as an outreach and research center, this part of UMASS’ campus has a mission to maintain and enhance “the economic viability of the Massachusetts Cranberry Industry through research and outreach and serving the public welfare by supporting economic development and the protection of the environment.” They also share information about how cranberries grow, as does the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association. The CCCGA created the graphic below to show the layers of sand, peat, gravel, and clay-like materials that are needed for these berries to grow:

Image courtesy of Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association

For more information about cranberries, including a timeline of major events related to cranberry history, check out the CCCGA’s website. Be sure to read our previous blog post on cranberries as well--it’s full of “berry” good information!

Works and websites consulted:

• A complete manual for the cultivation of the cranberry : with a description of the best varieties, by Benjamin Eastwood, 1856
• Cape Cod Wampanoag Cookbook : Wampanoag Indian Recipes, Images & Lore, by Earl Mills Sr. and Betty Breen, 2001
• Cranberries: The Berry of Massachusetts, State Library blog post, 2020
• Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association
• UMASS Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment

Jessica Shrey

Reference Librarian

The Great Blue Heron Glides into the Library

Since November is Native American Heritage Month, we're displaying an Audubon print that has significance to the Indigenous community. The Great Blue Heron (plate 211) will be on display in the library through December 7. The Great Blue Heron is an adaptable water bird that resides in both fresh and salt water - specifically marshes, swamps, shores, and tide flats. It feeds mostly by walking slowly or standing still in shallow water, as depicted here. You might also spot one gliding high above. The adult male is shown in this print, but the female looks very similar. You can read more about the Great Blue Heron in the Audubon Field Guide. 

For members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, who inhabit Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island, the Great Blue Heron represents patience, balance, and accuracy. Read a homage to this stately water bird in a past issue of Mittark, the monthly newsletter of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. 

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian

Author Talk with Representative Josh S. Cutler

• The Boston Gentlemen's Mob: Maria Chapman and the Abolition Riot of 1835
• Wednesday, November 15, 2023. 12pm - 1:00pm
• State Library of Massachusetts - Room 341, Massachusetts State House
• Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/user/mastatelib

The State Library of Massachusetts Author Talks Series is excited to host Representative Josh S. Cutler as he discusses his book, The Boston Gentlemen's Mob: Maria Chapman and the Abolition Riot of 1835.

Please join us on Wednesday, November 15th at noon, in our historic reading room to hear Representative Cutler speak on his 2021 book, The Boston Gentlemen's Mob: Maria Chapman and the Abolition Riot of 1835. Representative Cutler serves the Sixth Plymouth District which includes the towns of Duxbury, Halifax, Hanson, Marshfield, and Pembroke.

For anyone who cannot make it into the library, we will be livestreaming the talk on our YouTube channel, courtesy of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Broadcast Services. The recording of the talk will also be made available on our YouTube channel post-event to enjoy at your convenience.

About the book: The Boston Gentlemen's Mob focuses on the events of October 21, 1835 in the city of Boston. As the anti-slavery movement grew, so did the tension between businessmen and abolitionists. On October 21, 1835, a riot broke out in the streets of Boston. Enraged businessmen, merchants, and bankers disrupted a women’s abolitionist meeting and an angry mob soon formed. The group would eventually set their sights on William Lloyd Garrison, publisher of The Liberator - the period’s leading abolitionist newspaper. Garrison was trapped, caught, and left to the mercy of the mob. Cutler recounts this day in history from four different perspectives: Maria Chapman, an abolitionist; Susan Paul, a school teacher; Theodore Lyman, Boston’s Mayor; and Wendell Phillips, attorney and spectator of the day’s events. The Boston Gentlemen's Mob is an exciting read that highlights the early days and struggles of the anti-slavery movement.

About the author: Representative Josh Cutler serves the Sixth Plymouth District and is currently serving as House Chair for the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. Cutler is an attorney with degrees from Skidmore College, Suffolk Law School, and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, MA in Environmental Policy. In addition to The Boston Gentlemen's Mob, Cutler is also author of Mobtown Massacre: Alexander Hanson and the Baltimore Newspaper War of 1812 (2019). For more information, please visit Cutler’s author site.

If you are able to join us in person for this talk, attendees will be able to participate in a question-and-answer session with the author, and Rep. Cutler will sign and sell copies of The Boston Gentlemen's Mob, with 100% of proceeds being donated to the State Library. As always, this author talk is free and open to all. Assisted listening devices will be made available upon request. Any questions or concerns, please email us.

Want to stay up to date on future Author Talks at the State Library? Join our mailing list. Also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or X for updates! For more information on the State Library Author talks series, please visit our site.

 

Author Talks Working Group