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Edward Howe Forbush was elected Ornithologist to the State Board of Agriculture in 1894, named State Ornithologist by the state board in 1908, and became director of the Division of Ornithology (Dept. of Agriculture) in 1919. Resolves 1921, c 5 authorized the publication of Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States for the purpose of studying the economic value, geographical distribution, and life history of the birds of New England, with $8,000 allotted for color illustrations. Illustrations for the work were created by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, an American ornithologist and well-known artist, and, upon the death of Fuertes, by Allan Brooks, ornithologist and artist from Canada. Series consists of original watercolor and gouache paintings of local birds in their natural habitats. See also: Massachusetts. State Board of Agriculture. Edward Howe Forbush publications, 1907-1916 ((M-Ar)2597X).
1921-1929
As part of its function to design and construct the Quabbin Reservoir, Dam and Aqueduct (a water supply reservoir for Boston and the metropolitan area), the Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission (1926-1947), a special construction state agency, was required per the Massachusetts Acts of 1927, chapter 321, section 9 to remove interred bodies within cemeteries within the bounds of the Quabbin Reservoir Watershed, and to establish a cemetery to reinter the bodies from the multiple cemeteries. There were approximately 7,500 bodies in 34 cemeteries to be addressed. The new 30-acre cemetery was built in Ware, MA, 2.5 miles from the Quabbin Reservoir Administration Building, Belchertown. Its landscape was designed by Arthur A. Shurcliff (1870-1957). On May 18, 1932, the MDWSC named the new cemetery Quabbin Park Cemetery, which officially opened on August 25, 1932. On October 4, 1944, the cemetery removals from the former cemeteries were completed. Per the Acts of 1939, chapter 176, the MDWSC was authorized to transfer management of Quabbin Park Cemetery to the Metropolitan District Commission (1919-2003) at the completion of the work of the MDWSC, which it did in 1947, per the Acts of 1947, chapter 583. The Cemetery was managed by the MDC, Water Division (1919-1985), Quabbin Section; the MDC, Division of Watershed Management (1985-2003), Quabbin Section; and, since 2003, by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Water Supply Protection, Office of Watershed Management, Quabbin Region. Between 1926 and 1932, the MDWSC referred to the new water supply reservoir as the Swift River Reservoir. On October 25, 1932, the MDWSC officially renamed it the Quabbin Reservoir. On April 28, 1938, 4 Massachusetts towns were disincorporated: Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott. The boundaries of 6 towns and 3 counties were also relocated on this date. Beginning in 1927, the MDWSC began a census of the burials in all of the affected cemeteries. This collection consists of 2,083 photographic prints (5 x 7 inches) and 26 engineering plans. Each cemetery lot was photographed by the MDWSC engineering photographers, and the photos were supplied with a caption (called ‘titling’ by the engineering photographers). The photographic prints were annotated by the MDWSC indicating the lot number in the new Quabbin Park Cemetery, or indicating its release to another cemetery. Of the approximately 7,500 bodies, 945 (12.6 percent) were relocated to “outside cemeteries.” The MDWSC engineers created layout plans of the former cemeteries, and 22 of these plans were also annotated with the photograph numbers. Three MDWSC general plans of the Quabbin Reservoir were also annotated with the location of the cemeteries. In addition to cemeteries in the 4 disincorporated towns, there are cemeteries in the towns of Belchertown, New Salem, Pelham, Petersham, and Shutesbury. The digital access project was lead jointly by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (Archives) and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (Library), co-operators of the water supply system for greater Boston, and in cooperation with the Massachusetts Archives, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Water Supply Protection, Office of Watershed Management.
1928-1945
The Engineering Dept. of the MPC, and, from 1919, its successor in the MDC, known eventually as the Division of Parks Engineering, were responsible for planning, engineering, and supervising construction of parkways, bridges, locks, rinks, and other recreational and park facilities under the commissions' jurisdiction. Maps and plans consist of topographical maps acquired or drawn by engineers and detailed construction and site plans created by engineers or architects engaged by the commissions, and were used to plan and carry out construction projects. Information includes title, date, scale, name of person responsible for map, map or plan number, and accession number. In addition, maps and plans created by department engineers list engineers calculation notebook and field notebook number containing computations and measurements serving as a basis for the map or plan. (For engineer calculation notebooks see series (M-Ar)888; field notebooks are held by agency). Accessions logs to maps and plans ((M-Ar)885) contain information about maps and plans to 1911, providing access by accession number. Maps and plans are for a variety of construction projects, including bridges, roadways, and recreational facilities.
1895-1998
Per Massachusetts St 1892, c 342 (June 2, 1892), a Preliminary Board of a Metropolitan Park Commission was established for one year. It was authorized to consider the advisability of laying out ample open spaces for the use of the public, in the towns and cities in the vicinity of Boston. The members of the board were appointed in July 1892, and it was organized that August. Sylvester Baxter (1850-1927) was appointed Secretary. The other members of the board included Charles Francis Adams (1835-1915), Chairman; William B. de las Casas (1857-1930); and Philip A. Chase (1834-1903); also Charles Eliot (1859-1897), its landscape architect consultant. The board issued its report in Jan. 1893 as H 150. Per St 1893, c 407 (June 3, 1893), the Metropolitan Park Commission was established. The board's secretary compiled and maintained newspaper scrapbooks. Series includes two volumes of newspaper scrapbooks that hold clippings from 83 newspapers (75 in Massachusetts); three journals (including Garden and Forest); legislative documents from the Massachusetts General Court; and a document from the Committee of the Citizens of Watertown for the Improvement of Charles River. Clippings document the work of the Preliminary Board, including the tours of its Board members and others visiting the proposed public open spaces and reservations, and advocating for the same through a state-managed parks agency. The legislative process, including public hearings, is also documented. Related documents: Preliminary Board minutes, 1892-1893 (EN4.10/2787X); Preliminary Board incoming correspondence to the Secretary, 1892-1893 (in process); Founder/commissioner portrait photographs (EN4.10/2791X). Also: Report, Jan. 1893 (1893 H 150) available at: https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/628075
1891-1893
In 1999, the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) established its Folk Arts and Heritage Program, the successor to its Folklife and Ethnic Arts Program (1987-1992). Its purpose “is to identify craftspeople, performers and cultural specialists, help sustain the practice of tradition where they live, and increase appreciation of their artistry within the community and beyond.” (http://massfolkarts.org/heritage_program.asp, accessed 2020-04-08). The MCC also provides direct support to individual artists through Artist Fellowships and Traditional Arts Apprenticeships. Records date from 1982-2016 (bulk 1999-2016) and document the practice, vocational skills, and expressive traditions of individuals and community groups in Massachusetts based on “shared ethnicity, religious belief, occupational tradition, or sense of place” (http://massfolkarts.org/about_folk_art.asp, accessed 2020-04-08). The records in the series were created by Folk Arts and Heritage Program staff, interns, contracted folklorists, and photographers. The collection is physically arranged in five segments, each organized by folklorist or intern: (1) files of individual folklorists that document field visits, including field logs, transcripts of recorded interviews, fliers and brochures for events, release forms, and correspondence between folklorists and contacts (2) color slides and black and white negatives of field visits (3) audiocassette and Digital Audio Tape (DAT) recordings of interviews, events, and performances (4) born-digital records consisting of field logs, images, videos, and audio recordings of field visits (5) Artist Fellowships and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship files from 2001-2015. Related series: Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities--Massachusetts folklife interview files, 1987-1988 (AF10/870X); Massachusetts folklife audiocassettes, 1987-1988 (AF10/871X). The Folk Arts and Heritage series was processed by Alejandra Dean, Assistant Digital Archivist, with assistance from Malcolm Clark, Digital Intern, Meghan Jones, Digital Intern, and Chris Norton, Archives Volunteer. After consulting with MCC staff, Archives staff decided to integrate digitized field documentation and born-digital field documentation in the Digital Repository per artist or practitioner and then by field visit if the contact was visited multiple times. Digital folder titles, photograph titles, and record descriptions derive from creator-supplied terminology indicated in field logs when present. The Assistant Digital Archivist decided to use creator-supplied terminology to preserve how folklorists originally documented and interpreted the individuals and traditions in the series and to make clear the connections between field documentation of differing formats (for example, between a photograph log for an accompanying set of 35mm slides). All other descriptions were created by the project team. The project team surveyed all release forms in the series and placed restrictions on materials in accordance with information indicated on the forms. If a release form was not present with the materials, the project team assessed whether or not to place a restriction based on other information present in the files. Personally identifiable information was redacted from access copies of textual records.
1982-2016
