Environmental Affairs, a cabinet level office within the executive department, carries out the environmental policies of the state: preservation of open space, species habitat, and working landscapes; enforcement of pollution laws; environmental impact reviews; energy conservation and production; fish and wildlife management; and outdoor recreation and access. Notable series located in the EN record group include Waterways maps and plans (1774-1986) and paintings from “Birds of Massachusetts and other New England States.”
Public Safety, a cabinet level office within the executive department, keeps the people of Massachusetts informed about critical public safety issues. Many of the records included in the PS record group involve the state's military organization in the 18th and 19th centuries and include the offices of the Adjutant General, Paymaster General, Quartermaster, Commissary, Provost Marshall, State Military Agent, and the Revolutionary era Board of War. PS also includes a voluminous collection of building inspection plans, 1889-1987.
For an expanded agency history, see: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcpdf/collection-guides/FA_PS.pdf
The General Court is the legislative branch of the Massachusetts state government. The CT record group consists of the records of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate; also records of the Legislative Research Bureau, the Black/Latino Caucus and the Women's Caucus. It includes the Proceedings of the Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay – the earliest volumes recording the activities of the colonial Massachusetts government. Please note that acts, resolves, and unpassed legislative files are located in SC (Secretary of the Commonwealth).
Health and Human Services, a cabinet level office within the executive department, helps protect the health of all Massachusetts residents and provides human services by serving the most needy and vulnerable citizens in the state. The HS record group includes records from many agencies and public institutions, some dating from the mid 19th century. These include public welfare, public health, mental health, developmental services, youth services, corrections, and the office for children and families. Please note that although corrections records are included in HS, the Department of Corrections is currently located within the Executive Office of Public Safety.
The office of Governor derives from the English royal charter of 1629, granted to the "Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England." The charter permitted the transfer of the meeting place and officers of the company from England to the new settlement. Provision was made for the governance of the company by a General Court of the freeman (stockholders) and for election by them of a governor, deputy governor, and Court of Assistants. In this way, the charter laid the basis for what was the forerunner of the government of the Commonwealth.
The Lieutenant Governor, a constitutional officer, serves as acting governor when necessary and performs other duties at the governor's discretion. In addition to subject files and administrative files, the LG record group also includes records relating to Blueprint 2000, established in the late 1980's to identify future Commonwealth problems and proposed solutions.
The Secretary of the Commonwealth, a constitutional officer, serves the Commonwealth as the chief records keeping officer. The records under the care of the Secretary include those that form the legal foundation of the state, as well as other historic records filed in the office over the years. As government activities and services expanded, the record-keeping duties of the office increased and were accompanied by additional licensing and regulatory responsibilities. The SC record group is the largest in the Archives, with records dating from the 17th century to the present, and includes legislation, both passed and unpassed, and maps and plans. The major collection of colonial, provincial and revolutionary era material, the Massachusetts Archives collection, is also located in the SC record group.
The Judicial Archives is a separate, distinct repository within the Massachusetts Archives, housing original records from state, county, and local courts. Permanent court records from 1620-1860, 1st series probate records and pre-1906 naturalization records are managed at the Massachusetts Archives. Records falling outside these guidelines are held in Trial Court record storage facilities, or remain with their respective courthouses.
Transportation and Construction, now known as the Department of Transportation, is a cabinet level office within the executive department that oversees roads, public transit, aeronautics, and transportation licensing and registration. Among the DOT records included in the TC record group are those relating to the Highway Division, the MBTA, the Aeronautics Commission, the Mystic River Bridge Authority, and the Government Center Commission. Please note that records created by the Massachusetts Port Authority are also located in TC, although Massport is currently an independent agency.
The Treasurer and Receiver General, a constitutional officer, is custodian of all state funds, and is responsible for receiving state agency receipts and revenues, making payments, issuing and marketing state bonds, and arranging state investments. With material dating back to the 18th century, this voluminous record group covers all aspects of the state's financial records. Other records in the TR record group include deeds for property owned by the Commonwealth, documents relating to bonuses for veterans, and records of the Arts Lottery Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
