Scope and Content: Pursuant to MGLA c 19, the Dept. of Mental Health fulfills its responsibilities toward mentally ill persons in Massachusetts through a comprehensive program of services and facilities.  (It exercised a similar function for the mentally retarded until 1986, when a separate Dept. of Mental Retardation was established.)  In this connection the department was responsible for monitoring the use of restraint and seclusion at facilities under its jurisdiction per MGLA c 123, s 21 (St 1970, c 888, s 4) and regulations.  Monthly institutional restraint and seclusion reports were completed by individual facilities and returned to the central departmental office where they were reviewed and collated.  (They were received at the departmental deputy commissioner’s office as well as by the department’s Quality of Care Review Team.)
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by institution
Restrictions: Mental health client information restricted bt statutory provision MGLA c 123, s 36. Mental retardation client information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 123B, s 17. For conditions of access consult repository
Notes: Box 1: A-Ma. Box 2: Mc-We. Box 3: Wo-Wr
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Scope and Content: The State Board of Charity was established in Massachusetts per St 1898 c 433 from the Board of Lunacy and Charity, with a Division of State Adult Poor (with Indoor and Outdoor units) responsible for the welfare of adult poor without legal settlement. The division oversaw, funded, and audited programs, run locally, for sick state poor, temporary aid, dangerous diseases, removals, wife settlement, burials, and relief to mothers with dependent children (St 1913, c 763). The State Board of Charity was replaced by the Dept. of Public Welfare in 1919. The Settlements Dept. of its Division of Aid and Relief, using field agents/visitors, continued to investigate legal settlement status and supervised aid administered by the local authorities. Audits were conducted on city and town reimbursement requests. The division also had an Institutional Dept., responsible for admission and dismissal of inmates from the State Infirmary and the pauper department of the State Farm.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Restrictions: Personal information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 4, s7, d 26(c), c 66A. For conditions of access consult repository
Notes: Some years incomplete.  Files for 1919-21, 1927-28 missing. Records from 1930 consist only of  lists of children, as above
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Scope and Content: Westfield State Sanatorium, renamed Western Massachusetts Hospital in 1962, provided care and treatment for tuberculosis patients from its opening in 1910 until 1974, for cancer patients from 1937 to 1924, and for patients with other chronic diseases from 1959.  Series contains carbon copies of monthly statistical reports sent by the superintendent to the director of the Division of Sanatoria and Tuberculosis Control in the Dept. of Public Health.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Restrictions: Public health hospital/clinic client information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 111, s 70. For conditions of access consult repository
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Scope and Content: The Division of State Adult Poor was established in Massachusetts under the State Board of Lunacy and Charity in 1898 (shortly thereafter continued under the State Board of Charity).  It was succeeded by the Division of Aid and Relief in the Dept. of Public Welfare in 1919.  That division was replaced by the Division of Public Assistance in 1953, which continued until departmental reorganization in 1971.
Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Cities and towns  (2) Boston. Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder alphabetically by municipality, and then chronologically by date of notice
Restrictions: Personal information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 4, s7, d 26(c), c 66A. For conditions of access consult repository
Notes: Cover title: Transfer
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Scope and Content: Middlesex County was incorporated on May 10, 1643 (Mass Recs 2:38), continuing under successive governments of Massachusetts, most recently the Commonwealth (1780), as outlined in MGLA c 34.  Administrative powers and duties previously exercised at various times under the laws of the Commonwealth by the county courts of general sessions of the peace, county courts of common pleas, and circuit courts of common pleas, were assigned to commissioners in Middlesex and other counties, per St 1827, c 77 (1828).  The government of Middlesex County in this and other respects was abolished as of the effective date of St 1997, c 48 (approved July 11, 1997)
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by municipality
Notes: Box 1: A-Lincoln Box 2: Lincoln-Z
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Scope and Content: The Mystic River Bridge Authority was responsible for construction, maintenance, and operation of the Mystic River (now Tobin) Bridge between Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts, from 1946 until it was superseded by the Massachusetts Port Authority in 1959.  Series was created to support its functions. –Files contain interagency and other correspondence, memorandums, budget files, annual reports, and photographs.  Topics include labor relations, employee benefits, and civil defense.
Arrangement: Arranged by subject/correspondent
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Massachusetts Port Authority, July 1984
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Scope and Content: The Mystic River Bridge Authority was responsible for construction, maintenance, and operation of the Mystic River (now Tobin) Bridge between Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts until it was superseded by the Massachusetts Port Authority in 1959.  Related functions included acquisition of real estate by purchase or eminent domain, as supported by this series.
Arrangement: Arranged alpha/numerically by parcel
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Massachusetts Port Authority, March-May 1993. Scheduled as part of: Mystic River Bridge Authority [files]
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Scope and Content: The Mystic River Bridge Authority was responsible for construction, maintenance, and operation of the Mystic River (now Tobin) Bridge between Boston and Chelsea, Massachusetts from 1946 until it was superseded by the Massachusetts Port Authority in 1959.  Series was created to record official deliberations and decisions of the authority.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Massachusetts Port Authority, May-September, 1993. Scheduled as part of: Mystic River Bridge Authority [files]
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Scope and Content: Under the 1786 agreement between New York and Massachusetts settling land claims west of the Hudson River (see: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Agreement between Massachusetts and New York relating to western lands, 1784-1793 ((M-Ar)31X)), the Commonwealth retained the right of preemption to purchase lands from the several Indian nations, and the obligation to supervise the sale of any of these lands should the right of preemption be transferred to third parties.  After a final sale of such right of preemption in 1792, Massachusetts governors appointed a series of superintendents to observe transactions between the Indians and owners of the preemptive right.  The superintendents resided in New York, and tended to their duties in pro forma fashion.  Controversy in 1838 following a U.S. decision to relocate all eastern Indians and a subsequent treaty and sale of remaining Indian reservations, caused the Massachusetts governor and council to reevaluate their role in this process, and to demand equitable treatment for the New York Indians.
Arrangement: In 5 subseries: (1) Land conveyances by treaty (2) Legal instruments (3) Correspondence (4) Reports of the Indian Superintendent (5) Printed material; Arranged within each subseries chronologically
Notes: Originally maintained by the Council; by 1885 held by the state secretary
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Scope and Content: Massachusetts has administered water works and sewage disposal for the Boston metropolitan area successively through the Board of Metropolitan Sewerage Commissioners (Metropolitan Sewerage Commission) (1889-1901) and the Metropolitan Water Board (1895-1901); the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board (1901-1919); and the Water and Sewerage Divisions of the Metropolitan District Commission (1919-1985).  Since 1985, the sewerage works functions have been assigned to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), and the water works functions have been shared by the MWRA (distribution) and the Metropolitan District Commission (to 2003) and the Dept.  of Conservation and Recreation (since 2003) (water supply reservoirs and their watershed management).
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Metropolitan District Commission
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