Scope and Content: The Dept. of Public Works and its successor from 1992, the Massachusetts Highway Department, have been responsible for development and maintenance of all state highways in the Commonwealth.  St 1956, c 675 authorized transfer of the land and buildings of the former state prison in the Charlestown district of Boston to the Dept. of Public Works for highway purposes, necessitating an examination of title to the land.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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Scope and Content: St 1892, c 338 appointed a commission to investigate the condition of roads in Massachusetts, issue a report, and draft a bill providing for the improvement of the highways. This resulted in St 1893, c 476 (rev. St 1894, c 497), which established the Massachusetts Highway Commission, along with a procedure to designate state highways, and funding to be dispersed by the commission. –With St 1900, c 432 and St 1901, c 433 the commission  (replaced by St 1919, c 350, ss 111, 113 with a Division of Highways within the Dept. of Public Works) was directed to assist counties and municipalities in the construction and maintenance of county and town roads even in towns where there were no state highways. St 1909, c 454 relieved certain towns from payment of the cost of repairs to state highways. Various laws directed the use of automobile fees collected by the state to fund highways and roads. St 1921, c 112 was the first to make reference to amending section 34 of MGL c 90, initiating what is still referred to as the Chapter 90 program. St 1925, c 288 further amended the section, making first reference to a so-called highway fund.  The term was used until St 2009, c 25, s 81 substantially changed the section, directing the fees to a Commonwealth Transportation Fund.
Arrangement: Arranged by U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle numbers
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Scope and Content: Since 1971 the Executive Office of Human Services (Executive Office of Health and Human Services since 1992) has been responsible through its constituent agencies for the delivery of a wide range of services to persons with financial, health, social, protective, rehabilitation, and correctional needs. Its role is one of management and fiscal oversight, coordination of interagency planning and program development, and policy analysis.  Series was derived from: Social policy correspondence ((M-Ar)1851X)) and consists of printed and other reports including statistical material submitted by constituent departments to the executive office.  Agencies represented: Dept. of Social Services, Dept. of Youth Services, Office for Children.
Arrangement: Arranged by department
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Scope and Content: Since 1971 the Executive Office of Human Services (Executive Office of Health and Human Services since 1992) has been responsible through its constitutent agencies for the delivery of a wide range of services to persons with financial, health, social, protective, rehabilitation, and correctional needs. Its role is one of management and fiscal oversight, coordination of interagency planning and program development, and policy analysis.  Series is created to oversee and support departmental legislative offices and initiatives.
Arrangement: Arranged by agency, thereunder generally chronologically
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Scope and Content: The Boston Lunatic Hospital was established as a municipal agency in 1839; it was renamed Boston Insane Hospital in 1897.  It was made a Massachusetts state agency under the name Boston State Hospital in 1908 and closed in 1981.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by month
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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 administering such services the department is responsible for personnel policies in mental health and mental retardation facilities under its jurisdiction.  To standardize personnel procedures and practices for these facilities, the department prepared a department-wide personnel manual.
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Scope and Content: The Reformatory Prison for Women was opened in Sherborn in 1877.  It was renamed the Reformatory for Women by St 1911, c 181, and because of a redrawn boundary line its fuller designation was changed from the Reformatory for Women at Sherborn to the Reformatory for Women at Framingham by St 1932, c 180, s 24.  Under St 1955, c 770 it received its current name, the Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Framingham.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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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).
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Metropolitan District Commission
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Scope and Content: The Dept. of Public Health protects the health of Commonwealth residents by maintaining state health facilities, regulating private health facilities, controlling disease, and regulating food, drugs, and other consumer products.  The deputy commissioner of public health maintained these administrative files, documenting health planning, health protection, health services, community health, environmental health, and legal issues.
Arrangement: Arranged by subject
Notes: Rearranged from original order; agency folder list in Arrangement and Inventory
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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.)  As delegated by the commissioner of mental health (MGLA c 19, s 3), the deputy commissioner has participated in meetings of various mental health advisory councils, creating this series.
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