Scope and Content: When the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) was established in 1919 as a successor to the Metropolitan Park Commission (MPC) and the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board, the Engineering Dept. of the MDC’s Parks Division continued the functions of the Engineering Dept. of the MPC.  Known also as Park Engineering, Parks Engineering, and the Parks Engineering Dept., it was designated at least as early as 1953 as the Division of Parks Engineering, until absorbed into the Engineering Division by 1975.
Related Catalog Records:

Archivegrid
OCLC

Scope and Content: Resolves 1949, c 28 established a special commission to be called: Market Authority, consisting of legislative and gubernatorial appointees, including the commissioner of agriculture ex officio, to investigate handling of essential fresh foods and to improve market facilities for such handling.  St 1950, c 748 followed the commission’s report to the legislature with establishment of the Massachusetts Marketing Authority with similar membership but including Boston officials as well, as a body politic and corporate, an instrumentality of the Commonwealth, to acquire land for a modern market project for named communities of metropolitan Boston, through the issuance of revenue bonds.  St 1951, c 714 amended the preceding act to apply only to the city of Boston, which would acquire the marketing project when revenue bonds were paid.  This being accomplished, the authority was abolished per St 1953, c 248.  Series includes letters, maps, plans, photographs, newspaper clippings, lists of popular food-related items in Boston and their prices, minutes, and reports.
Notes: Transferred to Archives, Feb. 1996, from State Library of Massachusetts, Special Collections
Related Catalog Records:

Archivegrid
OCLC

Scope and Content: The Topographical Survey Commission was created in 1884 (Resolves 1884, c 72) and during its existence had a mandate to carry out two projects: preparation of a contour topographical map of the state in conjunction with the U.S. Geological Survey (1884-1887), and production of a town boundary survey starting in 1885.  Additional legislation was initiated to authorize the commission to resolve problems with the state boundaries with Rhode Island (Resolves 1897, c 88), New York (Resolves 1897, c 25), and Connecticut (Resolves 1898, c 39). The Board of Harbor and Land Commissioners took over the work of the commission in 1901, and its successor, the Division of Waterways, took possession of these topographic maps. –Details of the state field survey work on the topographical map project was coordinated between the members of the Massachusetts Topographical Survey Commission, Francis A. Walker, Henry L. Whiting and Nathaniel S. Shaler; and director J.W. Powell of the U.S. Geological Survey. Work began in September 1884. By 1885, four survey field parties were at work under the direction of the U.S. Geological Survey and survey work was completed in 1887.
Notes: Maps later assigned serial number W520-572 as part of: Massachusetts. Division of Waterways. Maps and plans ((M-Ar)1165X)
Related Catalog Records:

Archivegrid
OCLC

Scope and Content: The Executive Office of Environmental Affairs administers and creates policy for the departments, commissions, and authorities concerned with the natural resources of Massachusetts.  Series documents transition from the Water Division and Sewerage Division of the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), both agencies within the office.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year(s), thereunder by subject
Notes: Series was held directly by the executive office’s secretary until some indeterminate time after establishment of the authority, when it was transferred to the office’s legal counsel.
Related Catalog Records:

Archivegrid
OCLC

Scope and Content: The Executive Office of Environmental Affairs administers and creates policy for the departments, commissions, and authorities concerned with the natural resources of Massachusetts.  The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) was established within the office to provide water supply services and sewerage collection, treatment, and services to areas of the Commonwealth served by MDC (St 1984, c 372, effective 1985).  Series records actions of its board of directors and finance committee from early meetings (Mar. 1985) through Dec. 1986.  Files contain agendas, minutes, memorandums, correspondence, reports, notes, and cost analysis documents.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically in reverse order
Related Catalog Records:

Archivegrid
OCLC

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 alphabetically by town, thereunder chronologically
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Metropolitan District Commission
Related Catalog Records:

Archivegrid
OCLC

Scope and Content: As part of its function to design, construct, maintain and operate a Metropolitan Water Works (MWW) system as authorized by St 1895, c 488; St 1901, c 168; and St 1919, c 350, s 123, the Metropolitan Water Board (MWB) (1895-1901), the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board (MWSB), Water Works Division (1901-1919), and, later, of the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), Water Division (1919-1985), photographs were created to document the real estate takings for, and the construction and operations of the Metropolitan Water Works (MWW) system.The name Metropolitan Water Works was designated for the system in St 1895, c 488, s 3, as was the name Metropolitan Water District. –Per St 1895, c 488, s 10, the Metropolitan Water Board was authorized to take control of maintenance and operations of portions of the Boston Water Board’s Water Works (BWW) system, from Chestnut Hill Reservoir and westward to the Sudbury River Watershed, and northward to Spot Pond (Stoneham) and Upper Mystic Lake (Winchester). (The name: Metropolitan Water Works is designated for the system in St 1895, c 488, s 3, as is the name: Metropolitan Water District.) Through this legislation, the MWB and MWSB inherited some photographic collections created by the Boston Water Board, and created by the City of Boston Engineering Department for the Boston Water Board.
Restrictions: Glass plate negatives are restricted: no public access
Notes: Series includes accessions from the Metropolitan District Commission (1980), Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (2014), and Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (2014). Materials integrated in 2014 to form present series, including transfers from:  Massachusetts. Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board. General photographs of the Metropolitan Water Works, 1916 ((M-Ar)887X–entire) and: Massachusetts. Metropolitan District Commission. Construction Division. Water and sewer construction photographs, 1876-1970 ((M-Ar)889X–boxes 1-2, 96-98, 100, and albums constituting subseries 2 of present series). Detailed preservation history of collection, including archival cleaning and rehousing of glass plate negatives (2000-2001) and rehousing of loose photographic prints (2001-2006) by DCR Archives available at electronic link. Detailed holdings summary by volume: about 7,841 negatives (about 7,839 dry plate glass negatives; 2 film negatives); 618 glass lantern slides; 71 (including 2 duplicates) bound volumes of photographic prints; about 1,089 loose photographic prints;  20 volumes of annotated MWB/MWSB annual reports, with MWW image nos.; annotated halftone tearsheets from MWB/MWSB annual reports, with MWW image nos. (1.5 sets); documents: MWW lantern slide lists (27-page document; 23-page document; other lists totaling 11 pages); Wachusett Dam design sketches (2), straight dam and curved dam, 1897. –Detailed holdings summary by dimension: dry plate glass negatives (87, 4″ x 5″); dry plate glass negatives (51, 5″ x 7″); dry plate glass negatives (12, 5″ x 8″); dry plate glass negatives (7,558, 6.5″ x 8.5″); dry plate glass negatives (134, 8″ x10″); film negative (3″ x 3.5″); film negative (7 13/16″ x 39.50″);  glass lantern slides (3.25″ x 4″); loose photographic prints (various sizes, but none larger than 28″ x 23″).
Related Catalog Records:

Archivegrid
OCLC

Scope and Content: In 1863 the Commissioners on Public Lands assumed full responsibility for the maintenance and care of the Mill Dam (now Beacon Street) and the roads and bridges connecting to it.  These roads constituted more than nine miles of roads in  Boston, Brookline, Watertown, and Brighton stretching over the Back Bay area that was filled in over the course of the 19th century.  At this time the commissioners also assumed the right to collect tolls that were put into a Mill Dam account and used to fund repairs and improvements and to build up a reserve of funds to be distributed to the municipalities in which the roads were situated when responsibility for the roads was transferred to them.  The commissioners kept these records of Mill Dam account revenues and expenditures.
Related Catalog Records:

Archivegrid
OCLC

Scope and Content: As part of its function to maintain and supervise the harbors and wetlands of Massachusetts, the Board of Harbor Commissioners was required to account for its activities and expenditures.  Minute books of weekly meetings document measures taken by the board to protect the harbors and tidewaters and insure the navigability of the harbors.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by date of meeting
Related Catalog Records:

Archivegrid
OCLC

Scope and Content: As part of their function to oversee Boston Harbor and Back Bay lands, the Commissioners on Public Lands (and their predecessors in this function until 1861, the Commissioners on the Back Bay) kept minute books to record their activities and expenditures.  Minutes of their weekly meetings document actions taken to fill and develop the Back Bay, including gaining rights and title to the area, selling and leasing the lands once filled, and laying streets and sewers.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by date of meeting
Notes: Volume 1, presumably containing minutes of the Commissioners on Boston Harbor and the Back Bay, 1852-1855, is lacking
Related Catalog Records:

Archivegrid
OCLC