Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Tewksbury opened in 1854.  It was renamed successively the State Hospital (1900), the State Infirmary (1909), Tewksbury State Hospital and Infirmary (1939), and Tewksbury Hospital (1959)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Cover title: Memorandum cash. Contents: Dec. 1910-Jan. 1915.  Jan. 1915-Oct. 1917.  Oct. 1917-July 1920
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Scope and Content: Under successive authorizations, the Land Office oversaw the management and sale of public lands in Maine for the Commonwealth during the first half of the 19th century.  As a part of this function, the office administered and recorded the settlement of disputed claims.  This memorandum was prepared by Joseph Lee, one of the commissioners of the Land Office.  It represents his work in following up the findings of George Herbert as presented in his Report concerning lands mortgaged by Leonard Jarvis ((M-Ar)87X).  Lee visited individuals claiming lands in the town of Penobscot to discuss their claims and Herbert’s findings.
Notes: Cover title: Minutes of claims
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Scope and Content: The Dept. of Public Welfare has the responsibility to provide and administer a comprehensive public welfare financial assistance program (MGLA c 18, s 2). Until 1967 the department organized the state into districts to carry out this program, originally staffed by the Division of Aid and Relief (Division of Public Assistance from 1953), under a district supervisor, and from the early 1950s (cf. St 1952, c 602) also by the Division of Child Guardianship, with respective district supervisors under a district director.  Memorandums to district directors from the Office of Field Operations (or from other officials of the department but copied to or distributed by the office) communicated directives and policy decisions.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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Scope and Content: The Dept. of Public Welfare has the responsibility to provide and administer a comprehensive public welfare financial assistance program (MGLA c 18, s 2).  It prepared official releases for the courts and local boards of public welfare (abolished by St 1967, c 658), informing them of changes in policy, procedures, programs, and legislation on a state and national level.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Also known as: Official releases
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Scope and Content: The Brunswick Convention met Sept. 30-Oct. 9, 1816, to consider separating the District of Maine from Massachusetts as a state.  This memorial is a petition favoring separation filed with the General Court in Nov. 1816 by Maine senators and representatives.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by county, thereunder alphabetically by town
Notes: Formerly part of state secretary’s: Miscellaneous collection, box 17; Forms part of: Separation of Maine papers
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Scope and Content: The Brunswick Convention met Sept. 30-Oct. 9, 1816, to consider separating the District of Maine from Massachusetts as a state.  Memorials are petitions sent to the General Court in November, constituting majority and minority reports on the convention’s proceedings.
Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Memorial of committee of the convention (2) Memorial of a minority of delegates
Notes: Formerly part of state secretary’s: Miscellaneous collection, box 17
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Scope and Content: Programs and institutions for the mentally ill and retarded of Massachusetts were among the responsibilities successively of the Board of State Charities (St 1863, c 240), the State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity (St 1879, c 291), and the State Board of Lunacy and Charity (St 1886, c 101).  They were then the sole responsibility successively of the State Board of Insanity (St 1898, c 433), the Massachusetts Commission on Mental Diseases (St 1916, c 285), and the Dept. of Mental Diseases (St 1919, c 350, ss 79-81), renamed the Dept. of Mental Health (St 1938, c 486)
Arrangement: Arranged by facility
Restrictions: Restricted as fragile. Access by permission of state archivist or curator of Massachusetts Archives only
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Dept. of Mental Health, 1988. Belchertown plans (1954-1965 only) transferred from Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2008
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Scope and Content: Chronically insane male paupers were transferred from Massachusetts almshouses and lunatic hospitals in 1887 to an asylum opened at the State Workhouse in Bridgewater, renamed shortly thereafter the State Farm.  Mentally infirm inmates from the State Prison were also admitted to the asylum beginning in 1890, and constituted the only admissions from 1894. The State Asylum for Insane Criminals was then officially established at the State Farm in 1895, and was renamed Bridgewater State Hospital in 1909. In 1919 the State Farm, including the State Hospital, was transferred from the State Board of Charity to the Massachusetts Bureau of Prisons (later Dept. of Correction), although as of 1923 the Dept. of Mental Diseases (later Dept. of Mental Health) retained the power to commit non-criminal insane to the institution. The State Farm was reorganized in 1955 as Massachusetts Correctional Institution, Bridgewater. The State Hospital remained as a unit within the larger entity until 1987, when it was separated with its own superintendent.
Arrangement: Arranged numerically/chronologically by admission
Restrictions: Mental health client information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 123B, s 36. Personal medical information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 4, s 7, d 26(c) and c 66A. For conditions of access consult repository
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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 alphabetically by town, thereunder chronologically
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Metropolitan District Commission
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Scope and Content: The Boston Elevated Railway Company was established in 1894 and replaced successively by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) in 1947 and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in 1964.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Fragmentary series: March – May 1962 files only
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