Norfolk County, Massachusetts was first settled in 1635, when several families paddled up the Charles River from Watertown to establish the town of Dedham. Over the next two hundred fifty years thirteen towns were set off from the lands that originally comprised Dedham. The History here runs deep.
Historical Research is fun! Digging through libraries and archives to find documents that can bring your topic to life can be exciting! Living in the greater Boston area, I am less than an hour from the National Archives & Record Administration (NARA), The Massachusetts State Archives, the Boston City Archives and the New England Historic and Genealogical Society. Not to mention all the colleges and universities in the area that also maintain archives, and the local historical societies that have collections too. This ability to easily visit and utilize these repositories is a wonderful opportunity for any researcher! Whether you are looking for something specific, or you are surprised to find something unexpected when digging through an archive.
Over the years, I have had plenty of opportunities to conduct my own historical huntings. As a genealogist, I have visited several repositories in the area. However, as a history student working on my master’s degree in public history, with an archival certificate, I had even more opportunities to visit these places. Largely because a big research paper or project was expected for every class I took. Being able to find primary sources, whether you are proving a family line or writing a paper for a class, is exciting! Plus you can rest assured your work is accurate!
| Links to School Projects: | ||
|---|---|---|
| The Dorchester Industrial School for Girls: This is an online exhibit developed in concert with the Boston City Archaeology Department and UMass Boston Public History Department. In 2015, a dig on the property of the school unearthed thousands of artifacts. Students from UMass research the people who lived at the school and created this exhibit. _____________________ |  | https://dorchesterindustrialschoolforgirls.wordpress.com/ |
| Ruth M Batson, Mother, Educator, Civil Rights Worker: Ruth M. Batson (1921-2003) was an African American woman and a lifelong Bostonian who stood up for her beliefs. For more than thirty years she championed fair and equal education for Boston’s public school children and for the civil rights of African Americans. _____________________ |  | Ruth Batson, Mother, Educator, Civil Rights Worker |
| The Printing Industry of Norwood: A Lasting Indelible “Ink” Mark in the Pages of Norwood’s History. This exhibit explores the history of Norwood’s printing industry and some of the changes that transpired because of these industries, but it becomes the story of people who made a difference in their community. _____________________ |  | https://norwoodhistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/the-printing-industry-of-norwood-a-lasting-indelible-ink-mark-in-the-pages-of-norwoods-history/ |
| Links to independent research: | ||
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| You want to learn the history of your home but do not know where to begin. Here are some tips to start your serach. ___________________ |  | How to Research Your Antique Home |
| Ever wondered what it took to run a large Victorian home, the people and their jobs. A behind the scenes peek. __________________ |  | Know How a Large Victorian Home Ran?…Like a Well Oiled Machine |
| COVID-19: We have been here before and we made it through. _________________ |  | 1775 Small Pox Epidemic in Norwood |
| Taverns played a very important roll in a town life. Learn about one of Walpole’s long gone taverns. _________________ |  | The Brass Ball Tavern |
| Solving the Mystery of a scrap of fabric. Where did it come from? _________________ |  | A Mayflower Mystery: Seeking the Ancestors of Hattie Pratt |
| This is a study of the slavery, the enslaved and the enslavers in some of the Original Dedham land grant towns. _________________ |  | Slavery in Dedham: An Examination of Slavery in Some of the Original Dedham Land Grant Towns |
| George Bird life is a rags to riches story. born in Maine. Orphaned at ten . Built a successful paper manufacturing Company _________________ |  | George Bird: The Industrialist and His Legacy |
| After 1895 Norwood became home to many people from all over the world, who came in search of good jobs & a better life __________________ |  | We Still Call It Home – Norwood’s Neighborhoods |
| The Life of Jack Robbins, a formerly-enslaved man of Walpole, and his wife Hannah Eason ___________________ |  | The Lives of Jack & Hannah Robbins |
Laurie L. Kearney 