Background
In 1895, the General Court of Massachusetts established a Metropolitan Water District to provide ample water supplies for the growing metropolis of Boston by constructing two large reservoirs, the first along the Nashua River northeast of Worcester (the Wachusett Reservoir) and the second along the Swift River Valley.
Met with local resistance from the outset, the damming of the Swift River Valley required the disincorporation of four towns, Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott, and the alienation of land in several others. The greatest impact of the Quabbin Reservoir was borne by the residents of these relatively small, isolated, and predominantly rural towns, all of whom were forced to relocate. Construction of the Quabbin Reservoir began in 1926 and was completed ten years later, with formal dissolution of the towns following in 1938.
Scope of collection
The annual reports of the four towns of the Quabbin region provide important documentation of the lives of the residents of the former towns Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott. Issued under various titles and with somewhat variable content, the annual reports include more or less detailed information of the activities of town officials and offices, including the Selectmen, Overseers of the Poor, the School Committee, and Town Library. In most years, the reports also document town expenditures and include a list of the residents with a valuation of property and taxes paid.
Published annual Reports for the Quabbin towns did not appear until 1857, when Enfield, the largest town, printed its first, followed by Prescott (1862), Dana (1869), and Greenwich (1873). Titles varied, sometimes dramatically, depending on which committees were reporting, and some committees occasionally issued separate reports (e.g., the School Committee for Enfield). While extensive, the SCUA collection is not complete and is much sparser in the early years of issuance of town reports.
Inventory
Annual Report of the Selectmen of the Expenses of the Town of Dana
1890
1 item
Annual Report of the Selectmen of the Expenses of the Town of Dana
1897
1 item
Annual Report of the Selectmen of the Expenses of the Town of Dana
1898-1900
3 items
Annual Report of the Selectmen of the Expenses of the Town of Dana
1902-1912
11 items
Annual Report of the Selectmen of the Expenses of the Town of Dana
1914-1925
12 items
Annual Report of the Selectmen of the Expenses of the Town of Dana
1927-1937
11 items
Report of the Selectmen and Overseers of the Poor of the Town of Enfield
1864
1 item
Report of the School Committee of the Town of Enfield
1879-1880
2 items
Report of the Selectmen and Overseers of the Poor of the Town of Enfield
1880
1 item
Report of the Selectmen and Overseers of the Poor of the Town of Enfield
1882-1886
5 items
Report of the Selectmen and Overseers of the Poor of the Town of Enfield
1889-1898
10 items
Report of the Selectmen and Overseers of the Poor of the Town of Enfield
1900-1938
39 items
Annual Reports of the Selectmen, Overseers of the Poor, and Treasurer of the Town of Greenwich
1876
1 item
Annual Reports of the Selectmen, Overseers of the Poor, and Treasurer of the Town of Greenwich
1878
1 item
Annual Reports of the Selectmen, Overseers of the Poor, and Treasurer of the Town of Greenwich
1886
1 item
Annual Reports of the Selectmen, Overseers of the Poor, and Treasurer of the Town of Greenwich
1896-1900
5 items
Annual Reports of the Selectmen, Overseers of the Poor, and Treasurer of the Town of Greenwich
1903-1904
2 items
Annual Reports of the Selectmen, Overseers of the Poor, and Treasurer of the Town of Greenwich
1906-1908
3 items
Annual Reports of the Selectmen, Overseers of the Poor, and Treasurer of the Town of Greenwich
1910-1920
11 items
Annual Reports of the Selectmen, Overseers of the Poor, and Treasurer of the Town of Greenwich
1922-1938
17 items
Reports of the Selectmen and School Committee of the Town of Prescott
1882
1 item
Reports of the Selectmen and School Committee of the Town of Prescott
1884-1885
2 items
Reports of the Selectmen and School Committee of the Town of Prescott
1888-1891
4 items
Reports of the Selectmen and School Committee of the Town of Prescott
1897
1 item
Reports of the Selectmen and School Committee of the Town of Prescott
1900-1919
20 items
Reports of the Selectmen and School Committee of the Town of Prescott
1922-1937
16 items
Administrative information
Search terms
Subjects
- Dana (Mass.)--History.
- Enfield (Mass.)--History.
- Greenwich (Mass.)--History.
- Prescott (Mass.)--History.
- Quabbin Reservoir Region (Mass.)--History.
Link to similar SCUA collections
Link to similar SCUA collections
