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Research

We encourage you to ask your questions regarding Spencer’s history.
Click here to send your Spencer history questions or email: mbwood@gmail.com

Please do not submit specific house research questions here. They may be emailed to mbakerwood@gmail.com.

 

 

Local History

Contact Mary Baker-Wood (Spencer Historical Society)

Email mbakerwood@gmail.com for the fastest reply.

Phone: 508-885-7513 x 5 (Leave a message with your contact information. Messages are retrieved once a week.)

Look in the National Register of Historic Places Spencer Inventory Forms to research your house or buildings in Spencer. Note: Not all buildings in Spencer have been surveyed.

Directions to navigate the linked site:

At the MACRIS (MA Cultural Resource Information System) link (http://mhc-macris.net/)

  1. Choose ” Click here to begin… (located near the bottom left)
  2. Click the long link at the bottom of the page
  3. Choose Spencer from the Mass Towns List (near top of page)
  4. Click “add to list”
  5. Click Next (at bottom of page)
  6. Click Next (again at bottom of page)
  7. Now you will see the information for Spencer.
Ancestry Library Edition

 Genealogy collection with 200+ billion images in 7,000 unique databases. Ancestry is considered the world’s most popular online genealogy resource.

 

Mass Moments

Listen to a one-minute audio spot or read the script, and then explore the story further by reading a background essay and clicking on a primary source document, links to follow, and places to visit. You can also use the timeline to see when a given “moment” occurred and a map to see where it happened. Visitors post comments or questions on the Discussion Board and have the option of being notified when someone responds.

 

State Library of MA Digital Photograph Collection

Predominantly consists of 26th Yankee Division soldiers who served in World War I. 

Collection donated by the Boston Globe in 1935, represents over 8,500 soldiers from MA and other areas in the northeast. Collection contains over 11,000 images. Accompanying many of these photographs are “cut slips” produced by Boston Globe staff, which include biographical and military information, as well as newspaper clippings.

 

Digital Commonwealth | Erving MAThis collection provides access to photographs, manuscripts, books, audio recordings, and other materials of historical interest.

 

 

Statewide Digital Collections

Find historical documents, photo sets, and artwork ready to be browsed for research and inspiration.

 

Digital Commonwealth: Massachusetts Collections online.

Learn about the history of towns in MA. Includes Pictures, descriptions, maps and lesson plans.

Closed until further notice.

Presently the museum is located on the mezzanine of the Richard Sugden Library. The museum was inspired by Spencer historian Henry M. Tower.

After discussing the project with Elias Hall, Dr. Charles P. Barton, Joseph W. Temple and Nathan Hersey a meeting was held in the Town Hall in December of 1873. From this meeting a circular was sent out explaining the purpose of the museum and requesting donations. The response was favorable.

Items were displayed in the basement of the Town Hall, and later moved upstairs to a room on the second floor. The museum remained at Town Hall until the Richard Sugden Library was opened in 1889. It was then moved to the Reading Room of the Library, then to the basement during renovations in 1931, and finally to the mezzanine of the Library after extensive renovations in 1997. The Museum has been operated by the Spencer Historical Society, a private non-profit group, for over twenty years.

The Museum consists of two main collections: items donated to the Historical Museum, and items donated to the Library. The Historical Society has undertaken an ambitious project to create a digital catalog of all museum collections, which will provide control over our collections and storage areas, and allow us to produce modern exhibits, displays, brochures, and online catalogs. The Library provides professional cataloging and access for archival materials such as town histories, annual reports, and genealogical materials.

The Museum is an integral part of the Library, and benefits from this partnership by sharing a security system, fire protection system, and utility costs. The Historical Society is, therefore, able to concentrate its resources on museum development. Our current focus is on acquiring and displaying artifacts to tell compelling stories about Spencer history and its families and neighborhoods.

Online Collections

 

MA Library Databases — General information, Fine Arts, Languages, Encyclopedias, Science, Boston Globe…Lots of information for people of all ages.

Statewide Digital Collections

Find historical documents, photo sets, and artwork ready to be browsed for research and inspiration.

 

Boston Public Library (BPL) eCard

The Boston Public Library eCard (sign up for online) provides access to all of BPLs online resources, including genealogy databases and Hoopla (e-audiobooks, e-books, comics, music, film/TV), and lots more. All residents of Massachusetts can use the Boston Public Library’s electronic resources. Sign up for a BPL eCard to get started.

 

Explore storytimes, crafts, sing-a-longs, and more from librarians across the Commonwealth

 

MA Trial Court Libraries

They have an extensive knowledge of state or federal law. They help with Legal Questions: Legal Reference Interviews, Referrals…

Every Tuesday and Thursday from 1PM to 2PM, patrons from anywhere in Massachusetts can Zoom one-on-one with a law librarian for legal information about whatever legal situation they may be experiencing – we just can’t give legal advice! Like our other reference services, we are happy to share law and case law, court forms and rules, information about court processes if available, and more!

For more information about the Zoom program, please see here:

https://www.mass.gov/ask-a-law-librarian

Research & articles

Read the Boston Globe, popular magazines, and peer-reviewed research articles hot off the press, instantly available for free.

 

Federal, State, & Town Information

The Central Register

When you are on the Central Register page, choose “By Issue Date” under “Browse”. Choose the desired issue. Click on “View/Open”. Change percentage on icon bar to 100% for full-size view.

Massachusetts Municipal Guide

 Find listings of towns in MA, their contact information, websites, and population.

 

Spencer Maps & Property Development Resources

Spencer MAThis page provides references and other property development resources for public use and convenience for determining relevant land use factors for residential, commercial, and other property development projects.

 

US Census Bureau American FactFinder

Find information on population, business and industry, education, etc. in towns and states in the United States.