Quabbin Towns, Records, 1771-1919
Contents List
Box 1, Volume 1: Enfield Church Records, 1828-1844
Box 1, Volume 2: Enfield and Belchertown Religious Society Records, 1816-1820;
Justice of the Peace and Selectmen's Records and Chattel Mortgages, 1816-1837
Box 1, Volume 3: Enfield Congregational Church Records, 1887-1906
Box 1, Folder 1: Enfield Parish Members Lists, 1885-1891; Correspondence, 1883-1894;
Miscellaneous Notes and Newspaper Articles
Box 2, Volume 1: New Salem Baptist Church Records, 1771-1819
Box 2, Volume 2: New Salem Baptist Church Records, 1819-1873
Box 2, Volume 3: New Salem Records (re: Baptist Meeting House), 1833-1834
Box 2, Volume 4: Greenwich South Parish Records, 1799-1816
Box 2, Folder 1: Miscellaneous Papers (re: Greenwich 1812-1888--including parish
tax list, 1812)
Box 3, Volume 1: New Salem-Prescott Baptist Society Records, 1826-1871
Box 3, Volume 2: Prescott Congregational Church Records, 1823-1854; Pelham
East Church Records, 1786-1798 (2nd Parish)
Box 3, Volume 3: Second Parish-Pelham and Prescott Congregational Church Records,
1786-1851
Box 3, Volume 4: Prescott First Congregational Church Records, 1858-1919
Box 3, Folder 1: Prescott Local Records, 1845-1898
Quabbin Reservoir, located in the west-central part of Massachusetts about seventeen miles northeast of Springfield, was created by an act of the Massachusetts Legislature, dated 26 April 1927, which instructed the Metropolitan Water Supply Commission to develop a new water supply system for the future needs of Greater Boston, and other communities, from the waters of the Swift River. The project, completed in 1939, inundated the five towns that made up the Swift River Valley: Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, North Dana, and Prescott. The project also caused the relocation of the boundaries of several towns (Barre, Belchertown, Hardwick, New Salem, Pelham, Petersham, and Ware) and counties (Franklin, Hampshire, and Worcester).
Belchertown, Hampshire County, Massachusetts is located fifteen miles northeast of Springfield, Mass. It was incorporated as a town in 1761.
Enfield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, originally part of Greenwich, Mass., was located in the eastern part of the county. It was separated from Greenwich in 1787, and incorporated as Enfield, a separate township, in 1816. A last census of Enfield was taken on 28 April 1938.
Greenwich, Hampshire County, Massachusetts was located in the northest corner of the county. It was set out by the Massachusetts General Court as Quabbin (meaning "many waters" in the Nipmuck language) in 1739, officially incorporated as Quabbin Parish in June 1749, and incorporated as the town of Greenwich in 1754. Greenwich ended its existence as a community on 14 February 1938.
New Salem, Franklin County, Massachusetts is located nineteen miles northeast of Northampton, Mass. It was incorporated as a town in 1753.
Pelham, Hampshire County, Massachusetts is located twelve miles east-northeast of Northampton, Mass. It was incorporated as a town in 1743.
Prescott, Hampshire County, Massachusetts was located in the extreme northeast corner of the county, being made up of part of Pelham and part of New Salem, Mass. It was incorporated in 1822, ceased town government in 1928, and went out of existence in 1938.
Births, deaths, and marriages, as well as minutes of the Enfield Church meetings are included in the first and third volumes of the Enfield Church records. In addition, the second volume contains copies of relilgious society membership certificates for Belchertown and Enfield residents, records of the Justice of the Peace and the selectmen, and chattel mortgage copies, often concerning the sle and/or exchange of church pews.
Two volumes containing the minutes of the New Salem Baptist Church meetings from 1771 to 1873 are included in the collection. There is also a volume concernning the construction and administration of a new Baptist Sabbath School.
Greenwich's South Parish records contains copies of warrants issued by the Commonwealth to call meetings of the parish residents and the minutes of those meetings. An 1812 tax list is also included.
Local records for the town of Prescott include lists of militia soldiers, legal documents, and school committee reports. Other records of meetings include the New Salem-Prescott Baptist Society, 1826-1871, the First Congregational Church of Prescott and the Second Parish of Pelham, 1786-1919.
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