For those wishing to research the history of the Swift River Valley, the Quabbin Reservoir or New Salem itself, the Swift River Valley Historical Society offers an archives room bursting with documents bringing the past to life.
“There are many precious items in the archives room,” said Dorothy Frye, museum administrator of the Swift River Valley Historical Society. “Town records, church records, diaries, journals, family bibles, photo collections, newspaper clippings, framed artwork and books and pictures chronicling the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir. Part of New Salem known as the Village of Millington was lost to the creation of the Quabbin. There are also artifacts from New Salem and the (New Salem) Academy. There is so much to discover. I personally found it fascinating to read the genealogical records of the New Salem family that originally built my own home in 1789.”
The items housed in the research room come from a variety of places. “Some items were stored in a vault; others were on display in the Whitaker-Clary House and the Prescott Museum. The removal of items from those locations was accomplished by our former archivist, Megan O’Loughlin of New Salem, and a team of volunteers, said Frye.
Families researching their genealogy, authors, students, the hike guides for the Swift River Valley Historical Society and others are among those who use the research room, Frye said. “The items in the archives room have provided research that became the basis of many books, including works by authors Elena Palladino, Elizabeth Peirce and Carl Hammer. Most of the works are nonfiction,” said Frye. The society also has many books from a varied number of authors for sale at their museum.
The Board of Directors of the museum were responsible for the vision to build a climate-controlled repository for storing artifacts and precious memories from the lost valley towns of Dana, Greenwich, Enfield, Prescott, the Village of Millington as well as New Salem, Frye said. The room, funded through individual contributors’ donations, was finished and dedicated on June 26, 2016 and given in memory of Gweneth Drury Willard Coolidge (1928-2012), originally of North Dana; Howard Seaver Willard Jr. (1930-2012), originally of North Dana; and Helen “Honey” Parker Patterson (1933-2015), originally of Greenwich.
As for the donation of items, Frye said, “the society always welcome a chance to review items that people would like to donate to the museum. Any donations would come into the general collection and then be evaluated as to whether it should be in the Archives room.”
The society encourages research and the archives room is available by appointment at times convenient for the researcher as well as the museum administrator. Appointments can be made by telephone to 978-544-6882 or email to swiftrivermuseum@gmail.com.
More information about the Swift River Valley Historical society can be found at their website www.swiftrivermuseum.org
Carla Charter is a freelance writer from Phillipston. Her writing focuses on history with a particular interest in the history of the North Quabbin area. Contact her at cjfreelancewriter@earthlink.net.