Local History

 

For Local History questions please call the Reference Desk at 413-789-1550 x2.

Local History Policy:

  • The library considers local history and genealogical materials pertaining to Agawam and Feeding Hills of great importance.
  • Consideration is also given to collecting material pertaining to the surrounding towns and Hampden County.
  • In rare instances material pertaining to Massachusetts or New England may be collected.
  • Genealogical materials unique to Agawam and Feeding Hill may also be accepted.
  • Materials such as books, vital records, maps, photographs, town-specific articles and pamphlets can be acquired or donated.
  • Donors must fill out a Deed of Gift form to acknowledge the transfer of ownership to the Agawam Library.
  • The Local History collection is accessible to the general public in the library only. The Local History collection does not circulate.
  • The library will participate in preservation whenever possible.
Local History Online Resources

AGAWAM HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION:

“The Agawam Historical Association is a private, non-profit organization. The Agawam Historical Association preserves and promotes local history through its public programs; its house museum, the Thomas Smith House; and its collection of artifacts and records at the Agawam Historical & Fire House Museum.”

https://agawamhistoricalassoc.webs.com/

 

AGAWAM HISTORICAL COMMISSION:

“The Agawam Historical Commission is the official agent of municipal government responsible for community-wide historic preservation planning. Its members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council.”

https://www.agawam.ma.us/508/Historical-Commission

 

 

AGAWAM LOCAL HISTORY LINKS:

— Agawam High School: The First 100 Years:

Agawam High School Graduates. Alphabetical List. 1924-2022.

Agawam High School Graduates. Chronological List. 1924 – 2022.

AHS Gold Star Graduates: Those Who Died In Military Service.

The Case For The Class of 1924.

“Sent to the Office!” Agawam High School. The First 100 Years: Principals/ Assistant Principals & Superintendents / Assistant Superintendents

 

— Agawam High School Yearbooks
To view the complete scanned editions for 1927 to 2022 please click on the above link.

 

— AGAWAM (& OTHER MASSACHUSETTS TOWNS) HISTORICAL IMAGES CAN BE FOUND HERE.

from the website: “Welcome to the ImageMuseum; currently displaying more than 71112 historical images.

We created this site to collect, display and preserve historical images from cities, towns and places in Western Massachusetts (Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties). Everything here is free and shareable. If you see something you like, just take a copy!”

— Agawam Newspapers

For Agawam Advertiser from 1971 to 2018 click here

For Agawam Citizen from 1974 to 1975 click here

For Agawam Independent from 1961 to 1972 click here

For Agawam News from 1967 to 1970 click here

For Southwick/Suffield Advertiser/News from 1981-1983 click here

— Agawam Town Reports
To view the complete scanned editions of the Agawam Town Reports from 1891 to 1984 please visit the online archive.

How to Research Your Home’s History

HOW TO BEGIN RESEARCHING A HOME’S HISTORY:

  1. First off write down as much information as possible. Using a template to begin recording your research is a good idea & some can be found at: https://www.americanancestors.org/tools/research-templates . 
  2. Visit MACRIS maps at https://maps.mhc-macris.net/ & enter your address. MACRIS is run by the Massachusetts Historical Commission & there may be information on your home in their database.  Be sure to write down when it was built & any names associated with it. 
  3. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/database-research.htm#table is the home of the National Register of Historic Places. Enter “Agawam” into the search field & see what information this site can provide. Navigating this site can be complex. Don’t be afraid to call the library if you need help!
  4. https://www.hampdendeeds.com/  — to access the Hampden County Registry of Deeds. Enter  your property’s address. Record names of owners of the property. 
  5. https://www.historicmapworks.com/ — enter town name. There may be some names of property owners on these maps not recorded elsewhere. 
  6. The Springfield newspaper archives can be found at https://masslive.newsbank.com/ — search in quotes for home’s address. Full text articles are not available but summaries are. If full-text is required please call Springfield Library Reference Desk (413-263-6828 ext. 213) & they may be able to get the article for you.
  7. Visit ancestry.com: 

Enter names discovered in your search into: https://login.ezag.ez.cwmars.org:27443/login?url=https://ancestrylibrary.proquest.com   (from home)

or http://www.ancestrylibrary.com (in the library)

— please note: ancestry.com is only available to Agawam patrons.

8. Worth remembering: Venturing into the past can be tricky. Your current address may not be the address of the house when it was built. Remember to record address changes throughout a home’s history. Also remember that venturing into the past can be complicated & potentially frustrating. Despite what tv would have you believe research is not always simple & can take days weeks months or years. Do not get easily discouraged & remember to enjoy the journey!