Massachusetts Archive

Thankful for Pickett


When I was very young, Thanksgiving meant lots of food, visits with grandparents, dressing up like a Pilgrim, and making hand turkeys with multi-colored construction paper at school. Things were certainly simpler as a child. I enjoy those fond Thanksgiving memories.
As I’ve grown and as life has become more complicated, Thanksgiving means quite a bit more. I started [...]

Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850: Are they really?


Most people upon hearing the term “vital record” instantly assign it a credibility that it may not deserve.  For example, Massachusetts has a series of vital records books affectionately called “the tan books” also known as Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850. The books are organized by town and as one would expect, they list births, [...]