The University of Massachusetts Amherst
Robert S. Cox Special Collections & University Archives Research Center
CredoResearch digital collections in Credo

Hampshire Council of Governments

Hampshire Council of Governments Records

1677-1974
90 volumes, 17 boxes 80 linear feet
Call no.: MS 704
Depiction of Title page, Volume 1 (1671)
Title page, Volume 1 (1671)

The Hampshire Council of Governments is a voluntary association of cities and towns and the successor to the former government of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, that was abolished in 1999. A body politic and corporate, its charter ratified by Massachusetts General Law 34B, S20(b), the Council oversees roadways, the electricity supply, building inspection, tobacco control, cooperative purchasing, and other services for member communities.

The Hampshire Council collection contains a dense record of county-level governance in western Massachusetts from the colonial period through the mid-twentieth century with extensive documentation of the actions of the County Commissioners, and before them the Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions. Rich in documenting the development of the transportation infrastructure of western Massachusetts, the collection offers detailed information associated with the planning and construction of highways, canals, ferries, and railroads, but the early records offer a broad perspective on the evolution of the legal and cultural environment, touching on issues from disorderly conduct (e.g., fornication, Sabbath breaking) to the settlement of estates, local governance, public works, and politics.

Background on Hampshire Council of Governments

From the mid-1630s, European settlement of western Massachusetts progressed northward up the Connecticut River Valley, spreading gradually to the east and west. Under the authority of the General Court in Boston, Hampshire County was established in 1662 with courthouses in the two largest settlements, Springfield and Northampton, assuming jurisdiction over most of the current-day Commonwealth west of Worcester. Civil authority was administered through a three-tiered system in which magistrates (later justices of the peace) dispensed justice at the local level, above which sat a system of county-level courts and the General Court and Court of Assistants in Boston (later the Governor and Council).

County-level courts bore much of the responsibility for regional administration, ranging from laying out highways, roads, ferries, dams, and bridges to licensing taverns, inns, and retailers; keeping jails; and maintaining local order. Civil suits exceeding 40 shillings but less than ten pounds were heard in the Inferior Court of Common Pleas, while the Court of General Sessions, composed of a quorum of local justices, heard most non-capital criminal cases. For more serious crimes, including capital offences, cases were referred to the Superior Court of Judicature, a circuit court established in 1692 that met in each county as designated by the legislature.

As the population of western Massachusetts increased, Hampshire County was divided several times into smaller, more manageable bodies. The eastern part was separated out as Worcester County by act of the legislature on April 2, 1731, followed by the separation of the west into Berkshire County on April 21, 1761. Sandwiched in between Worcester and Berkshire, the remains of Hampshire County were further divided horizontally into thirds, with the northern portion becoming Franklin County (June 24, 1811) and the southern, Hampden County (Feb. 25, 1812) in which Springfield served as county seat.

The political evolution of the Commonwealth led to other changes in the system of county courts and administration, particularly after the state constitution of 1780 mandated a complete separation of legislative, judicial, and executive functions. In 1821, Massachusetts established a state-wide Court of Common Pleas and within three years, all judicial powers of the Court of General Sessions were transferred to that Court and the administrative powers were delegated to a newly created body of County Commissioners and Commissioners of Highways. After the Court of General Sessions was abolished in 1827, the County Commissioners in Hampshire County assumed responsibility for the administrative functions of the General Sessions as well. Ultimately, the Court of Common Pleas was abolished altogether during further reorganization in 1859, with most of its trial functions delegated to the new, state-wide Superior Court.

By the last decade of the twentieth century, many county governments had become little more than vestiges of their former selves, with judicial and administrative functions having been absorbed by operations of the towns or by the state government. When Middlesex County reached a point of near insolvency in June 1997 and dissolved, it set off a period of three years in which eight of the fourteen county governments in Massachusetts were laid down and others were substantially reorganized.

Hampshire County was officially abolished on Jan. 1, 1999, and many of its responsibilities were reorganized under the Hampshire Council of Governments as a voluntary association of cities and towns. Chartered under Massachusetts General Law 34B, S20(b), the Hampshire Council is a body politic and corporate that oversees basic services for its member communities, including roadways, the electricity supply, building inspection, tobacco control, and cooperative purchasing.

Contents of Collection

The Hampshire Council collection contains a dense record of county-level governance in western Massachusetts from the colonial period through the mid-twentieth century with extensive documentation of the actions of the County Commissioners, and before them the Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions. Rich in documenting the development of the transportation infrastructure of western Massachusetts, the collection offers detailed information associated with the planning and construction of highways, canals, ferries, and railroads, but the early records offer a broad perspective on the evolution of the legal and cultural environment, touching on issues from disorderly conduct (e.g., fornication, Sabbath breaking) to the settlement of estates, local governance, public works, and politics. Because of the intensely local nature of the records, the collection offers some insight into the daily lives of women as well as men, Native Americans and African Americans as well as whites, rich and poor, and urban and rural.

The collection is divided into four series: County Commissioners and Court Records, Dockets, Maps and Plans, and Microfilm. This finding aid contains only a preliminary listing of contents and will be added to as processing progresses. As materials are digitized, we will provide links to the online records through the inventory below.

dingbat for decoration

Series Descriptions
1677-1961 50 vols.

The records of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas, the Court of General Sessions for the Peace, and the Hampshire County Commissioners are a remarkable, continuous record of county-level governance in western Massachusetts for nearly three centuries. Until 1812, Hampshire County administered most of the western half of the Commonwealth, and the records are consequently broad, geographically and culturally. Beginning shortly after the end of King Phillips War, they document the establishment of political and cultural order during the late 17th century, the period of the Second Great Awakening, the Revolution, Shays Rebellion, and War of 1812. The content relates to all aspects of the operations of county-level administration, including licensure, building roads and infrastructure, and in early years, the record books document civil and occasionally criminal infractions.

Until 1828, each bound volume contains the interspersed records of meetings of both the Court of General Sessions and Inferior Court of Common Pleas. When the Courts of General Sessions were abolished in Feb. 26, 1828, the corresponding volume records that the legislature “transferred the powers and duties lately rested in and exercised by” that court to the newly formed County Commissioners, and from that point onward, the volumes are restricted to the Hampshire County Commissioners, and are correspondingly narrower in scope.

1677-1961 17 boxes

The dockets are comprised of filings relating to proceedings documented in the record books (Series 1). Consisting primarily, though not exclusively, of original letters and associated documents, these often provide greater detail than the record books. Overwhelmingly, the dockets center on road construction in the early years.

1839-1969

The County Commissioners maintained working maps of the towns and counties to document the creation, extension, relocation, alteration, or discontinuance of county roads through the various towns, as well as similar maps for railroad routes (including lands taken and location of route), dams, and bridges. Each proposed action was accompanied by a map documenting the changes, usually a relatively detailed technical drawing with little embellishment. The Commissioners also maintained commercial maps and atlases of the county and towns.

The vast majority of maps in the series date from the mid- to late-twentieth century, however most of the railroad maps correspond to an earlier period of expansion and extend back as far as the establishment of the first rail lines through the region. Dams and bridges are less well documented, although a series of reports on dam inspections between the 1920s and 1950s include valuable detail. A few items in the series are worthy of particular note, including a broadside proclamation from Governor James Bowdoin, Feb. 17, 1787, regarding persons who had been disqualified for taking part in Shays Rebellion; an early atlas containing manuscript maps of county highways (1759-1838); and two volumes relating to the reconstruction of Williamsburg after the Mill River flood of 1874, the Plan for a Proposed Dam at the Williamsburg Reservoir and Williamsburg Road Plans.

Most of the maps are tightly rolled and many are in poor condition, embrittled, and often torn and chipped. All require special care in handling.

1839-1969 116 reels

In addition to microfilm of the volumes comprising Series 1, the collection includes microfilm of materials held elsewhere. Included are indexes to the county records, records of civil actions in the Superior Court (1856-1908), records of the Supreme Judicial Court (1797-1954), the Registry of Probate (1660-1820), a small sampling of records from the Registry of Deeds (1859-1860), and naturalization records (1849-1934).

The records appear to have been filmed on more than one occasion and duplicate reels have not been inventoried.

dingbat for decoration

Inventory of Collection
1677-1961
Court of General Sessions and Inferior Court of Common Pleas Records 1677-1837
County Court, Inferior Court of Common Pleas, and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 01 1677-1728 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace: Record A, Vol. 02 (Lib. A) 1728-1735 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 03 (Lib. B) 1735-1741 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 04 (Lib. C) 1741-1745 Cab. 10

Includes lists of executions, 1716-1765.

Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 05 (Lib. D) 1746-1757 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 06 (Lib. E) 1758-1762 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 07 (Lib. F) 1762-1764 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 08 (Lib. G) 1764-1766 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 09 (Lib. H) 1766-1770 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 10 1766-1771 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 11 (Lib. I) 1770-1773 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 12 (Lib. K) 1773-1780 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 13 (Lib. M) 1771-1781 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 14 (Lib. L) 1776 May-1790 Jan. Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 15 (Lib. N) 1782-1783 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 16 (Lib. O) 1783-1784 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 17 (Lib. P) 1784-1785 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 18 1785 Aug.-1788 Sep. Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace. Vol. 19 not scanned due to fragility of original Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 20 1715-1790 Cab. 10

Includes lists of writs of execution, 1715-1764, pp.1-80.

Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 21 (Lib. S) 1791-1794 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 22 (Book T) 1794-1795 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 23 1796-1797 Cab. 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, Vol. 24 (Book W) 1797-1798 Cab. 10
Court of General Sessions of the Peace records, no. 1, Vol. 25 1800-1823 Cab. 11
Court of General Sessions of the Peace; Commissioner of Highways; County Commissioners, Vol. 26 1824 Mar.-1837 Apr. Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records 1837-1961
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 03 1837-1844 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 04 1844-1852 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 05 1852-1860 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 06 1860-1867 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 07 1868-1871 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 08 1871-1875 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 09 1876-1880 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 10 1881-1882 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 11 1883-1886 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 12 1887-1889 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 13 1890-1894 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 14 1895-1900 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 15 1901-1906 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 16 1907-1910 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 17 1911-1916 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 18 1917-1923 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 19 1923-1929 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 20 1929-1935 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 21 1935-1940 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 22 1940-1945 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 23 1945-1950 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 24 1950-1954 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 25 1954-1958 Cab. 11
County Commissioners Records, Vol. 26 1958-1961 Cab. 11
1677-1961
Dockets Box 1
Dockets Box 2
Dockets Box 3
Dockets Box 4
Dockets Box 5
Dockets Box 6
Dockets Box 7
Dockets Box 8
Dockets Box 9
Dockets Box 10
Dockets Box 11
Dockets Box 12
Dockets Box 13
Dockets Box 14
Dockets Box 15
Dockets Box 16
Dockets Box 17
1839-1969
Atlases 1870-1969 11 titles
Highway Plans, County of Hampshire, vol. 1 1759-1838 Du Bois Room

Manuscript maps depicting early roads in Hampshire County. Labeled vol. 1 (all that is present).

Atlas of Hampden County (Beers, 1870) Cab. 1:6
Atlas of Hampshire County (Beers, 1873), rebound 1873 2 copies Cab. 1:11
Atlas of Hampshire County (Beers, 1873). Note: poor condition, use rebound copies 1873 2 copies Cab. 1:6
Atlas of Massachusetts (Walker, 1891) 1891 Cab. 8: top
Atlas of Northampton and Easthampton 1895 Cab. 8: top
Atlas of Northampton City 1884 Cab. 8: top
Atlas of Surveys, Hampden County, Massachusetts (Richards, 1894) 1894 Cab. 8: top
Atlas of the Boundaries… 1912-1915 4 vols. Cab. 8: top
County Roads in Hampshire County (one copy with blueprints laid in) 1922 3 copies Cab. 8: top
Guyot, Arnold, Johnson’s New Illustrated Family Atlas of the World 1882 Cab. 8: top
Town Atlas, Town of Amherst, Massachusetts 1969 Cab. 1:11
Bridges, Buildings, and Dams 1870-1969 11 titles
Bridges 2 drawers Cab. 1
Dam data Cab. 6
Dams (Amherst, Belchertown, Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Granby, Hadley, Hatfield) Cab. 6
Dams (Holyoke, Huntington, Middlefield, Northampton) Cab. 6
Dams (South Hadley) Cab. 6
Dams (Southampton) Cab. 6
Dams (Ware, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington) Cab. 6
Plan for a Proposed Dam at the Williamsburg Reservoir 1875 Cab. 8: top
Plans of the Parish House, Pliny Earle, Northampton ca.1865 Cab. 8: top
United States Geological Survey topographical maps Cab. 8: top
Williamsburg Road Plans 1874 Cab. 8: top
Reports on County Dams: Federal Communications Commission Rules and Regulations 1961 Cab. 8: box 1
Reports on County Dams: Inspection Reports on the Tighe-Carmody Reservoir of the Holyoke Water Works in Southampton 1963-1968 Cab. 8: box 1
Reports on County Dams 1924-1928 Cab. 8: box 1
Reports on County Dams 1928-1954 Cab. 8: box 1
Reports on County Dams 1955-1956 Cab. 8: box 1
Reports on County Dams 1957-1958 Cab. 8: box 1
Reports on County Dams 1959-1960 Cab. 8: box 2
Reports on County Dams 1961-1962 Cab. 8: box 2
Reports on County Dams 1963-1965 Cab. 8: box 2
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by his Excellency James Bowdoin, Esq., Governour of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, A Proclamation 1787 Feb. 17 Broadside

Evans 20501. “Whereas by an act passed the sixteenth of February instant, entitled, ‘An act describing the disqualifications, to which persons shall be subjected, which have been, or may be guilty of treason … and to whom a pardon may be extended’… Given at the council chamber in Boston, this seventeenth day of February … one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven.”

Highways, Roads, and Towns 1839-1947
County Highways: Amherst Cab. 2
County Highways: Belchertown Cab. 2
County Highways: Chesterfield, Cummington Cab. 2
County Highways: County buildings (empty) Cab. 4
County Highways: County buildings 2 Cab. 4
County Highways: Easthampton, Enfield Cab. 2
County Highways: Goshen, Granby, Greenwich Cab. 2
County Highways: Hadley Cab. 2
County Highways: Hatfield 1859-1976 35 items Cab. 3
Hatfield: Alteration, relocation, or discontinuance of portions of Prospect St. and No. Hatfield Road, King Street, and Straits road 1973 May 18 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Depot Road 1972 Mar. 31 4 sheets Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Discontinuance of portion Prospect St. extension (formerly Pleasant St.) 1970 Oct. 09 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Dwight Street 1974 Nov. 22 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Elm Street 1924 July 01 3 sheets Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Elm Street 1924 July 01 3 sheets, blueprint Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Layout of Elm and Maple Street Bridge 1951 Feb. 20 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Layout, relocation, alteration, or discontinuance of Linseed Road (including Linseed Hill Road) 1972 May 18 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Map of section of streets between railroad and Conn. River 1870 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Mountain Road l
ayout
1952 July 03 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Mountain Street (plan and description of taking) 1952 Aug. 15 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: No. 7 North Street 1914 Nov. 20 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Plan of Bridge Street 1927 Nov. 30 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Plan of Great Pond Road 1941 July 26 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Plan of Jericho Road 1949 Apr. 25 2 sheets, blueprint Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Plan of location of Indian Hollow Road 1937 Oct. 01 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Plan of location of Little Ponsett Road 1938 Feb. 19 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Plan of location of Little Ponsett Road 1938 Feb. 19 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Plan of location of Scotland Road 1938 Oct. 21 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Plan of portion of Prospect Street 1940 July 01 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Plan of road opposite the residence of Melchior Kulesza on North Street 1940 July 01 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Proposed grade crossing at the NY, NH, and H RR on West Street 1940 Jan. 11 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Proposed relocation of highway near Pine Bridge 1902 Jan. 11 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Prospect Street… from Station 47 to 81+33.19… 1975 June 20 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Prospect Street 1975 Nov. 12 4 sheets Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Prospect, Bridge Street, and School Street 1976 July 23 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Relocation or alteration of Chestnut Street 1966 Aug. 19 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Relocation or alteration of King Street 1968 July 12 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: School Street Sta. 24+0 to Sta. 43+54.13 1967 June 06 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Selectmen of Hatfield petition for the alteration of Chestnut Street at School Street 1967 Jan. 18 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Selectmen petition for the layout, relocation, alteration, or discontinuance of Bridge Street 1974 Nov. 22 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: South Street beginning at intersection of Main Street and Bridge Lane 1969 Aug. 04 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Straits Road (establishment of the boundaries) 1973 June 05 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Third division of commons (this plan shows Mill River Swamp Highway and Sandy Hill) 1859 Cab. 3(a)
Hatfield: Unidentified (Cowles and Porter property on Hubbard line undated Cab. 3(a)
County Highways: Huntington, Middlefield 1901-1982 22 items Cab. 3
Huntington: Bromley Road, Station 37+50 to Station 56+0 1967 July 05 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: From town line of Russell in County of Hampden to town line of Chester in county of Hampden 1905 Apr. 01 Blueprint Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Goss Hill Road 1963 Dec. 06 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Huntington sheets (fragmentary) ca.1920 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Huntington sheets 8 and 9 1920 July 31 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Layout of State Highway on the Huntington-Worthington Road (also called River Road) 1945 Aug. 06 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Montgomery Road 1959 Oct. 30 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Park Street, Huntington. Layout, relocation, alteration or discontinuance of a portion of Park Street… 1986 Dec. 12 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Plan and profile of proposed highway 1919 July 09 Blueprint Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Plan North Chester Road 1964 Mar. 27 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Plan of a road in the town of Huntington 1959-01 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Plan of County Road 1962 Feb. 15 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Plan of Road 1920 July 31 13 sheets, blueprint Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Plan of Searles and County roads 1962 Feb. 15 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Plan of Searles and County roads 1961 Feb. 01 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Plan showing boundary lines of a highway in Huntington leading from State Highway at lower end of town park 1982 Sept. 14 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Right of way to Norwich Lake as provided for by Chapter 254 of the Acts of 1955 1957 Dec. 13 Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: State highway in Huntington 1916 Aug. 19 25 sheets, blueprint Cab. 3(b)
Huntington: Unidentified county road ca.1916 29 sheets, blueprint Cab. 3(b)
Middlefield: Middlefield Highway 1901 July 01 Cab. 3(b)
Middlefield: Plan and elevation for a dam on Coles Brook for Virginia Lakeshore, Inc. 1958 Aug. 26 Cab. 3(b)
Middlefield: Plan of proposed alterations in crossing of highway and railroad in Middlefield 1912 Jan. 01 Cab. 3(b)
County Highways: Miscellaneous 1 Cab. 4
County Highways: Miscellaneous 2 Cab. 4
County Highways: Northampton Cab. 3
County Highways: Pelham, Plainfield, Southampton Cab. 3
County Highways: South Hadley Cab. 3
County Highways: Ware, Westhampton Cab. 3
County Highways: Williamsburg Cab. 4
County Highways: Worthington Cab. 4
Misc. maps, not inventoried Cab. 7
State Highways: Amherst, Belchertown, Pelham Cab. 5
State Highways: Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen Cab. 5
State Highways: Granby, Hadley, Hatfield Cab. 5
State Highways: Huntington, Pelham, Plainfield, South Hadley Cab. 5
State Highways: Northampton Cab. 5
State Highways: Southampton, Ware, Williamsburg, Worthington Cab. 5
Railroad Atlases 1839-1947 20 volumes
Hampshire Railroad docket 1839-1947 Cab. 8: top
Railroad grade crossings blueprints Cab. 1:7
Athol and Enfield Railroad: Plans of the Locations of the Athol and Enfield Railroad in Hampshire County 1873 Cab. 1:8
Boston and Albany Railroad: Land taken for railroad purposes in
the County of Hampshire
1897 Cab. 1:8
Boston and Maine Railroad:
Locations by the Boston and Maine Railroad of lands taken in Hampshire County, 1897

Locations by the Boston and Maine Railroad of lands taken in Hampshire County, part 2
1897 Cab. 1:9
Central Massachusetts Railroad Company: Central Massachusetts Railroad Company: Location in Hampshire County, Book 1 1886 Cab. 1:3
Central Massachusetts Railroad Company: Central Massachusetts Railroad Company Location in Hampshire County, Book 2 1887 Cab. 1:3
Central Massachusetts Railroad Company: Grade crossings 1897 Cab. 1:12
Central Massachusetts Railroad Company:
Land taken in… Northampton, 1888

Plan of a branch to the mills of the Otis Company in Ware, 1890

Locations by the Central Massachusetts Railroad of lands in Hampshire County, 1897
1888-1897 Cab. 1:7
Connecticut River Railroad:
From the depot grounds in Northampton to the line of the County of Franklin, Oct. 1846

Locations by the Connecticut River Railroad Company of Lands in Hampshire County, 1896
1847, 1896 Cab. 1:1
Hampden Railroad: Plan of the location of the Hampden Railroad in the County of Hampshire, Massachusetts, through the town of Belchertown 1911 Cab. 1:10
Hampshire and Franklin Railroad: Plan of the Location of the Hampshire and Franklin Railroad through Hampshire County 1847 Cab. 1:3
Massachusetts Central Railroad: Location in Hampshire County, Mass. 1881 Cab. 1:2
Mt. Holyoke Railroad and Mt. Tom and Easthampton Railroad:
Location of the Mt. Holyoke Railroad through the County of Hampshire, 1847

Location map, Mt. Tom and East Hampton Railroad, 1871
1847-1871 Cab. 1:8
New Haven and Northampton Company: Location maps of the New Haven and Northampton Co. Hampshire County, Massachusetts 1880 Cab. 1:10
New Haven and Northampton Company: Location of lands of the New Haven and Northampton Company, County of Hampshire, Mass. 1896 Cab. 1:9
New Haven and Northampton Company:
Location of Hampshire and Hampden Railroad, Hampshire County, 1854

Location of Hampshire and Hampden Railroad, 1856

Location of railroad, Northampton and Williamsburg, 1865

Location of branch track at Haydenville, 1875 July
1854-1875 Cab. 1:9
New London Northern Railroad:
Location of the New London Northern Railroad in Hampshire County, 1865

Location of the New London Northern Railroad in Hampshire Co, 1866

New London Railroad in Hampshire County, Mass, 1880
1865-1880 Cab. 1:7
Northampton and Shelburne Falls Railroad and Northampton and Springfield Railroad:
Northampton and Shelburne Falls Railroad, map of location of the first division from the Hampshire and Hampden Railroad in Northampton to a point in the town of Williamsburg, 1862

Northampton and Springfield Railroad location in Hampshire County, no 1-3, 1845

Northampton and Springfield Railroad location in Hampshire County, 1845
1845-1862 Cab. 1:10
Ware River Railroad:
Land taken for railroad purposes in the County of Hampshire

Location of the Ware River Railroad, Hampshire County, 1869

Location of the Western Rail-Road in the County of Hampshire, 1839
1839-1864 Cab. 1:4
1839-1969
Hampshire County (Mass.). Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions Indexes Undated 33 reels
Unidentified reel Cab. 9 (1): 1
Unidentified reel Cab. 9 (1): 2
Superior Court, Hampshire County: Divorce Records index, Supreme Judicial Court, alphabetical list A-end (1812-1887); Inferior Court of Commons Pleas Court of Sessions, Index cards A-Z continues on reels 2-20 (1677-1815) Cab. 9 (1): 3
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Alsop, Richard-Beers, Ephraim Cab. 9 (1): 4
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Beers, Ephraim-Bullard, John Cab. 9 (1): 5
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Bullard, John-Calrk, Nathan Cab. 9 (1): 6
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Clark, Nathan-Davenport, Charles Cab. 9 (1): 7
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Davenport, Charles-Elliot, John Cab. 9 (1): 8
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Elliot, John-Gaylord, William Cab. 9 (1): 9
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Gaylord, William-Hastings, Thomas Cab. 9 (1): 10
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Ingersoll, John-Leach, Asa Cab. 9 (1): 11
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Ingersoll, John-Leach, Asa Cab. 9 (1): 12
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Leach, Asa-McClellan, Hugh Cab. 9 (1): 13
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: McClellan, Hugh-ewhall, Joseph Cab. 9 (1): 14
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Newhall, Joseph-Phelps, Hezekiah Cab. 9 (1): 15
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Phelps, Hezekiah-Rising, Rayner Cab. 9 (1): 16
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Rising, Rayner-ikes, Joseph Cab. 9 (1): 17
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Sikes, Joseph-Stow, Eliakim Cab. 9 (1): 18
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Stow, Eliakim-Ward, Isaac Cab. 9 (1): 19
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions: Ward, Isaac-Williston, Joseph Cab. 9 (1): 20
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Court of Sessions (cont) Williston, Joseph-Z; Common Pleas index cards A-Z; A-Askins, John Cab. 9 (1): 21
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Askins, John-Bolles, Job Jabez Cab. 9 (1): 22
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Bolles, Job Jabez-Chaplink, Gordon Cab. 9 (1): 23
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Chaplin, Gordon-Curtis, Joshua Cab. 9 (1): 24
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Curtis, Joshua-Fellenberg Academy Cab. 9 (1): 25
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Fellenberg Academy-Hampshire Bank President Cab. 9 (1): 26
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Hampshire Bank President-Jones, Lyman Cab. 9 (1): 27
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Jones, Lyman-Maxwell, Sylvanus Cab. 9 (1): 28
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Maxwell, Sylvanua-Parsons, Curtis R. Cab. 9 (1): 29
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Parsons, Curtis R.-Root, Warham Cab. 9 (1): 30
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Root, Warham-Stebbins, Thomas Cab. 9 (1): 31
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Stebbins, Thomas-Warner, James Cab. 9 (1): 32
Inferior Court of Common Pleas: Warner, James-Y (no X or Z) Cab. 9 (1): 33
Hampshire County (Mass.). Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of Sessions Records 1677-1859 37 reels
Court Records: Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, 1677-1728; Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace, 1728-1735 1677-1728 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 75
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1725-1741 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 76
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1746-1757 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 77
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records: Index and various years 1762 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 78
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1764-1768 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 79
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1766-1771 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 80
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1773-1780 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 81
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1776-1790 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 82
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1783-1784 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 83
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1785-1788 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 84
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1715-1790 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 85
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1794-1796 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 86
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1797-1798 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 87
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1824-1837 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 88
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1797-1798 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 89
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1800 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 90
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1802-1804 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 91
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1804 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 92
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1806 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 93
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1808-1809 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 94
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1810 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 95
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1810-1811 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 96
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1811-1813 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 97
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1815-1816 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 98
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1817-1818 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 99
Inferi
or Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records
1820-1823 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 100
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1823 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 101
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1826-1829 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 102
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1830-1832 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 103
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1835-1838 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 104
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1844-1846 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 105
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1846-1848 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 106
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1849-1851 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 107
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1851-1853 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 108
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1854-1857 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 109
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1857-1859 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 110
Inferior Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions of the Peace Records 1852-1859 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 111
Hampshire County (Mass.). Registry of Deeds Records 1854-1860 4 reels
Hampshire County (Mass.) Registry of deeds 1859-1860 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 74a
Hampshire County (Mass.) Registry of deeds 1859-1860 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 74a
Hampshire County (Mass.) Registry of deeds 1859-1860 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 74c
Hampshire County (Mass.) Registry of deeds 1860 Cab. 9 (4): Forbes 74d
Hampshire County (Mass.). Registry of Probate Records 1660-1820 12 reels
Probate Records, vol. 1-4 1660-1780 Cab. 9 (8): 1
Probate Records, vol. 5-7 1729-1738 Cab. 9 (8): 2
Probate Records, vol. 9-10 1753-1758 Cab. 9 (8): 3
Probate Records, vol. 10-12 1761-1777 Cab. 9 (8): 4
Probate Records, vol. 13-14 1768-1786 Cab. 9 (8): 5
Probate Records, vol. 15-17 1785-1792 Cab. 9 (8): 6
Probate Records, vol. 18-20 1792-1799 Cab. 9 (8): 7
Probate Records, vol. 21-23 1799-1805 Cab. 9 (8): 8
Probate Records, vol. 24-25 1805-1808 Cab. 9 (8): 9
Probate Records, vol. 26-27 1809-1811 Cab. 9 (8): 10
Probate Records, vol. 28-29 1811-1814 Cab. 9 (8): 11
Probate Records, vol. 30-32 1815-1820 Cab. 9 (8): 12
Hampshire County (Mass.). Superior Court Records 1854-1908 10 reels
Civil Records
vol. 1 cont. (1856 Nov.-1857 June)
vol. 2 (1857 Oct.-1864 Oct.)
vol. 3 (1865 Feb.-1868 Nov.)
1856-1868 Cab. 9 (1): A21
Civil Records
vol. 4 (1869 Feb.-1870 Nov.)
vol. 5 (1871 Feb.-1872 June)
vol. 6 to p. 400 (1872 Oct.-1873 July)
1869-1873 Cab. 9 (1): A22
Civil Records
vol. 6 cont. (1873)
vol. 7 (1874)
vol. 8 (1875)
vol. 9 to p.340 (1876)
1873-1876 Cab. 9 (1): A23
Civil Records
vol. 9 cont. (1876)
vol. 10 (1877)
vol. 11 (1878)
1876-1878 Cab. 9 (1): A24
Civil Records
vol. 12 (1879 Feb.-1880 Feb.)
vol. 13 (1880 June-1881 June)
vol. 14 (1881 Oct.-1883 Apr.)
vol. 15 to p.230 (1883 June-1884 Mar.)
1879-1884 Cab. 9 (1): A25
Civil Records
vol. 15 cont. (1884)
vol. 16 (1885)
vol. 17 (1886 Feb.-1887 May)
vol. 18 to p.470 (1887 June-1888 Dec.)
1884-1888 Cab. 9 (1): A26
Civil Records
vol. 18 cont. (1886 Feb.-1887 May)
vol. 19 (1889 Feb.-1891 Feb.)
vol. 20 (1891 Feb.-1892 Ovt.)
vol. 21 (1892 Oct.-1894 Feb.)
1886-1894 Cab. 9 (1): A27
Civil Records
vol. 22 (1894 Feb.-1895 June)
vol. 23 (1895 Oct.-1896 Oct.)
vol. 24 (1897 Feb.-1898 June)
1894-1898 Cab. 9 (1): A28
Civil Records
vol. 25 (1898 Oct.-1899 Oct.)
vol. 26 (1899 Oct.-1891 Feb.)
vol. 27 (1901 Feb.-1903 May)
1898-1903 Cab. 9 (1): A29
Civil Records
vol. 28 (1903 June-1905 Feb.)
vol. 29 1905 Feb.-1906 Oct.)
vol. 30 (1906 Oct.-1908 Oct.)
1903-1908 Cab. 9 (1): A30
Massachusetts. Supreme Judicial Court Records 1797-1954 7 reels
Divorce Docket, 1888-1911, 1912-1918 18
88-1918
Cab. 9 (1): A14
Records
vol. 1 (1797-1803)
vol. 2 (1805-1813)
vol. 3 (1814-1820)
1797-1820 Cab. 9 (1): A15
Records
vol. 4 (1821-1833)
vol. 5 (1834-1851)
vol. 6 (1851-1859) to pg 500
1821-1859 Cab. 9 (1): A16
Records
vol. 6 cont. (1865-1871)
vol. 7 (1865-1871)
vol. 8 Nisi Prius and Law (1872-1877)
vol. 9 Probate and Equity to p. 400 (1872-1877)
1865-1877 Cab. 9 (1): A17
Records
vol. 9 (1877)
vol. 10 Probate and equity (1878-1881)
vol. 11 Nisi prius and law (1878-1882)
vol. 12 Probate and Equity (1882-1886)
1877-1886 Cab. 9 (1): A18
Records
vol. 13 Nisi prius and law (1883-1886)
vol. 14 Probate and Equity (1886-1893)
1883-1893 Cab. 9 (1): A19
Records
vol. 15 Nisi Prius and Law (1887-1900)
vol. 16 Probate and Equity (1894-1910)
vol. 17 Nisi Prius and Law (1901-1954)
Superior Court Records Civil: vol. 1 to pg 470 (1854 Feb-1856 Nov.)
1854-1954 Cab. 9 (1): A20
Naturalization Records 1849-1934 13 reels
Naturalization Records of Aliens (lacking July-Sept. 1874?) 1849 Feb-1896 Feb. Cab. 9 (1): A1
Naturalization Records of Aliens, Feb 1897-Sept. 1906; Index to final naturalization dockets (District Court), Sept. 1885-Sept. 1906; Final naturalization docket 1885-1906 1885-1906 Cab. 9 (1): A2
Naturalization Records of Aliens, vols. 4-7 1913-1924 Cab. 9 (1): A3
Naturalization Records of Aliens, vol. 7-10 1924-1934 Cab. 9 (1): A4
Petitions for Naturalization, vol. 1-3 1907-1913 Cab. 9 (1): A5
Petitions for Naturalization, vol. 4-6 1913-1917 Cab. 9 (1): A6
Petitions for Naturalization, vol. 7-8 1917-1920 Cab. 9 (1): A7
Petitions for Naturalization, vol. 9-10 1920-1923 Cab. 9 (1): A8
Petitions for Naturalization, vol. 10-13 1923-1925 Cab. 9 (1): A9
Petitions for Naturalization, vol. 13-15 1925-1927 Cab. 9 (1): A10
Petitions for Naturalization, vol. 16-19 1927-1929 Cab. 9 (1): A11
Petitions for Naturalization, vol. 19-21 1929-1931 Cab. 9 (1): A12
Petitions for Naturalization, vol. 22-23 1931-1934 Cab. 9 (1): A13
dingbat for decoration
Provenance

When Hampshire County was dissolved in 1999, Massachusetts General Law 34B, S20(b), specified that all records of county roads were to be transferred to the Hampshire Council of Governments. In 2011, the Council permitted SCUA to provide care and access to the records.

Processing Information

Processed by I. Eliot Wentworth, June 2012.

Index to Highways

View the Index to highway records in the Hampshire Council collection.

Copyright and Use (More informationConnect to publication information)

Cite as: Hampshire Council of Governments Records (MS 704). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.

Subjects

Bridges--Massachusetts--Hampshire CountDams--Massachusetts--Hampshire CountHampshire County (Mass.)--HistoryHampshire County (Mass.)--Politics and governmentIndians of North America--MassachusettsNorthampton (Mass.)--HistoryNorthampton (Mass.)--Social life and customsRailroads--MassachusettsRoads--Massachusetts--Hampshire CountyTaverns (Inns)--Massachusetts--Hampshire County

Contributors

Hampshire County (Mass.). County CommissionersMassachusetts. Court of General Sessions of the Peace (Hampshire County)Massachusetts. Inferior Court of Common Pleas (Hampshire County)

Types of material

Civil court recordsMaps