Hours

The genealogy collection is housed in the main portion of the Waltham Room, in front of the locked gates, and is available for use during all library working hours. Those needing assistance should make an appointment with our archivist.

Purpose

The genealogy collection serves to help those researching their family histories. This collection of books aims to document Massachusetts families. The focus is on Waltham's early immigrants including the Irish, Italians, French-Canadians, English, and Scandinavians. The collection is now being developed to include our later immigrants. These groups include: Haitians, Latin Americans, Eastern Europeans, and Asians.

Description

The genealogy collection includes:

Periodicals

• The New England Historic and Genealogical Register
• New York Genealogical and Biographical Record
• The American Genealogist
• Everton's Genealogical Helper

Waltham Materials

• Waltham Annual Listings and City Directories
• Waltham town records on microfilm
• Waltham vital records on microfilm through 1905
• Waltham newspapers 1830-present
• Deaths in Waltham from City Directories: 1912-1960
• Vital Statistics Index from Waltham’s News Tribune: Births, Marriages, Engagements, and Anniversaries - 1995-Present

  Through early 1999 the specifics of the birth, marriage, etc. are not given in the notes column. A 3-digit code in column 6 provides the following clues: “597” = Birth; “610” = Marriage; “609” = Engagement; “608” = Anniversary. For further information please contact the Archivist.

• Waltham Vital Records up to 1850
• Waltham Cemetery Department's Online Record Search with Maps

Databases

• Ancestry Library (In Library Use Only)
• Heritage Quest (Home Access for Waltham Residents, Only)
• New England Historic Genealogical Society Databases
• Sanborn Maps (In Library Use Only)
• Waltham City Directories Online
• Waltham Vital Records up to 1850

Censuses

• New England 1790 State Censuses
• Massachusetts Census Indices to 1850
• Massachusetts Town Censuses for 1855 and 1865

New England Materials

• Collected biographies and genealogies for New England
• Pre-1850 vital records for New England towns
• Local histories
• New England family genealogies

Other

• "How-to" books on genealogy
• Ethnic genealogy resources
• Passenger list indices
• Books on surnames
• Patriotic Society materials
• Inventories for other libraries and archives

There are also materials in the Special Collections that may aid genealogists. The following materials are available by appointment only:

• Small group of genealogies and biographies for Waltham families
• Local History books pertaining to Waltham
• The Waltham Rediscovered collection - a collection of transcripts, oral histories and other material related to the writing of the book
• Birth, Baptismal, passports etc. believed to be used by individuals to obtain working papers in Waltham 1890-1950
• Yearbooks
• Photographs

For a catalog of our genealogy books and periodicals please see the Minuteman Library Network.

Please contact Janice Zwicker at 781-314-3431 to set up an appointment.