Swift River Valley Historical Society Inc

The Swift River Valley Historical Society has been keeping alive the stories of New Salem and the four "lost towns" of the Quabbin for more than 80 years. Our rich collection of artifacts, documents and photographs tells story upon story of the people and places no longer with us--whether a photograph of eighth-grade graduates dressed in their finest, a humble household tool, or vital records of births, weddings, epidemics and death--each is a glimpse into the lives and losses of both individuals and communities.

As we pause at year’s end to reflect, we also look toward the future with renewed energy and continued commitment. We are focused on the question, "What must we do to keep these stories alive for the next 80 years?" We have made great strides in the recent past, creating a digital database for our archive collection and collaborating with UMass Special Collections and the Boston Public Library to digitize town meeting, military, church and tax records-- now available online for researchers anywhere, anytime! We’ve rehoused many of the photographs in the collection and have completed and dedicated a new climate-controlled archival storage space to protect the irreplaceable records of life in the Swift River Valley.

The cost of caring for the collections entrusted to us--and the historic buildings that house them--continues to escalate. We invite you to help us--your gift today will have an impact for years to come!