Local History/Genealogy Questions

We will scan and email information on local history/genealogy, obituaries, etc. If email is not possible, there will be a charge of $.25/copy to be mailed. 

We will respond to your request as quickly as possible. Thank you!

Local History/Genealogy Questions Form

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Local History FAQ 

Q: Who was Lowell named after?
A: Francis Cabot Lowell (1774-1817). Son of Judge John Lowell. 1793 graduate of Harvard College. Established Boston Manufacturing Co in 1813 with Patrick Tracy Jackson and Nathan Appleton. He is famous for adapting English engineering plans for water powered turbines for use in American textile manufacturing. Lowell died before the city that bears his name was founded.

Q: When was Lowell founded?
A: Town of Lowell incorporated March 1, 1826—Population 2,500
City of Lowell April 1, 1836—Population  18,000

Q: Do you have Lowell High School yearbooks?
A: The library does not collect yearbooks of any kind. Lowell High School Library has a
small collection of LHS Yearbooks. We would suggest you follow up with the particular school to see if they have a similar collection.

Q: Are there any fiction books about Lowell?
A: Plenty. Lowell has been the muse for and setting of many a work of fiction. We have
created a partial list that’s available here Lowell in Fiction. If you know of a work that’s not included please let us know on our comment form.

Q: How do I research my home?
A: We have a number of resources which will help you research the history of your home.

1. Your home might be listed in the Lowell Cultural Resources Inventory or the Lowell Neighborhoods: Historical Survey both of which have been digitized by UMass Lowell Libraries. We have bound print copies of the former survey in the our Reference Room.
2. You may want to come in and look at our Lowell atlases: 1879, 1897, 1906, 1927, 1936  and City Directories from 1832 to present. Often times the atlases will show footprint information for structures and a listing of the owner at time of publication.
3. You will want to check out the City of Lowell Geographic Information System. This handy resource features an interactive map with many “layers” allowing you to view municipal data, roadways, school districts, neighborhoods and more. Along with current information about particular properties, their assessed values, history and sales information. Lowellians are lucky to have such a rich online treasure-trove of community data.

Q: How can I obtain obituaries?
A: 1) Microfilm. We have The Lowell Sun on microfilm dating back to 1878 plus other area
newspapers (full list available on our collections page [research-collections]). You are welcome to use what microfilm we have during normal business hours. Requests for our reference department to do the research for you may be made in writing by postal mail attn: Reference Department or by filling out the form on our Ask a Question page or by sending your request in writing to: Attn: Local History Pollard Library, 401 Merrimack St., Lowell, MA 01852. There is a small charge of $5.00 for the first 15 minutes of research.   If your request takes longer than 15 minutes, the charge is $15.00 per hour.   
2) Online. We have a subscription to Access Newspaper Databases available for
in-library use. This database covers the years roughly 1900—1970.  You can search by the person’s name or keyword to obtain a full text .pdf of the appropriate newspaper page. Please come in to the library and we can set you up and show you how to search.

General Reference Questions

There is no charge for general reference questions. We will respond to your question as quickly as possible. Thank You!

Research - General Reference Questions

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Last Name

Phone

Email

City

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Columbia (District of) Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

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Lowell Maps

• 1879 City Atlas of Lowell - PDF | JPGs published by G.M. Hopkins, 1879. Digitized by The State Library of Massachusetts
• 1906 City Atlas of Lowell - PDF | JPGs published by L.J. Richards & Co., 1906. Digitized by The State Library of Massachusets

Lowell Area Yearbooks

• Lowell High School Yearbooks - A limited number of LHS yearbooks have been digitized by UMass Lowell Special Collections.
• Splinters - Rogers Hall School for Girls - A limited number of this local literary magazine have been digitized by UMass Lowell Special Collections.

Jack Kerouac Links

• DHARMA Beat - A Jack Kerouac newszine dedicated to writing about Kerouac's life and writing.
• Jack Kerouac - Biography and links by Levi Asher.
• Jack Kerouac - Jack Kerouac information, quotes, and links.
• Jack Kerouac Foundation
• Lowell Celebrates Kerouac, Inc. - A non-profit organization dedicated to promoting an appreciation of Jack Kerouac's life and literature. 
• Lowell National Historical Park - The Park's Kerouac site.
• Words of Jack Kerouac - Ferrini Productions

Lowell Mills and the Mill Girls

• Early Lowell Industrialization - Sketches and photos from the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institute.
• "Liberty Rhetoric" - Lives of the Lowell mill girls- part of a website "Liberty Rhetoric" and 19th century women prepared by Professor Lavender , Dept of History, College of Staten Island Studies.
• Lowell National Historical Park History Pages - History of the mills and Lowell during the Industrial Revolution

General Local History History Links

• American Local History Network, Inc. - A central point of entry to independent web sites with historical or genealogical content.
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts - Official website.
• Library of Congress - American Life Histories- Manuscripts from Federal Writers Project 1936-1940.
• Lowell Historical Society - At the Boott Cotton Mills Museum. The Society collects, preserves and publishes materials related to Lowell and encourages and promotes the study of the history of the city
• Massachusetts Archives - General information, hours & directions, services, researching family history at the archives.
• Mogan Cultural Center - At the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for Massachusetts, local and state insurance maps, city directories, and town histories. Special collections. Special projects include Dracut, Lawrence, and Tyngsboro, Massachusetts.
• National Historic Landmarks Program
• The Secretary of the Commonwealth - Division of the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth with links to archives, public records, registry of deeds, state records center, etc.
• Preparing, Protecting, Preserving, FamilyTreasures Library of Congress page provides simple instructions as well as comprehensive links to resources related to saving and protecting priceless family treasures