Massachusetts state documents are cataloged and accessible in the Library Catalog. This guide further enhances access by listing major catalogs, guides, indexes and resources that identify important historical documents in the Massachusetts state documents collection.

Finding Aids: Catalogs, Guides, Indexes

     Guide to Massachusetts Local History.  By Charles A. Flagg.  1907.
     (UM/REF Z1295 F65)     

     Index to all types of literature of the towns, cities, and counties of the state up to 1906.

     Historical Data Relating to Counties, Cities, and Towns in Massachusetts. 
     Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth.   5^th ed.  1997.
     (UM/REF F64 G35 1997)

     Important dates related to establishment, annexations, boundries, as well as historic names.

     Index and Guide to Massachusetts State Legislative Documents, 1802-1882

     Massachusetts State Library. 1972 .

     (Gov. Doc. Ref.  Z 1223.5 M35 B55)

     Subject and name index to House and Senate bills and legislative reports.

     Index of Economic Material in Documents of the States of the United States: Massachusetts,

     1789-1904 (Carnegie Institution of Washington)

     (Gov. Doc. Ref. Z 1295 H354 1965+)

     Presents reports of administrative officers, legislative committees, special commissions, and governors'

     messages for 1789-1904.   Arranged alphabetically by subject with cross references.

     Index of Special Reports Authorized by the General Court, 1900-1988  (Legislative Research Bureau)
     (6^th ed., 1989) 

     (Gov. Doc. Ref. KFM 2821 A58 L4 1989)

      Lists reports of legislative committees, special commissions, or agencies written for the General Court.

     Indexing is by name and subject.

     Index to Massachusetts Legislative Documents, 1883-1899    
     (W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts Amherst)

      (Gov. Doc. Ref. Z 1223.5 M35 A32 1994)

     Subject, name index to House and Senate bills and legislative reports.

     Library Catalog (OPAC)

     All Massachusetts state documents in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library are cataloged in the Library Catalog.

      Search by author, title, subject, keyword, and call number.

     Massachusetts State Publications.  (State Library of Massachusetts)      

     (Annual, 1962-2000  (MASS.  SL 1.4/2: )    

     (Quarterly, 2001-    . (MASS.  SL 1.4: )

       Listing of all state publications issued during the year.  Arranged by agency. Includes keyword index. Lists

       document microfilm number at the end of each citation.  Du Bois Library has microfilm holdings from 1975.

     Title Keyword Index to Massachusetts State Public Documents, 1857-1899
     (W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts, Amherst) 1993  
     (REF. Z 1295.T57 1993)

      General subject index to annual reports of state agencies, executive offices, commissions, and institutions.

     Compiled to alleviate problems searching the public documents located in the Five College (FC)Depository
      that are bound by year and public document number.  Also follows agency name and public document number 
     changes.

Major Massachusetts State Government Historical Resources

     Acts and Resolves Passed by the General Court of Massachusetts  (1691-present)
     (Secretary of the Commonwealth) 

     (KFM 2425 A25)

      1997- to present also available online.  Annual compilation of session laws passed by the General Court
       with subject index.

     Census of Massachusetts.  (Secretary of the Commonwealth)  (1855-1975)    

     (Gov. Doc. Ref. HA 432 [yr.])

     Issued decennially by the state of Massachusetts.  
      1855-1905 contain population, social, manufacturing, and agricultural statistics by state, county, and community.

     1915-1975 contain only population statistics.    

     Documents [House of Representatives]  (Commonwealth of Massachusetts) (1850-1975)

     (FC Depository)

     Also referred to as Massachusetts Legislative Documents.

     Full text of bills and legislative reports issued by the Massachusetts House.

     Documents [Senate]   (Commonwealth of Massachusetts) (1836-1966) 

      (Five College Depository)

     Also referred to as Massachusetts Legislative Documents.

     Full text of bills and legislative reports issued by the Massachusetts Senate.

     [General Court Documents]  (Graphic Microfilm) 

      (1967-1995)  (Microfilm D 266-7)

     Also referred to as Massachusetts Legislative Documents.

     Full text of bills and legislative reports issued by the Massachusetts House and Senate.

     Journal of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

     (Secretary of the Commonwealth).  1883-2000

     (J 87 M 84c)

     2001-to present also available online.

     Brief summary of daily activity in the House.  Includes subject index, bill histories, and votes.

     Journal of the Senate   (Secretary of the Commonwealth)  (1883-2000) 
      (J 87 M4b)

     1997-to present also available online.  Brief summary of daily activity in the Senate.  Includes subject index, bill

     histories, and votes.

     Public Documents of Massachusetts Series:

     (MASS.  P.D. [no.])

      Annual reports of Massachusetts state agencies, commissions, and institutions from the mid-nineteenth

     century.

     The Library possesses two sets:

 Set 1.  Cataloged as Public Documents of Massachusetts, and arranged by year and public document number,

            with holdings from 1857-1939.  It is located at the Five College Depository (FC Depository).  
  Set 2.  Each agency is cataloged individually, arranged by public document number, and located in the W.E.B. 
            Du Bois Library.

     Some important titles from the Public Document series include:

          Annual Report of the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture  (1853-1914)  (Board of Agriculture) 
             (MASS.  P.D. 4)

            Contains statistics on agriculture, articles about farming and agriculture, and reports by state agricultural

              departments, offices and bureaus. Title varies over the years.

          Annual Report of the Vital Statistics of Massachusetts  (1858-1996)  (Department of Public Health) 
             (MASS.  P.D. 1)

          Statistics include births, deaths, and marriages by state, county and community levels. 
             Title varies over the years.

          Annual Report on the Statistics of Labor   (1869-1944)  (Department of Labor and Industries)
             (MASS.  P.D. 15)

          Each year has different statistics and reports on various subjects related to labor and industry ranging from

          abandoned farms to women in the labor force to labor strikes to immigration. 

          Massachusetts Election Statistics  (1866-    )  (Secretary of the Commonwealth) 
          (MASS.  P.D. 43)

      Election results from national and state elections.  Registered enrollments and voter turnout by community. 

      Results of voting on ballot questions.

 Statistical View of the Population of Massachusetts from 1765 to 1840

 By Jesse Chickering  (Boston, Little and Brown, 1846) 

 (Gov. Doc. Ref. HA 436 C5)

 Population for state, counties and communities.  Includes some data by race and short reports on agriculture and

 manufactures.