These days, it is easy to find information about any location in the world by typing in the place name on one’s personal computer from the comfort of home. The digital search results can even include high-resolution images of the desired site and its immediate vicinity. However, delving into the past of a place is not as easy, and for this activity the printed book can convey not only information but context. The History and Antiquities of Every Town in Massachusetts is a historical travelogue of Massachusetts for the modern researcher. Its author, engraver and historian John Warner Barber, gives his historical perspective of the towns and cities of Massachusetts from their respective beginnings up until the time of the volume’s publication in 1839.
Modern biographical sketches of John Warner Barber say that he is known best for his books on local, state, and national history, and the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia notes that “his engravings caught the flavor and appearance of city, town, and countryside in his day.” In this fourth compiled history – he has similar volumes for Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and other locales – Mr. Barber arranges his descriptions conveniently in alphabetical order, first by county name, then by town or city name. His facts and details of each town’s early settlement include original Native American place names as well as names of successive leaders of the principal religious institution founded there. Statistics about local industries and agriculture, descriptions of landmark architecture and cultural organizations, and brief biographical sketches of historic residents round out the picture of the place. The language of the descriptions, his choice of excerpted texts, and his illustrations communicate to the thoughtful reader the historical perceptions of Mr. Barber’s time.
Since the publication of Barber’s work – originally called Historical Collections; Being a General Collection of Interesting Facts, Traditions, Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes, etc., Relating to the History and Antiquities of Every Town in Massachusetts with Geographical Description – Massachusetts has expanded from the 306 towns and cities described to 351, according to the 2010 census. In addition to this modern reckoning, Barber’s original number is reduced by four towns (Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott) abolished in 1927 and drowned by the Quabbin Reservoir in 1938, and again by four towns (Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, and Roxbury) annexed into the City of Boston. The landscapes of Barber’s time have been expanded and altered by the introduction of the railroads and industrialization. In this volume is contained a snapshot of Massachusetts on the edge of that change, allowing readers to look backward to its historic origins from a nineteenth-century perspective.
Adapted from the foreword to John Warner Barber’s The History and Antiquities of Every Town in Massachusetts.
About Alice Kane
Alice Kane worked with NEHGS constituents until 2020, orienting and facilitating research for first-time visitors to the NEHGS headquarters. Prior to joining the staff, she was a librarian at the Boston Public Library for 19 years. Alice is an expert in Chinese and Chinese-American genealogy and also has extensive experience with French-Canadian, Irish, and German research. She earned a bachelor’s degree in History from Harvard University.View all posts by Alice Kane →
Siku hizi, ni rahisi kupata habari kuhusu eneo lolote ulimwenguni kwa kuandika jina la mahali kwenye kompyuta ya kibinafsi ya mtu kutoka kwa faraja ya nyumbani. Matokeo ya utafutaji wa kidigitali yaweza hata kutia ndani picha zenye azimio la juu za mahali panapohitajika na ujirani wake wa karibu. Hata hivyo, kuchunguza historia ya mahali fulani si jambo rahisi, na kwa ajili ya shughuli hii kitabu kilichochapishwa chaweza kutoa habari tu bali pia muktadha. Historia na Vitu vya Kale vya Kila Jiji huko Massachusetts ni kitabu cha kihistoria cha kusafiri cha Massachusetts kwa mtafiti wa kisasa. "Mwandishi wa kitabu hicho, John Warner Barber, alitoa maoni yake ya kihistoria kuhusu miji na vijiji vya Massachusetts kuanzia mwanzo wake hadi wakati wa kuchapishwa kwa kitabu hicho mwaka 1839.""" "Mwanzoni mwa karne ya 19 John Warner Barber aliandika vitabu vya historia ya nchi, na katika kitabu chake cha ""The New York Times"" aliandika kwamba ""mchoro wake ulionyesha ladha na sura ya mji, mji, na vijijini katika siku zake.""[3] Katika kitabu hiki cha nne cha historia, Barber aliandika vitabu vya Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, na maeneo mengine." Maelezo yake ya kila mji wa makazi ya mapema ni pamoja na majina ya asili ya mahali pa Wenyeji wa Amerika na majina ya viongozi wa mfululizo wa taasisi kuu ya kidini iliyoanzishwa huko. Takwimu kuhusu viwanda na kilimo vya mahali hapo, maelezo ya usanifu-ujenzi wa kihistoria na mashirika ya kitamaduni, na picha fupi za wasifu wa wakazi wa kihistoria huongeza picha ya mahali hapo. Lugha ya maelezo, uteuzi wake wa maandishi yaliyochukuliwa, na vielezi vyake vinamweleza msomaji mwenye kufikiri maoni ya kihistoria ya wakati wa Bw. Barber. Tangu kuchapishwa kwa kazi ya Barber, awali iitwayo Makusanyo ya Kihistoria, kuwa Mkusanyiko Mkuu wa Mambo ya Kuvutia, Mapokeo, Biografia, Sketches, Anekdoti, na kadhalika, kuhusiana na Historia na Antiquities ya Kila Mji katika Massachusetts na Maelezo ya Kijiografia, Massachusetts imepanuka kutoka miji 306 iliyoelezwa hadi 351 kulingana na sensa ya 2010. Kwa kuongezea hesabu hii ya kisasa, idadi ya awali ya Barber imepunguzwa na miji minne (Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, na Prescott) iliyokataliwa mnamo 1927 na kuzamishwa na Hifadhi ya Quabbin mnamo 1938, na tena na miji minne (Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, na Roxbury) iliyounganishwa na Jiji la Boston. Mandhari ya wakati wa Barber imepanuliwa na kubadilishwa na kuanzishwa kwa reli na viwanda. Kitabu hiki kina picha ya Massachusetts kwenye ukingo wa mabadiliko hayo, na kuwawezesha wasomaji kuangalia nyuma kwenye asili yake ya kihistoria kutoka mtazamo wa karne ya kumi na tisa. Ilibadilishwa kutoka kwa utangulizi wa John Warner Barber's The History and Antiquities of Every Town in Massachusetts. Alice Kane alifanya kazi na wanachama wa NEHGS hadi 2020, akielekeza na kuwezesha utafiti kwa wageni wa kwanza kwenye makao makuu ya NEHGS. Kabla ya kujiunga na timu ya Boston, alikuwa mkurugenzi wa maktaba katika Maktaba ya Umma ya Boston kwa miaka 19. Alice ni mtaalamu wa nasaba ya Kichina na Kichina-Amerika na pia ana uzoefu mkubwa na utafiti wa Kifaransa-Kanada, Ireland, na Ujerumani. Alipata shahada ya kwanza katika Historia kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Harvard.Tazama machapisho yote na Alice Kane →