Above: An example of a scanned 1773 document can be found on the 01772history.org website.
The Town Clerk’s office has been overseeing a project to preserve and digitize the Town’s historical records. As part of the project the digital records are being uploaded to a dedicated, searchable public website that describes each document and why it is significant.
At Tuesday night’s Select Board meeting, Town Clerk Jim Hegarty explained that “thousands and thousands” of documents have already been scanned in. And thanks to help from Matt Probst of the Municipal Technology Committee, the public can view documents at 01772history.org. (For more about the website, scroll down.)
The topic came up during a discussion of Hegarty’s request for funding to aid the project. He explained the work was started with Community Preservation Act funds previously approved to pay for seniors* do do the scanning using the Town’s in house scanners and using the Mass Library system.
There are about 10,000 documents which can’t be scanned using the Town’s scanner due to their condition. All are at least 50 years old and some over 100 years old. Hegarty is seeking more CPA funding to support some of that work with use of an archivist.
He asked the board for $56,630 for funds that aren’t eligible for CPA funding. He explained that he was told that only documents that are being physically preserve qualify for CPA funding. Since many of the documents were previously physically preserved but not digitized at that time, digitizing those doesn’t qualify.
Hegarty was hoping to use ARPA funds, and get moving immediately on the project. He said said his back up plan would be to fund the project incrementally in his budget over the next two fiscal years.
Select Board members were supportive of the project. But they weren’t willing yet to commit ARPA funds. They want to get further into the budget process, understanding the Capital Expenses the Town will need to deal with this year, and make some other ARPA decisions before deciding.
Member Kathy Cook referred to worries over coming expenses for culvert work that could be a big hit. (That’s based on a DPW update earlier this fall that I’ve yet to share. Stay tuned.)
Hegarty said his goal is to have the project completed in time for the Town’s Tricentennial in 2027.
The physical documents are stored in the Town Clerk’s vault, which isn’t climate controlled. Addressing that is a funding expense Hegarty plans to also pursue in the future.
So what are the records, and what’s on the website?
Asked to describe the documents he is working to archive, Hegarty said he didn’t have a list with him, but they covered a “smorgasbord” of items including records from the 1700s, tax lists, residents that participated in the Civil War, and church records. He summed up that the documents “tell the story of Southborough”.
Documents include one signed by Sam Adams and John Hancock. Another is the original document asking to split off from Marlborough because it was too far to drive to church on Sunday. Surprisingly, those older documents are among those that didn’t need work to be physically preserved.
Hegarty explained that after the Civil War, the process to create paper pulp was made easier. The benefit was a drop in prices leading to a surge in literacy. But they didn’t consider the impact of acidity in the paper (which makes the documents deteriorate.)
He said they only began removing acidity from paper a few decades ago. Under the preservation project, they have been treating some of the documents to reduce acidity and reduce further deterioration.
A couple of minutes browsing the site brought up some random gems that I found fascinating. I’m highlighting two examples.
Under records on “Southborough in the Revolution” is a Citizen’s Petition Article submitted to Selectmen on February 5th 1773 “on Rights and Privileges”. The twenty five men who signed asked for the next Town Meeting:
To see if said Southborough will do anything by way of ascertaining the rights and privileges of this province and the infringement of those rights, and pass any legal vote or votes concerning the same that may be proper
An 18551-52 Annual Town Report by the School Committee is an entertaining read. The introduction starts off sounding inspirational. But the focus is one that seems to always be at the forefront of school discussions even today — the desire to understand how the quality of the school system ranks against other towns:
not only in a man’s education is his chief crowning excellence, but also in a town’s education is her marked pre-eminence ; because knowledge is power, intelligent power, that works wonders of improvement and elevation.
Your Committee propose, therefore, to contemplate the educational position of the town of Southborough as compared: with other towns. . .
As the document continues, the focus shifts to a topic that feels a bit puritanical. (Although, I’m sure many of us can relate to something our kids learned or heard from peers in school that made us angry, or at list cringe):
Another thought connected with this subject, and one on which your Committee cannot, forbear to speak somewhat. plainly, is the teaching of good morals, good manners, and the maintenance of good order, In our schools. That. we have fallen somewhat below the true standard in these respects cannot be denied . . .
The most intelligent teachers nor the most efficient Committee in the Union could not roll back the tide’ of profanity and obscenity, while all these things were passed over lightly by the parents at home. Oh, how pernicious, contaminating, and soul-destroying is the foul-mouthed youth in the high associations of a public school of young immortals!
Who should not, who does not, deplore thé extent of profanity in our common schools? Let, then, that man whose son uses it restrain him effectually, — restrain him, at least, while within the sacred enclosure of our public schools, — if he would hope to escape the censure of a virtuous and indignant community.
To do your own browsing or searching, visit 01772history.org.
*I’m assuming the senior employees doing the scanning are through the Town’s program that allows qualifying senior citizens to apply to work off a portion of their property tax bill.
