The Pollard Memorial Library

Genealogy & Local History

Our Collection

• Books - Local history (covering Kerouac, the mills/millgirls, local authors, and Lowell history) and genealogy sources including the following titles: Directory of Family Associations, Finding Italian Roots, The Genealogist's Address Book, In Search of Your ... Roots (British & Irish, Canadian, European, German), Hispanic Surnames and Family History, and Polish Roots, International Vital Records Handbook, Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors & Marines, The Source : A Guidebook of American Genealogy, and much more.
• City Directories, 1832 - date


• The Sun, as well as other Lowell newspapers, 1878 - date. There are no indexes.


• Lowell death reports (submitted by City Clerk to Lowell newspapers) 1876-1885, 1900-1934
• Lowell marriage intentions (submitted by City Clerk to Lowell newspapers) 1900-1950
• Lowell birth reports (submitted by City Clerk to Lowell newspapers) 1915-1935
• Obituary indexes - 1940-1942, 1960-1962, 1971-1977
• City atlases - 1879, 1897, 1906, 1927, 1936
• Census information on microfilm, 1830-. There are no indexes.
• Lowell Census, 1865
• New England town histories
• Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850

The staff will be better able to help you if you come prepared with as much background information as possible, especially important dates. Although extensive research cannot be done by our staff, we will be happy to direct you to the proper sources, enabling you to conduct your own research.

Local History Sites

General
• 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 to encourages and promotes the study of the history of the city.
• Lowell in Fiction - A list of fiction about Lowell for adults and children.
• 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.
Jack Kerouac
• 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 on early Lowell industrialization.
• "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.

Genealogy sites

• American Family Immigration History Center
• Ancient Faces - Thousands of family pictures.
• The Archives of the Archdiocese of Boston - Historical and genealogical sources.
• Boston Public Library
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Family History Center
• City Clerk - The Lowell City Clerk's office has information on births, deaths, and marriages.
• Cyndi's List - One of the most popular genealogy sites. Cyndi Howell's collection of more than 99,000 links to genealogical web sites.
• Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter - Articles, reviews and tips for genealogists.
• Family Search - Sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). Vital records extraction project 35+ million names in its Ancestral File, 360+ million names in the International Genealogical Index and Family History Library Catalog with records from more than 2 million rolls of microfilm.
• Family Tree Maker - Includes how-to articles, extensive annotated directory of related internet resources, research services and much more.
• Genealogy Webliography - Books and websites for beginner and expert genealogists, chosen by the Library.
• Genealogy.org - Hosted by Rootsweb.
• Genealogy Resources by States - Annotated directory maintainted by Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
• National Archives and Record Administration Genealogy Page
• New England Historic Genealogical Society
• 1930 Census - A comprehensive guide to the 1930 Census from the National Archives and Records Administration.
• Northern Middlesex Registry of Deeds
• Rootsweb- Massachusetts - Links to many Massachusetts resources for genealogy research.
• Rootsweb Ethnic Mailing Lists - Large collection of ethnic genealogy mailing lists.
• Saint Patrick Cemetery - Contains genealogy burial listings from 1895 thru 2003
• Social Security Death Index - Searchable database of the Death Master File from the U.S. Social Security Adminstration mostly from mid1960's to date.
• USGen Web Project - Links to all the state genealogy Web sites, special archiving projects on census, cemetery tombstones, guides to doing research.
• United States Historical Census Data Browser - Population and economic data from the U.S. Census, 1790-1960.
• Vital Records Information
• Where to Write for Vital Records - Information for accessing vital records by state.

Ask a Local History/Genealogy Question

The staff will be better able to help you if you provide as much background information as possible, especially important dates. Although extensive research cannot be done by our staff, we will be happy to direct you to the proper sources, enabling you to conduct your own research.

Mail Requests

• $5.00 per search plus $.25 per page photocopy charges for searches taking less than 15 minutes of staff time.
• $15.00 per hour, or portion thereof, plus $.25 per page photocopy charges for searches taking more than 15 minutes of staff time.
• A bill will be sent to you, and research materials will be forwarded after payment is received.

Email Requests

• your email address
• your name
• your complete mailing address including number and street (or PO Box), city, state and zip or postal code, and country if not USA
• your question, giving as much background information as necessary (or as much as you have)
  We are unable to open email attachments. Please send your request in the email body without attachments.

Thank you for your questions!