History Research Guide: Local History

The collection contains records related to Robert Cormier’s writing career both in journalism and in literature. Included in the collection are published and unpublished works, drafts and edited manuscripts, poetry, speeches and essays.

Dr. John Ellis van Courtland Moon is a historian and retired Fitchburg State University professor. The collection contains records related to his research on education, military history and policy, and the history of chemical and biological warfare.

The collection consists of records related to Salvatore’s writings including published and unpublished manuscripts, short stores, editorial and fan correspondence, reviews, interviews and articles.

Senator Marcus Allen Coolidge (1865-1947) was a local businessman, public servant and Senator from Massachusetts to the United States Senate. He was elected the Mayor of Fitchburg in 1916, and served in the U.S. Senate from 1931-1937.

The Observatory was located on the grounds of Camp Middlesex in Ashby, Massachusetts and was run by Dr. Frederick Davis of the Fitchburg State College Biology Department. The Collection consists of records of the Ashby Bird Observatory.

The collection contains the records of the Alumni Association of Fitchburg State University. Materials include organizational records, photographs, publications and ephemera that document the life of the institution and its graduates.

Dr. Richard L. Kent was a faculty member of the Fine Arts and Music Department at Fitchburg State College from 1947-1982. The collection consists mainly of sheet music for Dr. Kent’s published and unpublished choral compositions and arrangements.

The collection consists of the records of the Fitchburg Public Library WPA Projects 20333 and 23365, and includes correspondence, employee records, reports and a log book.

William Wolkovich-Valkavicius, priest and author, was born June 29, 1929 in Hudson, Massachusetts to Lithuanian immigrants. Includes original research and notes compiled for his book, "Immigrants and Yankees in Nashoba Valley, Massachusetts".

The collection consists of personal records and photographs of Amelia Gallucci-Cirio, her family and her relationship with Fitchburg State as a student, alumni and sponsor of the Center for Italian Culture at the Fitchburg State University Library.

The records of the Center for Italian Culture at Fitchburg State University. Included are oral history interviews for the Sogni d’Oro project and research materials related to the history of Italian-Americans in Central Massachusetts.

George C. Groskritz Jr. was an actor, director, playwright and producer. He was a resident of Shirley and Leominster, MA. The collection consists primarily of the written works of Groskritz and includes plays, short stories, reviews and novels.

The collection includes Gladys Ball’s personal copy of the Saxifrage, the Fitchburg State Normal School yearbook, with personal inscriptions from fellow students. Also included are several papers related to the Alumni Association class reunion in 1965.

James Francis Baker graduated from Fitchburg State Teacher’s College in 1939. The collection consists of Baker’s narrative autobiography and photographs. The main focus of the narrative is on his career and personal life.

Marion Frances Hemphill graduated from the Fitchburg Normal School in 1925, and taught in Leominster and Ashburnham public schools. The collection includes autobiographical information about Marion Hemphill and her personal notes on library science.

Haskins enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps during WW II. Upon her discharge from the military, Haskins took a position at Fitchburg State College as a faculty member in the Mathematics Department. The collection consists of personal papers and photos.

Robert S. Lufkin was a native of Fitchburg and Lunenburg, MA. Early in his career, he served as the women’s basketball coach at Fitchburg Normal School. The collection consists of papers and clippings related to the work of Robert Lufkin.

Frederick Miller was a graduate of Fitchburg State Teachers College in 1948. During WW II, he served in the United States Army in the 20th Engineer Combat Battalion. Includes a copy of "Follow the Wavy Arrow", a narrative history of his battalion.

Barbara Cushing Crocker was a prominent citizen of Fitchburg, MA, community benefactor and local historian. The collection consists of the research diary, notes and correspondence of Crocker related to historical research about Fitchburg.

The collection consists of a botanical notebook created by Boston resident Lucy Ann Adams for her cousin Mary E. Fox during her European travels between 1872-1873. It includes pressed plant specimens mounted on sheets of a scrapbook

Collection consists of one school notebook, or “progress book”, created by Margaret Dougall in 1898.

The collection consists of two botanical notebooks created by Bertha A. Goodman. The first notebook includes notes and detailed sketches of plants and flowers. The second notebook includes pressed ferns and plants.

Christine Brodien-Jones is an alumnus of Fitchburg State College. She is the author of two young adult novels, The Dreamkeepers (1992) and The Owl Keeper (2010). The collection consists of photocopied materials related to her first novel.

Signe (Antila) Sipila was a native of Fitchburg, MA. She was a graduate of the Fitchburg Normal School in 1929. Includes items related to the Finnish Cultural Center and the Alumni Association at Fitchburg State, genealogical material and photographs.

Natalie (Hardy) Farnum was a faculty member of Fitchburg Normal School from 1915-1918 and taught history and practical arts. The collection consists of photocopies of materials by Farnum.

The Italian American Citizens Club of Leominster was started in 1910 to improve the political, economic and social life of Italian-Americans in Leominster. The collection consists of club records.

The collection consists mainly of programs, photographs and ephemera related to St. Anna Parish of Leominster, Massachusetts.

Zimmerman graduated from Fitchburg State Teachers College in 1938 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. This collection contains materials that chronicle Mrs. Zimmerman’s time in the Woman’s Army Auxiliary Corps during WW II.

This collection documents the research and practical application of the work of W. Barnett Pearce, who was co-founder of the communication theory of Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM). Materials are organized into series including Biographical records, Writings and speeches, Academic career, Practical application of CMM, and Research materials. The collection includes Pearce's published and unpublished writings, conference presentations, speeches and lectures, interviews and videorecordings, course syllabi and academic program development records, theoretical notes, facilitation and consulting handbooks, client presentations and workshop materials, and copies of research utilized by Pearce in his own work and published materials by others utilizing CMM.

Miss Crandall graduated from Fitchburg Normal School in 1919. The scrapbook contains photographs and materials that document Miss Crandall’s time as a student at Fitchburg Normal School and her early teaching career.

Papers from the Saladini Club, which was incorporated in 1916. its members originated from the Marchi region of Italy, and lived in the Lincoln Terrace section of Leominster The Club sponsored the annual Feast of St. Rocco.

The collection consists of the research materials Ms. Campbell compiled for her books "Presenting Robert Cormier" and "Robert Cormier: Daring to Disturb the Universe".

Collection contains artwork, written works and records created by Fluxus artist and Fitchburg State alumni Christine Tarantino.

Donated by history professor Susan Williams upon her retirement in 2013, collection includes her graduate study work and personal research interests in U.S. material culture and domestic history created from 1981 to 2013.

Contains personal papers, sheet music, and other materials collected by Fitchburg resident D. Blomquist.

A collection created by Jonathan Ratila of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The collection is comprised of materials related to his work at the Raivaaja newspaper.

This series consists of materials about Sons of Italy in Fitchburg, Massachusetts donated by Patricia Vacca Martin and preserved by her mother. It contains historical documents relating to the activities carried by Sons of Italy in Fitchburg.