FAQ

• Digital Sanborn Maps 1867-1970
• Watertown Atlases, 1871-1903 (microfilm)
• Watertown MA, 1630-1987 [map] / R. K. Marketing, Inc. Gen. 912.7444 WAT 1987 (flat file)
• Watertown, Massachusetts / O. H. Bailey & Co., 1898. Gen. 912.7444 WAT 1898
• The digitized collection

• Bond, H. Genealogies of the … Early Settlers of Watertown. 2nd ed. Gen 974.443 WAT 1860
• Burke, C. Watertown in the 18th century. Gen 974.443 WAT 1977
• Burke, C. Watertown: Town on the Charles. Gen 974.443 BUR 1980
• Burke, C. Watertown Papers. Ref 974.443 BUR 1989
• Dobbs, J. A History of the Watertown Arsenal, 1816-1967. Ref 355.709 WAT 1977
• Friends of the WFPL. Watertown (Images of America). Ref 974.443 FRI
• Hodges, M. Crossroads on the Charles. Ref 974.443 HOD
• Robinson, G. Great Little Watertown. Gen 974.443 ROB 1930
• Robinson, G. Watertown Soldiers in the colonial wars and the American Revolution. [CS] Gen. 974.444 ROB
• Watertown: 5 Walking Tours. Gen 974.444 WAT 1976
• Watertown File Index (20th century newspaper clippings and brochures)
• Watertown High School Annual, 1925- 373.744 WAT
• Watertown's military history. 1907. [CS] Gen. 974.444 WAT 1907
• Whitney, S. Historical Sketches of Watertown, Massachusetts. Ref 974.443 WHI 1893

• Bond, H. Genealogies of the Early Settlers of Watertown. 2nd ed. Gen 974.443 WAT 1860
• 1855 and 1865 Massachusetts State Censuses for Watertown. Gen 929.3744 CEN
• Waltham and Watertown Directory, 1869-1895; 1901; 1902 (microfilm)
• Watertown Directories, 1869-1939 (on Watertown Library Home Page. (incomplete set)
• Watertown Town Clerk Record Books (originals), vols. 1-32 1820-1977 (extremely difficult to read) (microfilm)
• Watertown Resident List (“Street Directory”) (annual, 1939- ) Ref 974.445 RES
• Watertown Births – index to microfilm. One binder: 1963-1973
• Watertown Marriages – index to microfilm. Seven binders: 1890-1976
• Watertown Deaths – index to microfilm. Five binders: 1889-1988
• Watertown Vital Records 1634- various dates (microfilm)
• Watertown Annual Reports. 1998-date HIST 351.7444 ANN
• Watertown Selectmen’s Records, 1881-1975 (microfilm)
• Watertown Directories, 1869-1909 (microfilm – incomplete set)
• Watertown records: proprietor's book, common and undivided land, 1644-1742. [CS] Gen. 974.443 WAT
• Whitney, William Henry. Watertown Farm in 8 generations, 1901 (microfilm)

Note: To find a genealogy, type the surname followed by the word “family” in a subject search on the computer (e.g., Stone family)

• Henry Adams of Somersetshire, England, and Braintree, Mass., his English ancestry and some of his descendants C. S.] Gen. 929.2 ADAMS 1927
• The Bemis history and genealogy Gen. 929.2 BEMIS 1900
• The history of the Bemis, Perkinson, Fay, and Lawrence families [CS] Gen. 929.2 BEMIS 1981
• The Benjamin family in America [CS] Gen. 929.2 BENJAMIN 1977
• From whence we came: a history of the Thomas Brigham and related families [CS] Gen. 929.2 BRIGHAM 1976
• The Brights of Suffolk, England [CS] Gen. 929.2 BRIGHT 1858
• Bunnell and allied families [CS] Gen. 929.2 BUNNELL 1990
• Descendants of Nicholas Cady of Watertown, Mass.: 1645-1910 [C.S.] Gen. 929.2 CADY 1910
• The descendants of Nathaniel Clarke and his wife Elizabeth Somerby of Newbury, Mass. [CS] Gen. 929.2 CLARK 1902
• Records of the descendants of Hugh Clark, of Watertown, Mass., 1640-1866 [CS] Gen. 929.2 CLARK 1866
• Coolidge: one bloodline - 19 generations [CS] Gen. 929.2 COOLIDGE 2001
• Descendants of John and Mary Coolidge of Watertown, Mass., 1630. [CS] Gen. 929.2 COOLIDGE 1930
• One branch of the Coolidge family, 1427-1963 [CS] Gen. 929.2 COOLIDGE 1964
• My first day and my last day with Grandma Coolidge [CS] Gen. 929.2 COOLIDGE 1967
• Your grandmother, a memoir of Mattie Coolidge Crawford [CS] Gen. 929.2 CRAWFORD 1945
• A genealogy of the Cutler family of Lexington, Mass.: James and some of his descendants, 1634-1964[C. S.] Gen. 929.2 CUTLER 1965
• Researches in genealogy relating to the Cutler family, made in England in a summer vacation, 1888, in an endeavor to track the ancestry of the first emigrants of that name, who settled in Massachusetts Bay in the years 1634-7 [CS] Gen. 929.2 CUTLER 1888
• Early history of the Daniel and Daniels families in Europe and America [CS] Gen. 929.2 DANIELS 1920
• The book of Dow; genealogical memoirs of the descendents of Henry Dow 1637, Thomas Dow 1639 and others of the name, immigrants to America during colonial times, also the allied family of Nudd[CS] Gen. 929.2 DOW 1929
• The Eddy family in America [CS] Gen. 929.2 EDDY 1921-1930 (5 vols.)
• Reminiscences of the family of Captain John Fowle of Watertown, Mass. with genealogical notes of some of his ancestors, descendants and family connections [CS] Gen. 929.2 FOWLE 1891
• Memoir of Rev. John Allyn [CS] Gen. 929.2 FRANCIS 1834
• Genealogy of the descendants of Thomas Gleason of Watertown, Mass. (2 vols.) [CS] Gen. 929.2 GLEASON 1992
• Harringtons in America, 1634-1984: a 350-year record of certain families descended from Robert Harrington of Watertown, Mass. [CS] Gen. 929.2 HARRINGTON 1984
• One thousand New England ancestors of Frank Chester Harrington and Leora (Leighton) Harrington [CS] Gen. 929.2 HARRINGTON 1958
• The early Hildreths of New England. [CS] Gen. 929.2 HILDRETH 1894
• A few more descendants of Lewis Jones, 1603-1684 [CS] Gen. 929.2 JONES 1995
• The Mary Louise Holt Memorial [CS] Gen. 929.2 HOLT 1929
• More Keys [CS] Gen. 929.2 KEYS 1983
• The Knapp family in America: a genealogy of the descendants of William Knapp who settled in Watertown, Mass., in 1630: including also a tabulated pedigree, paternal and maternal, of Hiram Knapp [CS] Gen. 929.2 KNAPP 1909
• Historical genealogy of the Lawrence family: from their first landing in this country, 1635 to the present date, July 4th, 1858 [CS] Gen. 929.2 LAWRENCE 1958
• The Learned family in America, 1630-1967 [CS] Gen. 929.2 LEONARD 1967
• The Livermore family of America [CS] Gen. 929.2 LIVERMORE 1902
• Colonial and revolutionary history of the Lockwood family in America from A.D. 1630 [CS] Gen. 929.2 LOCKWOOD 1889
• Nova Scotia - Massachusetts: MacDonald & MacLean families [CS] Gen. 929.2 MACDONALD 2003
• Descendants of Capt. Hugh Mason in America [CS] Gen. 929.2 MASON 1937
• An incomplete history of the descendants of John Perry of London, 1604-1954 [CS] Gen. 929.2 PERRY 1955
• Phillips genealogies; including the family of George Phillips, first minister of Watertown, Mass [CS] Gen. 929.2 PHILLIPS 1885
• Mr. George Phillips: first minister of Watertown [CS] Gen. 929.2 PHILLIPS 1930
• Phinehas Pratt and some of his descendants [CS] Gen. 929.2 PRATT 1897
• Ancestry and descendants of Captain Timothy Prout [CS] Gen. 929.2 PROUT 2002
• Cap's story (William Rand) [CS] Gen. 929.2 RAND 1968
• The history and descendants of John and Sarah Reynolds: 1630?-1923: of Watertown, Mass. [CS] Gen. 929.2 REYNOLDS 1924
• Ancestry and descendants of Sir Richard Saltonstall: first associate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony *Ref. 929.2 SALTONSTALL 1897
• Genealogy and memoirs of Isaac Stearns and his descendants *Ref. 929.2 STEARNS 1901
• Memoranda of the Stearns family: including records of many of the descendants [CS] Gen. 929.2 STEARNS 1991
• Gregory Stone genealogy; ancestry and descendants of Dea. Gregory Stone of Cambridge, Mass., 1320-1917.*Ref. 929.2 STONE 1918
• Simon Stone genealogy: ancestry and descendants of Deacon Simon Stone Watertown, Mass., 1320-1926 [CS] Gen. 929.2 STONE 1926
• The Train family: including some account of the Barnwell, Brown, Cuthbert, Fuller, Hand, Leiter, Middleton, Parker, Payson, Savage, and Tomlinson families *Ref. 929.2 TRA 2000
• The Underwood families of America / comp. By Lucien M. Underwood [CS] Gen. 929.2 UNDERWOOD 1913
• Whitney: the descendants of John Whitney, who came from London, England, to Watertown, Mass., in 1635 [CS] Gen. 929.2 WHITNEY 1896
• Woodward/Woodard ancestors of New England *Ref. 929.2 WOODWARD 1995

• Index to the 1800 Census of Massachusetts. Gen 929.3744 CEN
• Federal Census, Middlesex County, 1790-1920 (note that most of 1890 census was destroyed in fire) (microfilm)
• Federal Census 1790-1930 (electronic resource)
• Banks, C. Planters of the Commonwealth. Gen 929.3744 BAN 1984
• Savage, J. Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England. (4 vols.) Gen 929.374 SAV
• Torrey, C. New England Marriages prior to 1700. Gen 929.374 TOR
• Heads of Families: First Census of the United States – 1790. Gen 929.3744 CEN
• Farmer, J. Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England. Gen 929.3744 CEN 1994
• Cutter, W. New England Families. (4 vols.) Gen 929.3744 CUT 1913.
• Directory of Massachusetts Place Names. Gen 929.3744 DAV 1987
• Paige, L. List of Freeman of Massachusetts, 1630-1691. Gen 929.3744.FRE
• Munroe, J. List of Alien Passengers from January 1, 1847 to January 1, 1851. Gen 929.3744 IMM 1851
• Port Arrivals and Immigrants to the City of Boston 1715-1716 and 1762-1769. Gen 929.3744 IMM 1973
• Tepper, M., ed. Passengers to America. Gen 929.3744 IMM 1977
• Anderson, R. C. The great migration: immigrants to New England, 1634-1635 (3 vols.) Gen. 929.374 AND
• The search for missing friends: Irish immigrant advertisements in the Boston pilot (6 vols.) Gen. 974.461 SEA
• Hurd, D. Hamilton. History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men (3 vols.) [CS] Gen. 974.44 HUR 1890
• The New England historical and genealogical register with Index (multiple vols.) *Ref 929.3 NEW

• Online Databases
• Fee-based service provided by the Watertown Free Public Library
• Digital Sanborn Maps Insurance maps showing location of homes and businesses, 1867-1970 (electronic resource).
• HeritageQuest Online (access limited to in the library) is a portal where you can search: Census records for 1790-1930; over 20,000 books of family and local histories; PERSI, an index of over 1.6 million genealogy and local history articles; selected records from the Revolutionary War Era Pension & Bounty-Land Warrant Application file; and records of individuals in Freedman’s Bank (1865-1874) which was founded to serve African American. (Note: This database can also be accessed from home, call a librarian for password information - 617-972-6436)

• Historical Watertown photographs
• Historical Watertown maps
• Historical Watertown city directories from 1869-1939 (incomplete set)
• History-in-the-making story of the new Watertown Free Public Library Building.

• Watertown – Newspapers (microfilm)
• Pesquossette, 1873 – 1878
• Watertown Chronicler, 1911-1918
• Watertown Enterprise, 1879-1903
• Watertown Press, 1870 – 1881
• Watertown Sun, 1921-1997
• Watertown Tab & Press, 1997– date
• Watertown Tribune Enterprise, 1905-1947

• Arlington Street Cemetery collection Gen. 974.446 WAT 1993
• Gravestone inscriptions from Mount Auburn Catholic Cemetery, Watertown, Massachusetts [CS] Gen. 974.446 WAT 1983
• Gravestone inscriptions : Village Cemetery, corner Mr. Auburn and Common Streets, Watertown, Massachusetts. Gen. 974.446 WAT 1936