H.P. Garrity, Cambridge High and Latin Class of 1913.
All the Cambridge High School Yearbooks in our Collection are now freely available online.
Cambridge High and Latin School
(Yearbooks available: 1913-1977)
Rindge Technical School
(Yearbooks available: 1929-1977)
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
(Yearbooks available: 1978-2022)
If you’re watching Bill McEvoy’s Forgotten Irish of Mount Auburn Catholic Cemetery, you may notice that the person being featured doesn’t match the names on the grave. Bill McEvoy assured me that this is a common problem when researching cemeteries as many people can be buried in one plot. But, the head stone often doesn’t reflect all the individuals laid to rest in the grave.
Here’s Bill’s explanation for this phenomenon at the Mount Auburn Catholic Cemetery in Watertown:
“The lots were usually purchased instant to a death of a family member and they did not have the money to place a marker. Much later, a person could be buried with another name – either a relative, neighbor or someone from the old country – someone who would have had the means to purchase a marker.
When I review the names of those buried in the lot, I find the name of the most recent person, whose name is on the marker, as well as any names related the purchaser.
There are 5,055, 4 person lots and 266, 8 person lots in the Mount Auburn Catholic Cemetery. Not all of lots are filled to capacity and many of the 4 person lots exceed capacity. I have seen 7 or 8 people buried in a 4 person lot – often infants and children mixed with a few adults.”
Rootstech is the largest family-history technology conference in the world has made their 2021 virtual conference freely available to all until February 2022. There are over 1,500 sessions in 9 categories, including places, records, and research (a topic that looks quite useful.) Take advantage of this great genealogy resource here.
Last Thursday, Maureen Taylor joined our Lunchtime Lectures from the Cambridge Room, for a fantastic workshop.
To keep current with Maureen’s work as well as get tips and tricks for your own family photo research:
Register for Maureen’s newsletter here.
Listen to her podcast here.
If you missed Maureen last week, she’ll be joining us again on May 20th for her workshop on Buns, Beards, Bodices and Bustles: Understanding Ancestors Through Clothing. Register Today!
Thank you to the Leventhal Map Center‘s Rachel Mead for joining us earlier this month for our second Lunchtime Lectures from the Cambridge Room. We had a wonderful turnout of enthusiastic people eager to learn more about the Atlascope, a tool for exploring urban maps.
The recording of Cambridge by Map is available for you to watch at your leisure. Learn how Cambridge has changed over time and discover how to research the history of your own house and neighborhood.
Thank you to Bill McEvoy and Corinne Elicone for joining us for our fourth Lunchtime Lectures from the Cambridge Room. We had a wonderful turnout of enthusiastic people eager to learn more about the wonderful life and work of Alice North Towne Lincoln.
The video presentation of Alice North Towne Lincoln, narrated by Corrine Elicone, is available for you to watch at your leisure. You can download Bill McEvoy’s book, Alice North Towne Lincoln: Boston’s Selfless Advocate for the Poor, for free from Mount Auburn Cemetery’s website.
Lastly, please watch Corrine Elicone’s Quarantine Island and Alice Lincoln from her popular series, Stay Home Sweet Auburn. This short piece is filmed in front of Lincoln’s grave at Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Thank you to Bill McEvoy and Robin Hazard Ray for joining us for our first Lunchtime Lectures from the Cambridge Room. We had a wonderful turnout of enthusiastic people eager to learn more about the devastating history of Rainsford Island.
For more information, please watch the video presentation narrated by Bill McEvoy. You can download Rainsford Island: A Boston Harbor Case Study in Public Neglect and Private Activism for free from Mount Auburn Cemetery’s website.
Lastly, read about Bill McEvoy’s efforts to document the history of Rainsford Island that appeared on the front page of the March 8, 2020 edition of the Boston Globe, “Newton Veteran Documents Neglected Rainsford Island Graves of 1,700 of Boston’s Unwanted.”
Researching Your Jewish Ancestry
Join us for a free, two hour workshop on researching Jewish ancestry, in collaboration with New England Historical Genealogical Society, the nation’s leading organization for genealogical research.
Family history research into Jewish ancestry brings with it a number of unique issues. From a multitude of languages, to the dramatic border changes in the European areas from which your ancestors emigrated, to the many names used by the family members, identifying your family and connecting them to the old country requires tenacity. When identified, however, your ancestors can bring a sense of belonging and a connection to history. Join Rhonda McClure, Senior Genealogist at New England Historic Genealogical Society, to learn some tips, best practices, and common challenges surrounding Jewish genealogical research.
Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist, is a nationally recognized professional genealogist and lecturer specializing in New England and celebrity research as well as computerized genealogy; is compiler of more than 120 celebrity family trees; has been a contributing editor for Heritage Quest Magazine, Biography magazine and was a contributor to The History Channel Magazine and American History Magazine. In addition to numerous articles, she is the author of ten books, including the award-winning The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Genealogy, now in its second edition, Finding Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors, and Digitizing Your Family History. Some of Rhonda’s areas of expertise include: Immigration and naturalization, Late 19th and early 20th Century urban research, New England, Mid-West, Jewish, German, Italian, Scottish, Irish, and French Canadian research. Registration is mandatory.
Dates & Times:
6:00pm – 8:00pm, Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Location:
Main Library, Community Room
Researching the History of Your Cambridge House
Are you interested in learning more about where you live or the property you own? This hour-long, hands-on workshop will guide you through a variety of online resources that will help you research your home from the comfort of your home. Discover when your building was built and by whom. Find out who lived in your house and how your neighborhood has changed. We will provide laptops. Registration is mandatory. We are offering two classes – but you only need to register for one!
Date & Time:
6:00pm – 7:00pm, Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Location:
Main Library, Community Room
Date & Time:
3:00pm – 4:00pm, Thursday, February 8, 2018
Location:
Main Library, Beech Room
Beginner’s Genealogy Workshop Series
Join us for a 4-week, beginner’s genealogy workshop. For an hour each week, we will demystify the overwhelming process of sorting through online records as well as give tips for how best to make use of research visits to local repositories. We will help you find ancestors, organize your research, and start a family tree. Come with a new question every week and leave with an answer and something tangible to bring home, such as a copy of a birth certificate. Attend all four classes and receive a certificate of completion.
Registration is mandatory and you must attend the first class as the workshop series is cumulative. Please note, we will be offering an evening workshop series later in the Fall.
To register, please call 857-235-9829 or e-mail dgriffin@cambridgema.gov.
Class Schedule
September 8
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Computer Classroom
Session 1: Introduction Resources
Discover what an archive is and what kinds of records will you find there. Learn about vital records, military records, and immigration and naturalization records, and obituaries. Learn how to use city directories, church and religious institution records, and cemetery records.
September 15
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Computer Classroom
Session 2: Document Your Research
This session teaches you to think like a historian. We will show you how to document your research and help you decide how to organize your physical files and online research.
September 29
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Computer Classroom
Session 3: Online Resources
We will delve into Ancestry.com and offer tips to maximize your searches. We will explore Family Search, Heritage Quest, and African American Heritage Quest, as well as genealogy portals. Learn how to search online newspapers for free and get a Boston Public Library ecard to search their online genealogy resources.
October 13
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Computer Classroom
Session 4: Build Your Family Tree
We will go over a variety of options that are free and for sale, including web based family trees, software, printable forms, and custom-made family trees. We will help you start your family tree.
The Cambridge Room 