Collections

Civil War Photographs

Originally assembled by Medford citizen and first mayor, General Samuel Crocker Lawrence, who commanded a regiment in the Civil War, these photos were prepared largely in the expensive platinum method which insures photographs of extraordinary clarity and detail that is still apparent today. Civil War Photo Collection.

Medford Slave Trade Letters

Triangle Trade Mural, Medford Post Office on Forest Street Painted by Henry Billings, 1939. *Not on view as of 2022.*

This six-year correspondence between Timothy Fitch, a Medford resident, and a ship captain of Fitch named Peter Gwinn occurred between January, 1759 and October 1765. An extensive selection of these letters are scanned and transcribed. Medford Slave Letters.

Medford Municipal Records Collection

Valuable tools for researchers, these items come from the MHSM collection of scanned and searchable Medford municipal records dated between 1838-1922. They include Poll Tax records, City Directories, Annual Town (and later City) Reports, and Taxpayers by Street. This is not a complete collection; some missing issues can be found at the Medford Public Library.
Medford Municipal Records Collection.