Local History and Genealolgy

The Archives Room holds the Library’s collection historical materials relating to Amherst and New Hampshire. The collection contains:

Amherst Town Histories, including Daniel Secomb’s History of the Town of Amherst and John Farmer's Historical Sketch of Amherst

The Howard Locke Collection: A series of notebooks kept by Amherst electrician Howard Locke which contain house histories, blueprints and historic photographs of many Amherst homes. Also available on CD-ROM courtesy of the Historical Society of Amherst

Town Records and Governance

• Town Records from 1832 to present
• Selectmen’s Meeting Minutes from 2001 to present
• Various town ordinances, laws and codes

Educational Materials and Yearbooks: Yearbooks for schools attended by Amherst students, including the old Amherst High School, Milford High School, and Souhegan High School. Studies and curricula for Amherst schools are also available.

Library Historical Records: Dedication information, photographs, and records relating to the administration of the Amherst Town Library

Other New Hampshire town histories and historical publications: including Starr King's The White Hills and Belknap's History of New Hampshire

House histories and walking tour books

Serials: New England Quarterly, New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Historical New Hampshire among others

Complete sets of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of Rebellion and War of the Rebellion : Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies

Microfilm Collections

• Amherst Town Records to date including early proprietor records from 1728
• Vital Records - births, deaths, marriages. Indexes found here
• Records of the Congregational Church of Amherst
• Monson Town Records: For more information on the village of Monson, see here
• An entire run of the Farmers/Milford Cabinet, from 1802 to present. Online access from 1802 to 1879 is available through America's Historical Newspapers (library card number required to access)

The Archives Room is available for use during the library’s regular operating hours. Visitors are asked to sign in at the front desk and a staff member will unlock the room. Groups and individuals may make reservations to use the Archives Room for meetings, however researchers will still be allowed in.

Please contact the Reference Department for an appointment if assistance should be needed.