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Cambridge Roots: Family History and Genealogy - Research your family’s connection to Cambridge

ONLINE RESOURCES

Historic Cambridge Newspaper Collection, 1846-2015
This collection contains the following four newspaper titles: Cambridge Chronicle, Cambridge Press, Cambridge Tribune, and Cambridge Sentinel. Search for birth, marriage, and death announcements or general information about your ancestor.

Cambridge City Directories, 1848-1972
City directories contain a wealth of information about people, businesses, local government, and clubs and civic organizations. Names are listed alphabetically and by street address. Cambridge businesses are listed by industry. Please note: you must search within individual volumes. Directories were not published annually after 1922.

Poll Lists (Men and Women), 1904, 1932-1947
These books are voter lists; men and women are published separately. Names are listed by ward and street.

Vital Records of Cambridge through the Year 1850
These two volumes of Cambridge births, marriages, and deaths were transcribed from church and grave records and published in 1914-1915.

Lucius Paige’s History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877, with a Genealogical Register
This book is the quintessential 19th Century History of a New England. Lucius Paige served as City Clerk and this book was his life’s work. There is a genealogical register in the back of the book as well as an index of names. Please note that a supplement and index to Paige’s book written by Mary Isabella Gozzaldi was published in 1930. There is additional information in this book that Paige’s addition lacks. It is available in the Cambridge Room and the circulating collection.

Atlases, 1833-1930
These atlases show Cambridge property owners, street names, and structures on land plots. They show how Cambridge property and neighborhoods have changed over time.

ADDITIONAL GENEALOGY RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THE CAMBRIDGE ROOM

To use these resources, please contact the Cambridge Room at archives@cambridgema.gov

Police Listings and Street Listings, 1972-Present
These voter lists are published annually by the City of Cambridge. Names are listed by ward and street so it is helpful to know the address or neighborhood of the person you are researching.

Cole Directories, 1989-Present
This collection contains a street address directory, telephone directory, and office building directory. Names are listed by street so it is necessary to know the address of the person you are researching. Please note: some years are missing.

Town and Proprietor Records, 1630-1829
These two volumes are transcriptions of original town records held by the Cambridge City Clerk: one was published in 1896 and the other in 1901. Both volumes are arranged chronologically with a name and subject index. They are exact replicas and no attempts were made to modernize language. The volumes are a good resource for researching people prior to 1846.

Mary Isabella Gozzaldi’s Supplement and Index to Lucius Paige’s History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877, with a Genealogical Register
This book is a supplement and index to Paige’s History of Cambridge published in 1930. It has additional information that Paige’s book lacks and is available in the Cambridge Room and the circulating collection.