Massachusetts Gazetteers

Online Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places
 * Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
 * Massachusetts State Archives Digital Collection
 * A gazetteer of the state of Massachusetts : with numerous illustrations on wood and steel Elias Nason. A Gazetteer of the State of Massachusetts : With Numerous Illustrations on Wood and Steel, 1874. Digital Publisher FamilySearch International
 * A Gazetteer of Massachusetts John Hayward. A Gazetteer of Massachusetts, 1847. Digital Publisher Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
 * The Visitor's Guide to Boston, and Gazetteer of Massachusetts William H Brine. The Visitor's Guide to Boston, and Gazetteer of Massachusetts. J. A. Cummings Print. Co. 1891
 * A historical and statistical gazetteer of Massachusetts Jeremiah Spoffard. A Historical and Statistical Gazetteer of Massachusetts, with sketches of the principal events from its settlement; a catalogue of prominent characters, and historical and statistical notices of the several cities and towns. Haverhill, E. G. Frothingham 1860
 * Dictionary of American-Indian place and proper names in New England; with many interpretations, etc Dictionary of American-Indian Place and Proper Names in New England; with many interpretations, etc, 1909.  Digital Publisher Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
 * 1918 New England Business Directory And Gazetteer, 1918, Part 3 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Print Only Gazetteers

 * Historical data relating to counties, cities, and towns in Massachusetts Paul Guzzi. Historical Data Relating to Counties, Cities, and Towns in Massachusetts. [Boston? Massachusetts : s.n.], 1975
 * Genealogist's handbook for New England research Marcia Wiswall Lindberg. Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research. Boston, Massachusetts : New England Historic Genealogical Society, c1993
 * The Decennial census, 1915 Charles F. Gettemy. The Decennial census, 1915. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1975
 * A geographic dictionary of Massachusetts Henry Gannett. A Geographic Dictionary of Massachusetts. Baltimore, Maryland : Genealogical Publishing Company, 1978
 * Names of the land : Cap Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands Eugene Green and William L. Sachse. Names of the land : Cap Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands. Chester, Connecticut : Globe Pequot Press, c1983

Why Use Gazetteers
A gazetteer is a dictionary of place-names. Gazetteers list or describe towns and villages, parishes, states, populations, rivers and mountains, and other geographical features. They usually include only the names of places that existed at the time the gazetteer was published. Within a specific geographical area, the place-names are listed in alphabetical order, similar to a dictionary. You can use a gazetteer to locate the places where your family lived and to determine the civil and religious jurisdictions over those places.

There are many places within a state with similar or identical place-names. You will need to use a gazetteer to identify the specific town where your ancestor lived, the state the town was or is in, and the jurisdictions where records about the person was kept.

Gazetteer Contents
Gazetteers may also provide additional information about towns, such as:


 * Different religious denominations
 * Schools, colleges, and universities
 * Major manufacturers, canals, docks, and railroad stations
 * The population size.
 * Boundaries of civil jurisdiction.
 * Ecclesiastical jurisdiction(s)
 * Longitude and latitude.
 * Distances and direction from other from cities.
 * Schools, colleges, and universities.
 * Denominations and number of churches.
 * Historical and biographical information on some individuals (usually high-ranking or famous individuals)