Hyde Park, Norfolk County, Massachusetts Genealogy

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the town of Hyde Park. You will find help with town histories, vital records, city directories, cemetery records and cemeteries, churches, deeds (i.e. land records), town and city records, newspapers, maps, and libraries. There is a detailed guide for the town and city of Boston that annexed Hyde Park. HYDE PARK (1868-1912) Hyde Park was  a town in Norfolk County created from Dedham, Milton, and Dorchester. It was annexed to Boston in Suffolk County. This guide discusses the records created by this town and includes references to material of present-day Hyde Park (the neighborhood of Boston) as well. Be careful of the time period you are researching here as the records you need may be in one of two counties or one of four other towns.

Brief History
The town of Hyde Park was born out of a border dispute between Dedham and Milton in 1868. The General Court of the Commonwealth settled the case by creating the new town from parts of the two towns and adding more land from Dorchester. The new town was part of Norfolk County until the town voted to be annexed by the City of Boston and the "neighborhood" moved into Suffolk County and ceased to exist as a town. For information regarding this area before 1868 , see Dedham, Dorchester, or Milton. For information after 1912 , see Boston.

Historical Data
The basic data is from the "Historical Data" publication series with additions from various sources. Associated names Village or section names include Cleary Square, Fairmount, Hyde Park, Logan Square, Lower Mills, Readville (Low Plains), and Stony Brook. Border changes Top of Page

Town Histories
Works written on the town include:

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 * The Hyde Park Historical Records, v. 1-9, 1891-1913. Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1-4, v. 5, v. 6 + Fairmount Bulletin, v. 8 only) and Google Books (v. 1-4 and v. 5-9). Online index on PlymouthColony.net as a pdf. WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FS Library.
 * Nancy H. Hannan, Doctors, carpenters, builders, chiefs: -- women of Hyde Park : almost 125 years ago they did things that some women today are still just talking about doing (Hyde Park, Mass., 1986), vi, 120 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Mary E. Pitts, Hyde Park, Massachusetts, this Modern Cannan: a history written for the centennial of the Hyde Park Historical Society, Hyde Park, Massachusetts, 1887-1987 (Hyde Park, Mass., 1988), viii, 91 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Nancy Hughes Hannan, A Compendium of Hyde Park History: a collection of materials about the town of Hyde Park ; articles about i ts beginnings, its history, and its people (Hyde Park, Mass., 1989), 4v. WorldCat (Other Libraries);.
 * Special Catalogue of the Hyde Park Historical Society Archives: the Genealogy Archives / Nancy H. Hannan ; Hyde Park Historical Society, founded in 1887 ; Archives located in the Society's headquarters at Weld Hall, the Hyde Park Branch of the Boston Public Library, 35 Harvard Avenue, Hyde Park, MA 02136 (Hyde Park, Mass.], 1997), 33 pp. Not found in WorldCat or at FS Library.
 * Hyde Park Wikipedia page.

Vital Records
The town's vital records are available in many locations: Original records Published records There are no published vital records beyond what is scattered in The Hyde Park Historical Records listed above. Top of Page
 * Boston Registry Division 1 City Hall Square Room 213 Boston MA 02201 Phone 617-635-4175 Email [mailto:Registry@cityofboston.gov Registry@cityofboston.gov]
 * Microfilm of the originals created by the FamilySearch Library, Births and Deaths, 1868-1911, ; Marriages, 1902-1905, . These records are browsable (i.e. not yet indexed as of Nov. 2012) on FamilySearch. Though poorly labelled, you will find an index to vital records, 1868-1889, birth register, 1868-1891, birth register, 1892-1907, and a three pages of birth register, 1908-1911, on and marriage register, 1868-1911, and marriage certificates, 1900-1902, on.
 * Microfiche of the originals created by Archive Publishing covering town records that included vital records and a few other town records, 1868-1892, on 13 fiche. NOT part of Massachusetts, Town Vital Collections, 1620–1988 at Ancestry ($); Index
 * Official state copy of vital records starting in 1841: Massachusetts Archives 220 Morrissey Blvd. Boston MA 02125 Phone 617-727-2816 Email [mailto:archives@sec.state.ma.us archives@sec.state.ma.us] Hours and Directions See the online guide for more information.

City Directories
Hyde Park was first published in 1866/7 (before it was a town [with Milton?]), with Dedham/Canton in 1874, and Dedham/Norwood in 1876/7. After that, it was published separately in 1879, 1881-1886, 1888, 1891, 1893, 1895-6, 1897, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915.

The Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.) has one of the largest collections of city directories in the country. They are likely to own most of the years listed above. Their collection is in microfiche, microfilm, and books, but there is no online inventory of their holdings except for microfilm. See their guide online.

Other holdings:

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 * Ancestry ($) has 1874, 1876/7, 1879, 1881-1886, 1888, 1893, 1895-6, 1897, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1913, 1915.
 * Boston Public Library has 1866/7, 1874, 1897, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915
 * FamilySearch Library (Salt Lake City) has 1882-1886, 1888, 1891, 1893, 1895/6, 1897, 1898/9, 1901, 1902, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915 on.
 * fold3 ($) does not have Hyde Park directories.
 * Massachusetts State Library has 1874, 1876/7, 1879, 1881, 1883-1886, 1888, 1891, 1895-6, 1897, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915.
 * New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston) ($) has 1874, 1876/7, 1879, 1881, 1883-1886, 1888, 1893, 1895-6, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913.

Cemeteries
Hyde Park has one cemetery mostly within its old border, Fairview Cemetery (1892) [whose records are held by the Boston City Archives], and another new one, Oak Lawn Cemetery (1989). To learn more about this cemetery, and others nearby, see Boston Cemeteries. Top of Page

Churches
The following is a list of churches established in town in order of organization date (if known) and condition of records in the 1889 survey if listed.


 * First Baptist Church (now Hope Baptist Church), 1858, records good.
 * Christ Protestant Episcopal Church (now The Parish Church - Iglesia de San Juan), 1860, records good.
 * First Congregational Church, 1861-2009, records good. Their historic church building built in 1910 is now owned by the Hyde Park Seventh-day Adventist Church. Church records, 1861-2003, held by the Congregational Library, Boston.
 * Most Precious Blood (Catholic), 1863, records good.
 * Methodist Episcopal Church, 1867-1956, records good. Records, 1906-1956, held by Boston University School of Theology Library. Hyde Park Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1902-1956,, includes baptisms and marriages, 1902-1925, and other membership records.
 * First Unitarian Society, 1868-1937, records good. Records held by Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School.
 * Clarendon Hills Congregational Church, 1880, records good.
 * Hazelwood Universalist Parish of Hyde Park, 1892-1911. Records held by Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School.
 * St. Anne Catholic Church (Readville), 1919.
 * St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1938-2004. The records were moved to St. Angela Merici Catholic Church of Mattapan.
 * Apostolic Church, n.d.
 * Cornerstone Deliverance Ministries, n.d.
 * Family Life Fellowship Four Square Church, n.d.
 * Hyde Park Presbyterian Church, n.d.
 * Hyde Park Seventh-day Adventist Church (formerly of Mattapan), 1996.
 * Pentecostal Church - The Last Hour, n.d.
 * Third Church of Christ Scientist, n.d.

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Town Records
Originals City of Boston Archives and Records Management Division 201 Rivermoor Street West Roxbury MA 02132 Phone 617-635-1195 Email [mailto:Archives@cityofboston.gov Archives@cityofboston.gov] Inventory of town records. Microfilm Top of Page
 * Town minutes and selectmen's records, 1868-1912..

Newspapers

 * Independent, 1884.
 * Hyde Park Times, 1886-1901.
 * Hyde Park Gazette, 1899-1912.
 * Hyde Park Gazette-Times (title varied), 1912-1944.
 * Hyde Park Tribune (title varied), 1939-1958, 1976-1983, 1985-present.

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Libraries and Historical Societies
The following is a list of research facilities in town:

Boston Public Library - Hyde Park Branch 35 Harvard Avenue Hyde Park MA 02333 Phone 617-361-2524 Has a genealogy club that meets on the thrid Monday of the month.

Hyde Park Historical Society This group meets at the public library