The Collection's History
The documents have histories as physical objects and demonstrate some of the previous collection practices of the Natick Historical Society and the Morse Institute Library. They also raise questions about the individuals and institutions able to preserve and share historic documents.
How did these documents end up at the NHS and MIL?
Curtis Broad donated 34 deeds to the Natick Historical Society in March 1934. His donation makes up the bulk of the Natick Historical Society’s portion of this exhibit. Curtis Broad descended from Hezekiah Broad senior (1708-1752) and his son, Major Hezekiah Broad (1746-1823). As a multi-generational and financially prosperous Natick family, the Broad family was able to keep, pass down, and eventually donate historic records. Someone who sold land and then moved away from Natick was logistically less likely to hold on to records. Some eighteenth-century Indigenous individuals and families moved frequently due to the sociopolitical circumstances of the era. This may explain why Indigenous land transactions are somewhat underrepresented in the Natick Historical Society’s collection. The Broad family, who undoubtedly owned a lot of land in Natick, may be overrepresented.
Also in 1934, Ella Bailey, the daughter of successful hotel owner Goin Bailey, donated seven deeds to the Natick Historical Society.
Smaller batches of deeds came to the Natick Historical Society throughout the twentieth century. Some donors include Mrs. Leonard Goulding of Duxbury, David Wilson of Natick, and local Natick historian Frank M. Bishop. Mrs. Percy H. Stafford donated many of the documents mentioning Samuel Perry. NHS accession records from this period often omit the names of donors.
Elliot and Marion Goodman donated land deeds and other eighteenth-century documents to the Morse Institute Library.
Preservation: Then and Now
What are the tan lines on some of the documents? You may be surprised to find out that they are old pieces of Scotch tape. While it is now known that Scotch tape damages old documents, archivists in the first half of the twentieth century used Scotch tape frequently to repair documents.
These documents are not ripped. They were folded repeatedly and are now falling apart at the seams. One deed is actually missing a section in the shape of a perfect square.
We hope this online exhibit will help preserve the documents digitally.