Welcome to our Online Collections Database!

Monson, Massachusetts was founded in 1760 when it broke free of Brimfield. In its early years Monson consisted of mostly agricultural landscapes. As the region moved into the Industrial Age, Monson became a bustling township of factories and businesses. With an ample water supply to power machinery, woolen, cotton and straw factories were built, along with grist and saw mills, to name a few. The granite quarry was opened. As the businesses prospered so did the town. The Monson Academy was founded in 1804 and attracted students from throughout the world. The railroad came through in 1850. As the manufacturing era waned, Monson managed to quietly reinvent itself into the beautiful bedroom community that it currently is with its stately homes and scenic landscapes.

The Monson Historical Society, Inc. a non-profit 501(c)(3) was incorporated in 1959 just prior to the town's 200th Anniversary in 1960. The mission of the Society is "To obtain and preserve historical data and articles pertaining to the town of Monson, Massachsetts, and to encourage and develop the pursuit and expression of such interests in all suitable ways".

Since our inception the public has shown us their like-minded enthusiasm by continually donating items to ensure that the history of Monson will not be lost to time. As a result, our holdings are varied and extensive. They range from the tiniest fragment to entire buildings with contents. We always accept donations that directly pertain to Monson and will also purchase artifacts when necessary.

Sharing our collection to the online community is a new and exciting process for us. We have only just begun. Please be patient as we add items and information. Our goal is to have an accurate, educational research database that can be enjoyed by a global audience.

Please help us if you have any further information on any artifact, if you have any questions or comments or if you don't see what you are looking for, contact us we may be able to help.

Tips for Searching

Keyword Search

The Keyword Search button allows you to perform a general search across multiple fields for any catalog records online. Keyword searches use OR as the default connector between words (e.g. a search for Hanley Ranch will return records associated with Hanley OR Ranch). If you want to find records where both keywords are found, type in AND between the two words. To search for a specific phrase, be sure to put the phrase within quotes (e.g. "Rocky Pine Ranch"). You can also use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard (e.g. a search for histor* would come up with records containing history, histories, historical, etc.). Searches are not case sensitive.

Advanced Search

The Advanced Search button can help you be more specific with your search. You can search for a word or phrase within a particular search category or use multiple categories to further narrow down your search results. For example, searching White in the People field will bring up any records associated with a member of the White family, without having to sift through black & white photographs. You can also search People and Creator records through Advanced Search. Phrase searching with quotes and use of wildcards (*) are available in Advanced Search.

Random Images

The Random Images button is a great way to just browse the collection. Each Random Images page displays a random assortment of images from the records online. If something piques your interest, click the thumbnail to view a larger version of the image.

Catalog Searches (Archives / Photos / Libraries / Objects)

The catalog buttons can also help narrow down your search, by only searching with a selected catalog. If you only want to search for Photos, click the Photos button and type in your keyword(s) or phrase. You can also browse records within that catalog without performing a search. Phrase searching, wildcards (*) as well as AND/OR statements are available when performing catalog searches.