This page contains most of the resources you will need to research the history of your house. If you are new to house history research, please visit the Get Started section. For a quick overview of the process visit 10 Steps to Researching the History of Your House. These guides are also great for local historians and genealogists.
Establishment
Agawam was settled in 1635. It was incorporated as a town in 1855 from West Springfield.
Land Records / Deed Research
Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Agawam is in Hampden County. Deeds for Agawam, Massachusetts are available online in two places:
- The Hampden County Registry of Deeds (1636 – present)
- FamilySearch.org (1638-1901) [access with free account]
Name Search
Deeds are searchable online by name back to 1948. Prior to 1948 use the Scanned Index tab to get a scanned image of the index where you can locate the Deed Book and Page. Or you can use these pages with full links to the Grantor Indexes and the Grantee Indexes. See the “Search Records Instructions” here.
Book & Page Search
Images are available back to 1636. You can typically find the a reference to a previous in each deed. If you do not have a book and page to view the image of a deed, then use the name search or scanned grantor or grantee indexes (linked above).
Hampden County Registry of Deeds Contact Info
email – hcrodsd@sec.state.ma.us
(413) 755-1722
Hampden County was formed in 1812 from Hampshire County.
Census Records (and MA State Census Records)
The most common census records are the US Federal Census Records but Massachusetts also has state census records. Census records help you discover the families that lived in your house. Federal census records are available every 10 years from 1790 to 1950 with the exception of 1890.
U.S Federal Census Records (1790-1950)
Available from:
- Ancestry.com ($) – see if your local library has institutional access free for patrons
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- MyHeritage.com ($)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- FindMyPast ($)
Agriculture and Manufacturing Censuses 1850-1880
These were called Federal Census Non-Population Schedules. They provided detailed descriptions of farms and manufacturing businesses. These are available on Ancestry.com ($).
Massachusetts State Census Records (1855 & 1865)
Available from:
- Ancestry.com ($) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
Vital Records
Vital records provide the details about births, marriages and deaths for the people who previously lived in your house.
Find Agawam, MA Vital Records Online:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- MyHeritage.com
- Book – Vital records of West Springfield, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 (Internet Archive)
- FamilySearch – West Springfield Vital Records, 1774-1906
Probate Records
Probate records for the town of Agawam are found in Hampden County, Massachusetts Probate Court records (1812-present) which are available both online and in-person. In-person, Agawam is serviced by the Hampden Probate and Family Court in Springfield. Search for pre-1812 probate records in Hampshire County.
In-person
Hampden County Probate Court
50 State St., P.O. Box 559, Springfield, MA 01102
(413) 748-7760
Check website for hours and to contact via email or zoom.
Online
- Ancestry.com ($) – Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Probate records, 1809-1881, Hampden County, Massachusetts or search Full Text Search
Preservation Publications
The Massachusetts Historical Commission provides access to historic building surveys at is website MACRIS: Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS). Once at the site, search specifically by town. You can refine by address and historic name.
Maps
Historic Maps of Agawam:
- Hampden County Registry of Deeds – County Atlas Books 1831 – 1920
- 1831 A Plan of West Springfield by J. Lathrop (Harvard Library)
- 1831 A Plan of West Springfield by J. Lathrop (Norman B. Leventhal Map Center)
- 1855 Map of Hampden County by Henry F. Walling (Library of Congress)
- 1857 Map of Hampden County by Henry F. Walling (Library of Congress)
- 1870 Map of Agawam (Ancestry.com)
- 1870 Map of Agawam Town and Feeding Hills (Ancestry.com)
- 1894 Town of Agawam (Ancestry.com)
- 1920 Agawam Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (Library of Congress)
Maps are also available online from many website such as:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- Hathi Trust,
- David Rumsey Map Collection,
- Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library
- The Library of Congress
- Digital Commonwealth
City Directories & Residents Lists
City Directories were typically published every year. Because of that they are great for filling in the gaps between the 10 year spread of census records. They are also helpful to identify when people move from place to place.
City Directories are available online at the major database sites like Ancestry.com ($), MyHeritage.com ($) and FamilySearch.org. They are also found in local libraries and archives.
Tax Records
Tax records provide the value of property through the years. These can be a great indicator of when changes were made to a property. Check your local library, Town Hall or Archive.org for Town Annual Reports which contain the tax records.
Newspapers
Many old newspapers are available online through Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, AmericanAncestors.org, GenealogyBank.com, Newspapers.com, OldNews.com, the Boston Public Library, the American Antiquarian Society (Worcester, MA), Community History Archives. The Ancestor Hunt website is also great for finding more newspaper resources.
Cemetery Information
Agawam, Massachusetts cemeteries:
- Agawam Center Cemetery
- Ferre Family Cemetery
- Maple Grove Cemetery
- Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery
- Old North Burying Ground
- Springfield Street Cemetery
Cemetery Information
Local Resources
- Agawam Historical Association
- Agawam Public Library – Local History Resources (Yearbooks, historical images, newspapers, town reports
- Agawam Public Library – Genealogy Resources
- Town of Agawam Annual Reports, 1891-1984 (not complete) Internet Archive
- Pioneer Valley History Network
- Inventory of town and city archives of Massachusetts, no. 7, Hampden County, vol. 1, Agawam (1941, WPA) (FamilySearch)
Further Reading
Burt, Henry M. The First Century of the History of Springfield: The Official Records from 1636 to 1736. Springfield, MA: Henry M. Burt, 1898. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/firstcenturyofhi01spri/page/n5/mode/2up
Carvalho, Joseph. Black Families in Hampden County, Massachusetts, 1650-1865. Boston, Mass. : New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.
Cecchi, David. Agawam and Feeding Hills (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2000.
Cecchi, David. Agawam and Feeding Hills Revisited (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2005.
Cecchi, David. Around Agawam and Feeding Hills (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2025.
Copeland, Alfred Minot. “Our County and Its People”: A History of Hampden County, Massachusetts. The Century Memorial Publishing Company, 1902. Available at Internet Archive – Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 3
Early Maps in the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts. Springfield, MA: Wright & DeForest, 1911. Available at HathiTrust – https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049969846&seq=3
History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts. Philadelphia: Lois H. Everts, 1879. Available at Internet Archive – Volume 1 and Volume 2
Holland, Josiah Gilbert. History of Western Massachusetts. The Counties of Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire. Springfield: Samuel Bowles and Company, 1855. Available at Internet Archive Volume 1 and Volume 2
Johnson, Clifton. Hampden County, 1636 – 1936. New York: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1936 Available at Internet Archive – Volume 1 and Volume 2
Nason, Rev. Elias. A Gazetteer of the State of Massachusetts. Boston: B. Russell, 1890. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofstate00naso/page/n5/mode/2up
