Author Archives: Rebecca Beatrice Brooks

About Rebecca Beatrice Brooks

Rebecca Beatrice Brooks is the author and publisher of the History of Massachusetts Blog. Rebecca is a journalist and history writer who got her start in journalism working for small-town newspapers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire after she graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in journalism. She is a member of Historic Salem Inc, the Danvers Historical Society, and the Salisbury Historical Society and she volunteers for the National Archives and the Massachusetts Historical Society transcribing historical documents. Visit this site's About page to find out more about Rebecca.

Day Shift at the Davis Mine. Photo published in the Boston Herald on January 13, 1907.

History of Davis, Massachusetts

Davis, Massachusetts, is an abandoned mining village that was once the site of the Davis Pyrite Mine in the town of Rowe, Massachusetts. The Davis Pyrite Mine was once the… Read more »

Northampton State Hospital. Photo by C. Dubie, 1975, courtesy Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin, Chairman, Massachusetts Historical Commission.

History of Northampton State Hospital

Northampton State Hospital was a psychiatric hospital located in Northampton, Massachusetts. Built in 1856, it was originally known as the State Lunatic Hospital at Northampton. It was the third public… Read more »

Grange Hall Prescott, Mass., Feb. 15, 1928

History of Prescott, Massachusetts

Prescott, Massachusetts, was a town in the Swift River Valley that was lost when the town was submerged due to the Quabbin Reservoir project. Prescott was originally settled as a… Read more »

Quabbin Lake in Greenwich, Mass. Photo published in the Boston Transcript on May 5, 1926.

History of Greenwich, Massachusetts

Greenwich, Massachusetts, was a town in the Swift River Valley that was lost when the town was submerged due to the Quabbin Reservoir project. On January 14, 1746, the General… Read more »

The school and town hall, Dana, Mass., June 11, 1930

History of Dana, Massachusetts

Dana, Massachusetts, was a town in the Swift River Valley that was lost when the town was submerged due to the Quabbin Reservoir project. Dana was originally settled in 1763… Read more »