Ancestry & Genealogy Research
Tin-type of Natick resident Emma Cummings Smith, the matriarch of the Smith family. Information about her and the Smith-Ambler family can be found in the Shirley Brown Collection at the Natick Historical Society Research Library and Archive.
Getting Started
The Natick Historical Society receives many research requests on genealogy and family histories. Below is a list of recommended resources available online to get you started. Please remember that these resources are neither comprehensive nor complete, but they are a great place to start. If you find these resources helpful or have a new resource to share, please let us know on Facebook or email us.
Ancestry Library (freely accessible using your Natick library card)
Natick’s Vital Records up until 1850
Natick High School Yearbooks (1916-1950)
US Census (1790-1930)
Historic Natick newspapers, digitized by the Morse Institute Library (1856-1974)
Historic local newspapers, digitized by the Library of Congress (1848-present)
Further Research
Are you still looking for genealogical information? Submit a Research Request to the Natick Historical Society or visit our Research Library. Below is a list of some printed resources we keep in the library and archive that you may find helpful.
Natick Vital Records until 1953, excluding 1851-1873
Index of Natick Births (1843-1920)
Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War (Vol. I - XVII)
List of Veterans of the Seven Years War
List of Veterans of the Spanish-American War
Massachusetts Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the Civil War (Vol. I - VIII)
List of Veterans of the First World War
Natick High School Yearbooks until 1994
Natick List of Residents (1850-2019)
Resident and Business Directory (1965)
Massachusetts State Censuses for Natick (1855-1865)
Natick Public Schools Attendance Records (1885-1945)
NHS Map Collections
NHS Photograph Collections