The records of the Western Massachusetts locals and district councils of the UBCJA documents the rise of unionization among carpenters in the Connecticut River Valley since the 1880s. This collection represents a merger of separate accessions for the District Councils in Springfield (MS 110), the Pioneer Valley (MS 231), and Holyoke (MS 108), along with post-merger records for Local 108. In general, each has been maintained as a distinct series.
Oral history with man born into a Canadian family in Northampton Aug. 21, 1910. Studied in Canada, but did not complete his course and returned to Northampton where there were many more Canadians then than now, perhaps 1,000 or 1,200 families in his parish, mostly speaking French. Children studied French at the parochial school (Sacre Coeur). Most French were concentrated in the lower part of town south of Main Street and Bridge Street. Could live most of life speaking only French in town; social clubs. Began working at 16 in a silk mill. Family.
Oral history with the Gagnon family, part of the Franco-American community in Springfield since 1953. Topics include their participation in Franco-American activities at St. Joseph’s Church, their interest in Franco-American studies, and what nationality means to them, as people with roots in America, Canada, and France.
Collection includes statutes and by-laws, minutes, administrative records, correspondence, financial records and receipts, scholarship records, publications, records of programs and events, and artifacts and ephemera.
A collection of French-language manuscripts, correspondence, and clippings by and about Henri d’Arles (1870–1930), the nom de plume of Father Henri Beaudé (né Beaudet) who was a writer and Catholic priest from Québec. Beaudé was initially professed with the Dominican Order in Québec but was later incardinated into the Diocese of Manchester (New Hampshire). In 1924, he became a citizen of the United States. Between 1903 and 1930 Beaudé authored over 25 books and pamphlets in addition to writings in literary and historical journals. He edited and annotated the three volume Acadie: reconstitution d’un chapitre perdu de l’histoire d’Amérique based on Édouard Richard’s manuscript which earned him the Medaille d’or from l’Académie Française in 1922. The collection includes manuscripts for many of his published books, his personal diary (Journal Intime), clippings, and various correspondence of different provenance.
