Samuel Chester Clough Research Materials Toward a Topographical History of Boston 1630-1798; ca. 1900-1949 Guide to the Collection

Table of Contents Collection Summary Biographical Sketch Collection Description Arrangement Acquisition Information Organization Detailed Description of the Collection Preferred Citation Access Terms

Collection Summary

Biographical Sketch

Samuel Chester Clough was born in East Boston, Mass. in 1873. He graduated from Roxbury High School in 1892 and became a draftsman for the Boston Edison Company, where he worked until 1936. After leaving Boston Edison, he worked for the Boston Navy Yard in Charlestown. He married Johnina Johnson, and they had one daughter, Priscilla Clough. He died in Roxbury, Mass. on 1 Sep. 1949.

Collection Description

The Samuel Chester Clough collection consists of research materials collected by Samuel Chester Clough for his unfinished topographical history of Boston from settlement through 1798, and a series of property-ownership reconstruction maps for selected years within that period. Included in the research materials are draft tracings, city block reconstruction, manuscript, printed, and finished plate maps of areas of Boston; printed material; indexes; copies of Suffolk County deeds; and other reference materials.

Arrangement

Because of the complexity of the Clough papers, this section serves as a brief overview of Clough's research process in order to help users make the best use of the collection.

With the exception of Series I.A-C that contains secondary material created by Samuel C. Clough, the date ranges assigned to the components in this collection are based on the date of the primary materials transcribed or mapped by Clough, rather than the date he compiled or created them.

The most finished products of Clough's work--his 1798 atlas of Boston and his maps for 1633, 1638, 1648, 1676, and 1798--are located in Series I. Maps and Atlases. This series also includes his unfinished topographical history of Boston and an explanation of his numbering system.

In order to reach his goal of publishing the atlas and plate maps, Clough began by transcribing property information from records of the colony, town, registry of deeds, Suffolk probate, Supreme Judicial Court, and Book of Possessions. He also used John Winthrop's journal, Thomas Lechford's notebook, and William Aspinwall's notes and city surveys. He entered this information in his research notebooks, located in Series II. Property Records.

Clough then copied the information in his research notebooks onto index cards. It was at this time that he developed his block numbering system. Clough created his system to give each piece of property a number that would remain consistent throughout the project. He numbered the blocks 100-5600 and the properties within each block 1-99. Property number 2512, for example, is property 12 in block 25. (See Series I for Clough's explanation of his numbering system.) Clough then transferred the information found on the index cards into his land title summaries.

Clough then began the process of transferring the information he had gathered on properties onto map tracings and numbered street charts. These block reconstruction materials are located in Series II. Property Records.

Series III. Biographical/Genealogical Material and Series IV. Research Material contain additional background material gathered by Clough for use in reconstructing properties.

Series V. Personal Account Book contains the only papers of a personal nature in the entire collection. Volume 4 (Clough's Blue Book), located in Series IV. Research Material, also contains information on the ownership history of Clough family property.

The collection is roughly arranged from his most finished products (maps, atlases, and land title summaries) to his most raw research materials (research notebooks).

Acquisition Information

Main collection acquired by purchase, 1952. Additional materials given by Sidvin Frank Tucker, May 1976.

Organization of the Collection

The collection is organized into the following series:

Detailed Description of the Collection

Note: With the exception of Series I.A-C that contains secondary material created by Samuel C. Clough, the date ranges assigned to the components in this collection are based on the date of the primary materials transcribed or mapped by Clough, rather than the date he compiled or created them.

Preferred Citation

Samuel Chester Clough research materials toward a topographical history of Boston, Massachusetts Historical Society.

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.