Mount Washington, Massachusetts, became a town the 21st of June 1779. The town perches on the New York border on a winding road that few travel unless they live there. The town hall is easy to miss because it is hidden on an unpaved driveway behind an old church building. The rest of the town includes houses strewn sparsely along the same road. The only clue to where you are is a number on each mail box. I missed the town hall on my first try and had to return to the town center, which is simply a turn in the road.

The town records are housed in a large safe at the back of the building. Each book emerges from its hiding place emitting a slightly moldy smell that reassures you of the age of the books. In fact, whenever I think of Mount Washington, I not only visualize beautiful countryside, but also I smell volumes of dampened records.

Like some of the other Berkshire County towns, the earliest records are missing. Apparently, a fire destroyed the town's first book, which would probably be dated from 1779 to 1796. Two early books survive. One is a town record book beginning in 1796 that has a few vital records dispersed about in the back of the volume. The other old book is the proprietor records that identify the earliest settlers. The records of the proprietors is especially helpful as their names may be missing from the incomplete vital records of the town.

Even though the town did not exist before 1779, there are births listed that precede that date. The number of births, marriages, and deaths listed in the 1700's, however, seems sparse. The incompleteness of the early recording continues into the 1800's. In fact, there are really very few vital records before 1840. Of course, there could have been very few people in the town before that time, too.

Appreciation is extended to Vicki Torrico, Town Clerk, for permitting the records to be filmed. Also, an additional thanks to Betty Wright for opening the town hall and the old safe.

For this collection of 28 microfiches, eleven volumes of data and three indexes were filmed.

Mount Washington Town Records 1796-1868.

Town Records 1796-1869, pp 1-69

FICHE 1

Town Records 1809-1822, pp 70-139

FICHE 2

Town Records 1823-1838, pp 140-210

FICHE 3

Town Records 1838-1845, pp 211-280

FICHE 4

Town Records 1845-1855, pp 281-350

FICHE 5

Town Records 1855-1864, pp 351-420

FICHE 6

Town Records 1838-1868, pp 421-490

FICHE 7

Town & Vital Records 1775-1855, pp 491-540

FICHE 8

Mount Washington Proprietors Records 1778-1839.

Proprietor's Records 1778-1800, pp 1-44

FICHE 9

Proprietor's Records 1798-1809, pp 45-94

FICHE 10

Proprietor's Records 1810-1818, pp 95-142

FICHE 11

Proprietor's Records 1818-1828, pp 143-192

FICHE 12

Proprietor's Records 1828-1839, pp 193-207

FICHE 13

Soldiers and Officers in the Civil War from Mount Washington. Vol 1.

Rebellion Records 1861-1865, pp 1-26

FICHE 14

Revolutionary & Civil War Veterans' Graves

FICHE 15

Mount Washington Index to Deaths 1840-1986.

FICHE 16

Mount Washington Deaths 1852-1884.

FICHE 17

Mount Washington Deaths 1840-1986.

Deaths 1840-1882, pp 5-54

FICHE 18

Deaths 1883-1986, pp 55-81

FICHE 19

Mount Washington Marriage Intentions 1855-1881.

FICHE 20

Mount Washington Intentions of Marriage 1885-1896. 2 pp

FICHE 20

Mount Washington Index to Marriages 1840-1987.

Index to Marriages 1840-1987

FICHE 21

Index to Marriage Intentions 1855-1896

FICHE 21

Mount Washington Marriages 1860-1883.

FICHE 22

Mount Washington Marriages 1840-1987.

Marriages 1840-1882, pp 4-53

FICHE 23

Marriages 1883-1908, pp 54-67

FICHE 24

Mount Washington Index to Births 1745-1987.

FICHE 25

Mount Washington Births 1825-1885.

FICHE 26

Mount Washington Births 1745-1987. 84 pages.

Births 1745-1879, pp 1-50 (missing 1822-1841)

FICHE 27

Births 1880-1903, pp 51-70

FICHE 28