Library Archive

The Wayland Free Public Library Archive is comprised of physical and digital resources.  New collections are coming online as they become available, so please check back often!  If you have questions about the library’s historical collection, please email M.J. Wright at mwright@minlib.net or ask for her at the library.  Appointments are required to see primary sources and historical maps.

NEW! Vertical File Index NEW!

History of the Wayland Free Public Library  (1848-1977) –  Library trustee records, meeting minutes, correspondence, and other miscellaneous documents.

Annual Listings (1932, 1942, 1951-present, with gaps) – These are lists of town residents, usually over the age of 20, arranged by street.

The Cochituate Jeep  (1945-46) – Hometown news for Cochituate men and women in the armed forces during WWII.

The Village Bugle  (1942-45) – The equivalent of the Jeep for service people from Wayland Center (or Wayland Village, as it was known then).

Town Reports (1921-2017) – These books were published annually and include reports on the projects and finances for each of the city’s departments.

The Town Crier (1950-1961) – Wayland’s paper of record, which included Weston news.

Vital records of Wayland, Massachusetts to the year 1850 Searching for your Ancestors?  Check out this record of births, marriages, and deaths.

Wayland Historical Maps and Plans

Wayland Photo Archive – Photographs taken in and around the town of Wayland, Massachusetts, mostly between 1884 and 1930, of residents, historic homes and other notable buildings, street scenes, and nature studies.  The collection also includes a small set of postcards showing local scenes, and a set of photos of the library taken in 1960 by the Thompson Engineering Company of Boston.

Wayland High School History Project – Investigations into the impact of historical events on Wayland.

The Reflector (1944-present, with gaps) – The Wayland High School yearbook.

Map of Proposed Improvements – This plan was drawn by landscape architect John Nolan in conjunction with a Report upon the Town of Wayland, Mass which he submitted to the Village Improvement Society in September, 1911.  The Wayland Village Improvement Society raised money to hire John Nolan to draw up a Town Plan of possible improvements for the town.  The plan includes Wayland Center: Main Street [now sometimes called Route 20] mostly west of the railroad, State Road, Pelham Island Road and Concord Road.