Local History Materials

original Durfee high School

The Keeley Library has a large number of materials dealing with local history. With regard to B.M.C. Durfee High School, the library has some materials about early Durfee history also. These materials are made available to promote pride in the community and to engage students and the community in research about the city's cultural heritage.

Books

Books on local history are located in Special Collections in the Processing Room. They must be requested from a library staff member. Booklets containing articles on Fall River are located at the Reference Desk. Also, the Keeley Library has made a number of books and articles available online for the research of Fall River local history. For a complete list and descriptions, click Full-text Online Books & Articles.

Durfee Yearbooks and Hilltop Newspaper

We have the most complete collection of Durfee yearbooks and issues of the Durfee Hilltop anywhere. All available Durfee yearbooks can be accessed online. Many issues of the Hilltop are available both on microfilm and in original hard copy. Recent issues are avilable online at The Durfee Hilltop.

Full-text Online Books & Articles

The Keeley Library has made a number of books and articles available online for the research of Fall River local history. For a complete list and descriptions, click Full-text Online Books & Articles

Images

Keeley Library - Fall River Local History Slides
Approximately 500 images (including 100 or so for the Mann murals below) are available online from the collection of slides relating to Fall River history and depicting historic views of local interest. Some of these slides have been reproduced on CD-ROMs for easy viewing in the library.
Keeley Library - Mann Murals Slides
Approximately 100 slides are available online depicting the murals decorating the auditorium of the Kuss Middle School (formerly the B.M.C. Durfee High School Technical building). Painted by John Mann ca. 1936 as a WPA (Works Progress Administration) project, these murals, of which some slides are also available in the Keeley Library, depict Fall River's history from the Indian era to the era of the cotton mill. A pamphlet published in 1940 describes the Mann murals in detail and contains brief information on the city's history.

Other Links

Other Materials

These include issues of the school's literary magazine, copies of staff manuals and student handbooks, and an extensive collection of the student Program of Studies. In addition, there are scrapbooks of program booklets for Founder's Day, Class Day, and Graduation Exercises. These materials are kept in the Keeley Library's Durfee Archives Collection.

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Last Updated: August 20, 2013