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Southborough Board of Health

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: TC018

Scope and Contents

This collection includes minutes, correspondence, and administrative records documenting the Board’s activities, along with copies of licenses and permits issued to both businesses and residents. Importantly, it includes a series of records pertaining to communicable diseases and public health threats in the town, which provides a detailed account of persons afflicted with Influenza during the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918-1920. The majority of licenses relate to the production, sale, and distribution of dairy products such as milk and cream. These records provide a glimpse into the Town’s agricultural past through production statistics and details about local business operations.

Dates

  • Creation: 1915 - 1972

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research. Whenever possible, digital surrogates must be consulted in lieu of the original documents to prevent unneccesary handling and mitigate wear. Research is accommodated by appointment only. Please call (508) 485-0710 x 3005 to make an appointment, or send an email to: [email protected]

Biographical / Historical

The Southborough Board of Health is responsible for providing access to public health services in the town, and enforcing state sanitary, environmental, housing, and health codes.

As defined by the Massachusetts Board of Health, the duties of local health boards include:

  • Protection of the food supply through inspections of restaurants and other food establishments; inspections and permitting of septic systems, landfills, and other solid waste facilities
  • Health care and disease control, including timely reporting and response to communicable diseases, occupational health and safety violations, food poisoning, and rabies
  • Enforcing no-smoking laws
  • Performing inspections of pools, beaches, camps, motels, and mobile home parks
  • Developing, testing, and building awareness of emergency preparedness plans for a wide range of hazards
  • A wide array of other responsibilities, including issuing burial permits, regulating pesticides, inspecting massage and tattoo parlors, and issuing health reports

    • In 1887 and 1892, and from 1901-1912 the selectmen, acting as a board of health, appointed an agent annually for a one year term. In 1913 the first board of health was elected, composed of three members whose terms were for one, two, and three years, respectively, and one member has been elected to the board annually for a three year term since.

    Extent

    1 Cubic Feet (2 bound volumes, 15 file folders)

    Language of Materials

    English

    Additional Description

    Arrangement

    The Southborough Board of Health Records are organized into three series:

  • Series 1: Minutes and Correspondence (1940-1955)
  • Series 2: Records of Diseases Dangerous to the Public Health (1915-1960)
  • Series 3: Licenses and License Statistics (1940-1972)

    • Within each series, materials are organized thematically.

    Finding Aid & Administrative Information

    Title
    Southborough Board of Health, 1915-1971
    Status
    Completed
    Author
    Jeremy G. Berry-Cahn, Archivist
    Date
    April 5, 2023
    Description rules
    Describing Archives: A Content Standard
    Language of description
    English
    Script of description
    Latin
    Sponsor
    James F. Hegarty, Town Clerk

    Revision Statements

    • February 15, 2024: Converted to EAD

    Physical Storage Information

    Repository Details

    Repository Details

    Part of the Southborough Town Clerk’s Office Municipal Archive Repository

    Contact:
    17 Common Street
    Southborough MA 01772 United States
    (508) 485-0710

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