Researching your place will require some legwork. Some collections may be available digitally through an institutions website, but often visits to libraries, archives, museums, historical societies or government offices will provide you with a boon of information on your place and help set the context to your research as well. The NSCC Libraries will not have all the information you will need to complete your assignment.
When researching, consider starting locally and then moving to the state and federal levels for information.
Libraries & Archives
A good place to begin your research is the public library in the town or city of your locale. The local library may have a history room or archive. As important, a reference librarian will be a great source for referrals to other museums, historical societies, or government offices that may have information on your place.
NOBLE Libraries on the North Shore
Directory of Massachusetts Libraries
Manuscripts, Archives & Special Collections Directory
Massachusetts State Library Special Collections
Historical Societies & Museums
Many historical societies may be housed in the local city or town museum. For example, the Lynn Museum & Historical Society.
Directory of Massachusetts Historical Societies
Massachusetts Historical Society
Government Sources
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Community Profiles
Map Sources
Leventhal Map Center at Boston Public Library
American Memory Map Collections from the Library of Congress
Local Histories
Many early local histories of a city or town that have fallen out of copyright and are now in the public domain have been collected in the Internet Archive. Try a search on your city and state. Example: lynn massachusetts