Town of Bridgewater World War II records

The Public Safety Committee (also referred to as the Bridgewater Committee of Public Safety or the Safety Committee, and before January 1942, it was referred to as the Bridgewater Civilian Committee on Defense, the Bridgewater Civilian Committee on National Defense, the Citizens Defense Committee, the Local Defense Committee, or the Bridgewater Defense Committee) held its first meeting on July 9, 1940.

The scrapbooks in this collection are believed to have been compiled by Miss A. Evelyn Keith, town accountant, from photographs sent in by individuals serving in the military.

Keith, along with Leo F. Nourse, Arthur E. Pratt, Ronald Atwood, James R. Moore, and Edward F. McGinn, was also a sponsor of the News Scribblings from Town Hall, Bridgewater, Mass newsletter (also referred to as Scribblings) which was mailed to military personnel from Bridgewater at the end of every month from beginning in July 1943 to approximately 1946. As of August 28, 1944 approximately 850 copies of Scribblings were sent as well as 250 copies of the Boston Herald and 200 copies of the Brockton Enterprise. As of September 24, 1945, approximately 950 copies of scribblings were sent, and by November 30, 1946 this number dropped to 110. Some of the postage for Scribblings appears to have been solicited from Bridgewater residents.