The Stow Historical Society, a member-supported organization which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2011, seeks to share and preserve Stow’s history through publications, programs and projects for all who care about this old New England Village.

Since its founding in 1961, the Society's emphasis has been on compiling research papers and publishing history books about Stow.  There are seven published histories of Stow, three published by the society.  The society also helped in the planning of the Stow West School restoration and the formation of the Stow Minutemen.  For many years monthly meetings were held; in recent years the focus has been on special events:  Art shows, farm shows, dedications, bus tours and, of course, Springfest, the town-wide celebration of the incorporation of Stow in 1683.

Since its inception the society has been actively involved in the collection, cataloguing and documentation of historical data and artifacts.  Some of these items are on display in the Historical Museum in Randall Library; the rest of the collection is now in the Town Vault, one of the finest vaults in the area.  The historical collection is overseen by the Town Clerk assisted by the town-appointed Ancient Documents Committee, all members of the society.  These archivists work with maps, photos, genealogical records, special collections and other data dating to 1669.

The Stow Historical Commission has a copy of the 1933 Crowell History on its website. It's a large file and may take a long time to download.