Yates County, New York Genealogy

United States New York  Yates County

Historical Facts

 * The name is in honor of Joseph C. Yates, who as Governor of New York signed the act establishing the county.

5 February 1823: Yates County was formed from 310 square miles of Ontario County, including the area that included Vine Valley, Middlesex, Penn Yan, and Dresden, New York.

1 January 1826: 60 square miles of Steuben County was partioned and added to Yates, which included Starkey, Dundee, and Lakemont, New York.

15 April 1828: 10 square miles was partioned from Yates, and passed to Seneca and Tompkins Counties, mostly in the forest.

17 March 1860: Ontario County was authorized to gain land from Yates, but it was never put into effect.

18 April 1946: Yates gained 10 square miles from Schuyler and Seneca Counties, which produced the current borders of Yates County.

Neighboring Counties
Ontario· Schuyler· Seneca· Steuben

Biography

 * History of Yates County, N.Y.: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers
 * Kashong, a history from the ancient to the modern: with illustrations
 * Memories of local naturalists

Cemeteries

 * Gravestone inscriptions from some Yates County, N.Y., cemeteries
 * Inscriptions from three abandonded [sic] cemeteries in Yates County, New York : Friends Burying Ground, Stoddard Family Cemetery, Thomas Family Cemetery, with index and family history
 * Those we remember in counties of Yates, Ontario, Schuyler, Steuben, New York State
 * Those we remember in Yates, Ontario, Schuyler, Steuben, New York State
 * Yates County cemeteries and cemetery burials

Census
For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see New York Census.

Federal
1810


 * Index of U. S. census, 1810, Ontario County, New York including Steuben, Wayne &amp; Yates counties

Church

 * Aspiring Christians: histories of Yates County churches

Court Records

 * Lis pendends, 1832-1950
 * Miscellaneous records, 1823-1913 (3 volumes)

Directories

 * American agriculturist farm directory of Yates, Schuyler, Tompkins and Seneca counties, New York, 1914: a rural directory and reference book including a road map of the four counties covered
 * Index to business directory, New historical atlas of Yates County, New York, Everts, Ensign &amp; Everts (pub. 1876): includes name, date of settlement, nativity

Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups

 * The Danes of Yates County: the history and traditional arts of an ethnic community in the Finger Lakes region of New York State

Genealogy

 * History and directory of Yates County: containing a sketch of its original settlement
 * History and directory of Yates County: containing a sketch of its original settlement by the Public Universal Friends, the Lessee Company and others, with an account of individual pioneers and their families; also of other leading citizens, including church, school and civil history and a narrative of the Universal Friend


 * Sources of clues, Yates County, New York

History

 * Americana in Drumlin Square
 * The Beddoe tract: 7,000 acres in central western New York state : it's history from 1792 to 2004
 * Changes &amp; returns: chapters in our county's history
 * A good country, a pleasant habitation, an outline of history of Yates County
 * History and directory of Yates County: containing a sketch of its original settlement
 * History of Yates County, N.Y.: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers
 * Keuka Lake memories: the champagne country, 1835-1935
 * The student's handbook of Yates County

Land and Property

 * Deed records, 1823-1910; index, 1823-1965
 * Grantor Index 1823-1965 (10 volumes)
 * Grantee Index 1823-1965 (10 volumes)
 * Deed records 1823-1905 (94 volumes)
 * Deeds transmitted from Steuben and Ontario counties, 1790-1855; index 1800-1823
 * General Index 1800-1823 (2 volumes)
 * Deeds, Steuben and Yates 1796-1854 (2 volumes)
 * Deeds, Ontario and Yates 1790-1855 (5 volumes)
 * Homesteads, 1851-1907
 * Lis pendends, 1832-1950
 * Miscellaneous records, 1823-1913 (3 volumes)
 * Mortgages, 1823-1852; index, 1823-1883
 * Mortgagee Index 1823-1881 (2 volumes)
 * Mortgagor Index 1823-1833 (2 volumes)
 * Mortgages 1823-1852 (16 volumes)
 * Honor Roll of Century Land in Yates Co., State of New York, 1953 This includes a list of original land owners and dates of purchase for land which has had continuous owner- ship for 100 years.
 * United States loan mortgage, 1837-1902

Maps

 * Combination atlas map of Yates County, New York (pub. 1876)
 * Combination atlas map of Yates County, New York (reprint 1992)
 * Yates County, New York land ownership maps, 1855 and 1865
 * Highway map of Yates County, New York, 1990

Military

 * The military history of Yates County, N. Y.: comprising a record of the services rendered by citizens of this county in the army and navy, from the foundation of the government to the present time
 * Soldiers discharge, 1863-1943

Civil War 1861-1865

Civil War service men in Yates County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county.


 * - 126th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 148th Regiment, New York Infantry


 * Yates County's "boys in blue", 1861-1865: who they were and what they did
 * Diary of Royal George Kinner, a Civil War soldier

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization of aliens over 18 years, 1898-1899
 * Naturalization of aliens under 18 years, 1865-1898
 * Naturalization records, 1823-1958; index, ca. 1823-1956
 * Card Index 1823-1956
 * Loose papers 1820-1913 (not in chronological order before 1851)
 * Declarations of Intent 1855-1906 (old style)
 * Declarations of Intent 1906-1958 (Federal)
 * Petitions for Naturalizations 1906-1958 (Federal)

Newspapers

 * Genealogical gleanings abstracted from the early newspapers of Penn Yan, Yates County, New York, 1823-1833 and 1841-1855
 * Yates County miscellany, newspaper clippings

Periodicals

 * The Union record Contains information also on the Ball family. published by Ball International Union and Keuka College
 * Index to Tree talks county packet, Yates County, New York
 * Yates past: newsletter of the Yates County Genealogical Historical Society
 * Index to Tree talks county packet, Yates County, New York

Probate Records
A project is underway to index and transcribe the 30 books of Wills recorded in Yates County since 1823. See the Every-Name index to Yates County Will Books for those currently on line.

Currently there is an online index for the first 180 boxes of probate files which includes an alphabetical index to principals and heirs and packet lists. See the Surrogate Court Records website for the online index


 * Probate records, 1823-1951
 * Index to Surrogate's Records 1823-1951
 * Wills 1823-1903 (volumes A-S)
 * Guardianship records 1823-1950 (volumes 1-6)
 * Letters of Testamentary and Administrations 1823-1904 (volumes 1-7)
 * Administrative Orders 1863-1905 (volumes 1-2)
 * Administrative Bonds 1890-1901 (volumes 1-2)
 * Minutes, Orders, Decrees 1830-1901 (volumes 1-7)
 * Dowers 1827-1879 (volumes 1-2)
 * Final Settlements 1828-1870 (volumes 1-3)
 * Real Estate 1824-1906 (volumes 1-4)
 * Renunication 1852-1939 (volume 1)
 * Miscellaneous records, 1823-1913 (3 volumes)
 * SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills.

Repositories

 * Cornell University, New York Historical Resources Center, Guide to historical resources in Yates County, New York, repositories(Ithaca, New York: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, c1984)

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Libraries


 * Penn Yan Public Library 214 Main St. Penn Yan, New York 14527-1796 Phone: 315-536-6114 Hours: Monday - Friday 9 am - 7:30 pm Saturday 9 am - 1 pm

The Penn Yan library holds a comprehensive collection of local newspapers and more.

Museums


 * The Oliver House Museum and The L. Caroline Underwood Museum 107 Chapel Street Penn Yan, New York 14527 Phone: 315-536-7318 ycghs@yatespast.org

Courthouse
The Yates County Courthouse is the home for the County Clerk, Surrogate's Court and Public County Historian. For further information about the records which are available and where the records are held, see the Yates County Courthouse page.

Family History Centers
The closest Family History Center to Yates County, New York is the Hornell, New York Family History Center. For additional Family History Centers, search online at FHC directory.

Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Societies

 * Yates County Genealogical and Historical Society, Inc. 107 Chapel Street Penn Yan, New York 14527 Phone: 315-536-7318 Email: ycghs@yatespast.org

Some of the genealogical resources available through the Yates County Genealogical and Historical Society are:


 * County maps from 1790 - 1969
 * Marriage and death records, 1820's - 1990's taken from newspapers, genealogies and other records
 * Census indexes, 1790-1865
 * Penn Yan County directories, 1879-1990
 * Local history
 * Special collections including photogarphs
 * Cemetery records
 * County history
 * School records
 * and more...

Social Groups Online
Yates County Genealogical and Historical Society facebook page.

Vital Records
General


 * Miscellaneous records, 1823-1913 (3 volumes)

Marriages

 * Marriage licenses, applications and certificates of consent, 1908-1935
 * Marriage record of Yates County, New York, 1908-1926

Divorces
Additional Resources