Cortland County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Cortland County, New York ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records,and military records.

New York Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the Cortland apple. The County is located in the central area of the state.

Parent County
Created 8 April 1808 from Onondaga County.

The county is named after Pierre Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at Kingston that wrote the first New York State Constitution in 1777, and first lieutenant governor of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating New York County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation New York County Boundary Maps" (1683-1915) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

No changes.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Bible Records

 * 1581–1917 New York, Family Bible Records at Ancestry– ($); Index. Database is a collection of genealogically important records taken from the Bibles of colony and state residents. Reveals the Bible's original owner, brief record of descendants,and a particular event such as birth or marriage as recorded in Bible.

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often reveal birth, death, relationship, military, and religious information.


 * 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index

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

Federal

 * The 1890 Census is lost. For a substitute, see directories.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Cornell University's Study Center for Early Religious Life in Western New York has an online guide to Cortland County church records in their library.

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1906-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images

Genealogy

 * Rootsweb message boardfor has many information threads about families that resided in that county. There is a search engine that allows you to search by surname and topic.

History
Eastern New Yorkers and New Englanders, wanting new land to farm, welcomed the opening of this frontier. The first white settlement in the county was made in 1791 by Amos Todd, Joseph Beebe and Rhoda Todd Beebe, emigrants from Connecticut who paddled up the Tioughnioga River from Windsor, to live near the head of navigation in the Town of Homer. Following them came a flood of settlers who, in 1808, petitioned the State Legislature for county status. Thus, Cortland County was created from the southern half of Onondaga County as part of the Boston Ten Towns on April 8, 1808.


 * Hermon Camp Goodwin, Pioneer History of Cortland County (New York : A.B. Burdick, 1859). Google Books online copy; ;.
 * Index to Pioneer History of Cortland County; Berkshire Family History Association
 * WorldCat
 * FamilySearch Catalog

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places



Land and Property
Original land records in began in [?dateyear?]. These records are housed at the [?repository?] in [?town?].

Online



Microforms


 * 1808-1962 Deed Records 1808-1916 - Index included: 1808-1962
 * 1808-1909 Mortgage Records 1808-1851 - Index included: 1808 - 1909

Books




 * The Military Tract: A Bit of Early History of Cortland County, New York, courtesy: NYGenWeb.


 * Bounty Land Deeds in Cortland Co., courtesy: NYGenWeb.

Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Cincinnatus· Harford· Scott· Solon· Taylor· Virgil· Willet.

Regiments. Service men in Cortland County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county.


 * - 6th Regiment, New York Heavy Artillery, Company I.
 * - 10th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies A, L and M.
 * - 12th Independent Company, New York Infantry, Company D.
 * - 23rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
 * - 76th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F and G.
 * - 93rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.
 * - 114th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 156th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
 * - 157th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, D, E, H and K.
 * - 175th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D and E.
 * - 194th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate Records
The petitions for are also available on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library and its centers:


 * 1799–1905 Listed as "Estate Files" . How to use FamilySearch Catalog

Online Probate Indexes
 * 1626-1836 Calendar of Wills On File and Recorded in the Offices of the Clerk of the Court of Appeals, of the County Clerk at Albany, and of the Secretary of State, 1626-1836 at FamilySearch Digital Library; Also at: Ancestry ($), American Ancestors ($)
 * 1629-1971 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1659-1999 New York Wills and Probate Records 1659-1999 at Ancestry — index and images $
 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835 at American Ancestors ($)
 * 1832-1908 SAMPUBCO Free online browsable index of testators of wills. ;.
 * 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * - Cortland County: Accounts, Final settlements, 1833-1881; Administration bonds, 1890-1901; Administration records, 1887-1907; Citations, Orders, 1881-1908; Decrees, Minutes, Orders, 1857-1887; Final settlements, 1881-1909; Guardianship record index, 1927-1970; Guardianship records, 1877-1911; Letters of administration, 1863-1910; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary, 1832-1914; Letters of guardianship, 1832-1935; Minutes, 1832-1883; Minutes, Orders, Wills, 1880-1910; Sales, 1832-1913; Surrogate record index, 1938-1970; Will and Proceeding index, 1808-1937; Wills and Administrations, 1809-1832; Wills, 1832-1909

Probate Records on Microfilm

The probate records described above may also be on microfilms like these:


 * 1808-1070 Probate records, 1809-1935; indexes, 1808-1970.
 * 1810-1893 Estate files (by file number).

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Cortland County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1984). ; . Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Cortland Free Library 32 Church St. Cortland, NY 13045 Phone: (607) 753-1042 Hours: Mon-Thur 9:30am-8pm; Fri 9:30am-5:30pm; Sat 9:30am-4:30pm

County Historian's Office
Cortland County Historian Phone: (607) 753-5049

The County Historian may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area.

Courthouses
The Cortland County Clerk's office has marriage, divorce, court, land and naturalization records. The Surrogate Court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Cortland County are held, see the Cortland County Courthouse page.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Cortland New York FamilySearch Center
 * Ithaca New York FamilySearch Center
 * Norwich New York FamilySearch Center


 * Steele Memorial Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Central New York Genealogical Society Box 104, Calvin Station Syracuse, New York 13205 E-mail: [mailto:CNYGS@yahoo.com CNYSG@yahoo.com]


 * Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publication: Tree Talks  quarterly with annual index.


 * Counties served: Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Oreleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Washington, Wayne, Warren, Wyoming, and Yates.

Cortland County Historical Society 25 Homer Avenue Cortland, NY 13045 Phone: (607) 756-6071


 * The Kellogg Memorial Research Library houses maps, census data, city and county directories, cemetery records, genealogies, histories, military records, photographic files and other resources to assist with research.

Social Groups Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Birth

 * 1881-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1881-1942 New York, Birth Index, 1881-1942 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1881-1942 Reclaim the Records: New York State Birth Index at Archive.org - images of index

Birth Substitutes


 * 1640–1962 at FamilySearch; index.
 * See Town Clerks' Registers of Men who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for birth information.

Marriage

 * 1639-1962 New York, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1664–1784 New York. Secretary of State, Names of Persons for Whom Marriage Licenses Were Issued By the Secretary of the Province of New York, Previous to 1784 (Albany, New York: Weed, Parsons and Co., 1860). At Cornell University digital library-free; Internet Archive - free; Ancestry edition($); ; . Marriage bonds issued in the State of New York prior to 1784, and the earliest record dating 1664.
 * 1847–1848 and 1908–1936 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1881-1964 Reclaim the Records: New York State Marriage Index at Archive.org - images of index
 * 1908–1935 Marriage records and license index and licenses

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch – free; Index. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.
 * 1800–1855 New York Marriage Notices at Ancestry ($); index. This database is a collection of marriage notices published in newspapers around the state. Contains name of bride and groom, marriage date, marriage location, residence, and newspaper found in.
 * 1801–1880 Barber Collection- Newspaper Marriages at Ancestry ($); index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
 * 1813-1850 Ancestry ($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
 * 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry ($); index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browsable.
 * 1864-5, 1874-5 See Marriage Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for marriage information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
 * 1864-5 Vital Records for Cortlandville District 1 from 1865 Census at NYGenWeb
 * 1864-5 Vital Records for Cortlandville District 3 from 1865 Census at NYGenWeb
 * Cortland County Vital Records Marriages and Births from DAR files at NYGenWeb

Death

 * 1824-1962 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1880-1956 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1880-1956 New York, Death Index, 1880-1956 at Ancestry ($), index only
 * 1880-1956 Reclaim the Records: New York State Death Index at Archive.org - images of index
 * 1957-1963 at FamilySearch — index only

Death Substitutes


 * 1795–1952 at FamilySearch – free; Index. The entries are primarily from the IGI along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as Family Records, Church Records, and Civil Registration. There may be entries that cite a specific source.
 * 1801–1890 Barber Collection- Newspaper Deaths at Ancestry ($); index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
 * 1813–1850  Fred Q. Bowman, 10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850 (Baltimore, MD:Genealogical Pub. Co., 1986). Ancestry ($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
 * 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, 1879-80 See Mortality Schedule information in the Federal Census section of Census for death information.
 * 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry ($); index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browsable.
 * See Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for death information.
 * 1864-5, 1874-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
 * 1864-5 Vital Records for Cortlandville District 1 from 1865 Census at NYGenWeb
 * 1864-5 Vital Records for Cortlandville District 3 from 1865 Census at NYGenWeb
 * Cortland County Vital Records Marriages and Births from DAR files at NYGenWeb

Additional Resources

Cortland County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Cortland County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Cortland County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Cortland County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Cortland County. (Mirror site)
 * Wikipedia entry for Cortland County
 * Cortland County Genealogy