Steuben County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Steuben 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 Baron von Steuben, a German general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War. The County is located in the west area of the state.

Parent County
Steuben County was created in 1796 from Ontario County.



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.

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.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places


 * 1823-1874 Rev. Noah Barrell's Record of Marriages, 1823-1874 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1844-1851 1844-1851 Presbyterian Church Marriage Records, courtesy: GenWed.com - free.


 * 1844-1851 The Marriage Records of Rev. L. Merill Miller, Presbyterian Church 1844-1851, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1846-1888 1846-1888 Marriages Performed by Rev. O.P, Alderman of Naples and Phelps, courtesy: GenWed.com - free.


 * 1846-1888 Marriages Performed by Rev. O.P. Alderman of Naples and Phelps 1846-1888, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1854-1855 Steuben County Members of the New York Baptist Union for Ministerial Education 1854-1855, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.

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

Directories

 * Steuben County, New York Online Historical Directories (Source: Online Historical Directories)

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1906-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Genealogy

 * Rootsweb message board for 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.

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

Online



Microforms



Books



Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Migration
Migration routes for early European settlers to and from included:


 * Ancram (NY) Turnpike 1805, also sometimes called the Catskill Road, from Salisbury, Connecticut to Catskill, New York
 * Catskill Road 1750s from Springfield, Massachusetts to Catskill, New York
 * Catskill Turnpike 
 * Forbidden Path, 1767 from Athens, Pennsylvania to Salamanca, New York
 * Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths 1766 from Unadilla, New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that is, from the Catskill Turnpike  to the Great Valley Road.
 * Ulster and Delaware Turnpike 1802 from Salisbury, Connecticut to Bainbridge, New York

Military
Military Information Steuben County New York Revolutionary War - Civil War. (Source: Genealogy Trails History Group)

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Addison· Avoca· Bath· Bradford· Cameron· Campbell· Caton· Cohocton· Greenwood· Hartsville· Hornellsville· Jasper· Lindley· Prattsburgh· Pulteney· Rathbone· Thurston· Troupsburg· Tuscarora· Urbana· Wayland· Wayne· West Union· Wheeler· Woodhull.

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


 * - 1st Battalion, New York Light Artillery, Battery K.
 * - 2nd Regiment, New York Mounted Rifles, Company M.
 * - 6th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery, Companies C and G.
 * - 6th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies C and G.
 * - 6th Regiment, New York Cavalry,
 * - 22nd Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies G and M.
 * - 23rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, D and G.
 * - 34th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies E and I.
 * - 35th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.
 * - 78th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.
 * - 86th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B, C, D, F, G, H, I and K.
 * - 102nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company D.
 * - 104th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.
 * - 107th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies F, G, I and K.
 * - 141st Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B, D, E, F, G and H.
 * - 161st Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, D, E, F, G, H and I.
 * - 175th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D and E.
 * - 179th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, F and H.
 * - 189th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, C, G and H.

Civil War Pensions Index 86th New York Infantry "Stueben Rangers" (Genealogy Trails History Group)

Roster of Men in National Guard (New York State Reserve Milital) in Steuben Co., New York 1862-1867.

U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938(Ancestry $)

1883 List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883(Internet Archive)

World War II
World War II Casualities, Army and Army Air Corps  (Source: AccessGenealogy)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1907-1966 at FamilySearch – free; Index.
 * Naturalizatiton Records, 1820-1906. New York Court of Common Pleas (Steuben County)

Newspapers
Marriage Notices from Steuben County, New York Newspapers, 1797-1884. by Mary S. Jackson. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, C. 1998.

Marriages and Deaths From Steuben County, New York, Newspapers, 1797-1868. by Yvonne E. Martin. Bowie, Maryland:Heritage Books, C. 1988. ;.

Death Notices From Stteuben County, New York, Newspapers, 1797-1884. by Mary S. Jackson and Edward F. Jackson. Bowie Maryland:Heritage Books, C. 1988.

Probate Records
Online Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1629-1971 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1659-1999 New York Wills and Probate Records 1659-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * 1800-1869 SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * - Steuben County: Accounts 1830-1857; Administration index 1796-1936; Administration records 1861-1870; Administration, Guardianship and testamentary index 1796-1909; Decrees, Minutes, Orders 1830-1881; Dower records 1829-1876; Final settlements 1854-1868; Guardianship orders 1864-1873; Guardianship records 1828-1866; Letters of administration 1822-1847, 1860-1870; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary 1830-1863; Letters of testamentary 1861-1872; Minutes, Orders 1853-1858; Orders 1855-1860; Sales 1828-1867; Testamentary index 1796-1936; Testamentary orders 1861-1870; Wills 1800-1869

Probate Records on Microfilm Probate records found at Historical Records and described in Online Probate Records above are also found on microfilm as follows:


 * 1796–1936 Testamentary and administration indexes, Surrogate's Court. Manuscript on film.
 * 1796–1936 Probate records: Wills, 1800–1869; Guardianship 1796–1909; Minutes and orders, 1830–1870; Administration index, 1796–1936; Testamentary index, 1796–1936; Letters of administration, 1830–1872.

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Steuben County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1981). - free; ; Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Libraries

Southeast Stebuen County Library

Avoca Free Library P O Box S 5 Griswold Street Avoca, NY 14809 Phone: 1-607-566-9279

Dormann Library 101 West Morris Street Bath, NY 14810 Phone: 1-607-776-4613 Website: Southern Tier Library

Prattsburgh Free Library P O Box 426 26 Main Street Prattsburgh, NY 14873 Phone: 1-607-522-3490 Website: Prattsburgh Free Library

Courthouses
The Steuben County Clerk's office has marriage, divorce, court and land records as well as the state census. The Surrogate Court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Steuben County are held, see the Steuben County Courthouses page.

Family History Centers

 * Elmira New York Family History Center
 * Hornell New York Family History Center
 * Ithaca New York Family History Center
 * Olean New York Family History Center
 * Owego New York Family History Center
 * Warsaw New York Family History Center
 * Wellsville New York Family History Center


 * Steele Memorial Library - an affiliate library

Social Groups Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Birth

 * 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 – free; 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 at FamilySearch – free; . Index on film goes to 1936. License and certificates are available from 1908 to 1935.

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."


 * 1809–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 1828 Steuben Messenger Vital Records 1828 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 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.

Death
Death Indexes
 * 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."


 * 1809–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 1828 Steuben Messenger Vital Records 1828 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 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.

Additional Resources

Steuben County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Steuben County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Steuben County NYGenWeb
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Steuben County NY Genealogy