Columbia County, New York Genealogy

United States New York  Columbia County



Parent County
Created 4 April 1786 from Albany County.

Neighboring Counties
Albany· Dutchess· Greene· Rensselaer· Ulster· Connecticut county: Litchfield· Massachusetts county: Berkshire

Boundary Changes
No changes

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.

Biography

 * Reynolds, Cuyler. Hudson–Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1911. Free online index. Master index

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

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
The Dutch Reformed Church at Claverack has records dating from the 1720s.

Ann Mensch's Local Catholic Church and Family History &amp; Genealogical Research Guide is a free online resource that identifies the parishes of Columbia County, years parishes were created, contact information, as well as links to online records and research tips. Columbia County parishes fall under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Albany.

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Columbia County for European settlers included:


 * Albany Post Road (or Queen's Road, or King's Road) 1669

Military
Civil War

Available towns. Registers are available for: Ancram· Austerlitz· Canaan· Chatham· Claverack· Clermont· Copake· Germantown· Ghent· Greenport· Hillsdale· Kinderhook· Livingston· New Lebanon· Stockport· STuyvesant· Taghkanic.

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


 * -156th Regiment, New York Infantry

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1824–1941 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.


 * 1917-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.

Newspapers

 * Chatham NY Courier 1867-1967
 * Chatham NY Republican 1886-1898
 * Hudson NY Evening Register 1867-1944

Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers for Pittsfield, Massachusetts newspapers (1858-1977) and North Adams, Massachusetts newspapers (1895-1977) covering local news that included Columbia County residents.

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


 * 1830–1880 Listed as "will papers" and "administration papers" and . How to use Family History Library Catalog

Online Probate Indexes


 * 1786-1904 - SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1786-1851 - Barber, Gertrude A. Calendar of Wills of Columbia County, New York. 8 vols. New York, 1935. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at New York Ancestors ($); includes.

Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1786-1920 Will books and index, 1786-1904; decrees on settlements of accounts, 1880-1901; letters testamentary and administrations, 1830-1904; letters of administration, 1787-1903; records of bonds, guardians, trustees, administrators, and executors, 1890-1903; minutes of proceedings, 1831-1920.
 * 1830-1880 Administration papers.
 * early-1880 Guardian papers.

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Columbia County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1987). ; . Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Columbia County Historian Mary J. Howell 490 County Route 10 Germantown, New York 12526 518-828-3442; 518-828-2969(fax)

Archives, Libraries and Museums
ARCHIVES

Columbia County, NY On-Line History On-Line Historical Archives This is a growing collection of transcripts, indexes, and photographs related to the history of Columbia County, NY. It includes oral histories and folklore, several gazetteers, federal and state censuses, early probates, deeds, private papers, and more.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

There are twelve public libraries in Columbia County New York, one of which is a Branch Library. They belong to the Mid-Hudson Library System that serves the communities of Columbia, Duchess, Greene, Putnam, and Ulster Counties. They share a catalog that includes a sizable collection of Genealogical materials. The shared catalog is found on the library systems main page. For information on the individual libraries in Columbia County, click here.

County Historian's Office
Mary Howell, Historian 490 County Route 10 Germantown, NY 12526 Also: 610 State Street Hudson, NY 12534 Phone: (518) 828-3442 Fax: (518) 828-2969 E-mail: mhowell@govt.co.columbia.ny.us

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

Societies
Columbia County Historical Society - digital collections 5 Albany Ave. PO Box 311 Kinderhook, NY 12106. Telephone(518) 758-9265 Hours: Monday, Thursday, Friday, &amp; Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm, Sundays by appointment

The Columbia County Historical Society is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the history of Columbia County, NY. The Society owns and operates three historic properties and a museum, open year-round. They include the Columbia County Museum, the James Vanderpoel House, and the Luykas Van Alen House.


 * Columbia County Museum 5 Albany Avenue Kinderhook, NY 12106 The Columbia County Museum houses the Columbia County Historical Society offices, research library, collections storage and exhibit space. It appears to be the only museum belonging to the historical society with collections for genealogical research.

Capital District Genealogical Society Empire State Plaza Station PO Box 2175 Albany, NY 12220-0175


 * Counties served: Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Washington.


 * $3 for non-member queries in their newsletter. Monthly meetings. They staff a genealogy support desk at the Town of Colonie Library.

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.

Social Groups Online

 * Columbia County Historical Society - Facebook.


 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Vital Records

 * Index Vital Records Columbia County, New York at NYGenWeb - free.

Birth
Birth Substitutes


 * 1640–1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – 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

 * 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.


 * 1908–1917 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Marriage records

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.


 * 1777–1834 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 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."


 * 1804–1850 Fred Q. Bowman, 8000 More Vital Records of Eastern New York State, 1804-1850 (Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship Books, 1991). ; . Abstracts of newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 1823-1828 Marriages and Deaths from the Northern Whig at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).


 * 1824-1851Marriages from the Rural Repository Published in Hudson, N.Y. 4 vols. Digital version at Ancestry ($). 


 * 1847 Marriage Records from the Rural Repository, published at Hudson, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet - 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 browseable.


 * 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 Marriages from the 1865 State Census, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet - free.


 * 1874-5 Marriages from the 1875 State Census, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet - free.

Death
Death Substitutes


 * 1777–1834  Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 1795–1952 at FamilySearch Historical Records – 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."


 * 1804–1850 Fred Q. Bowman, 8000 More Vital Records of Eastern New York State, 1804-1850 (Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship Books, 1991). ; . Abstracts of newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 1823-1828 Wiles, Harriett M. Marriages and Deaths from the Northern Whig. Published in Hudson, N.Y., 1823-1828. 1952. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


 * 1824-1825, 1828-1851 Wiles, Harriett M. Deaths Copied from the Rural Respository. Published in Hudson, N.Y. 3 vols. 1988. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1847 Death Records from the Rural Repository, published at Hudson, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet- 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 browseable.


 * 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 Deaths from the 1865 State Census, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet - free.


 * 1874-5 Deaths from the 1875 State Census, Columbia County, New York at USGenNet - free.

Additional Resources

Web Sites

 * The Columbia County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Columbia County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Columbia County. (Mirror site)