Cayuga County, New York Genealogy

United States New York  Cayuga County

Parent County
8 March 1799: Created from Onondaga County.

Neighboring Counties
Cortland· Onondaga· Oswego· Seneca· Tompkins· Wayne· Lake Ontario

Boundary Changes

 * 29 March 1804: Seneca County set off.
 * 17 April 1817: Part along with a part taken from Seneca County to create Tompkins County.

Record Loss

 * 30 April 1922: Cayuga Courthouse caught fire on April 30, 1922. The records were saved.

Bible Records

 * Bible Records USGenWeb Archives


 * 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

 * BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, This Volume Contains Biographical Sketches of the Leading Citizens of Cayuga County New York; Boston; Biographical Review Publishing Company; 1894 (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Odds and Evens (USGenWeb Archives)

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
1800 1800 Federal Census USGenWeb Archives

1840


 * 1840 Census of Pensioners Cayuga County, New York, June 1, 1840.

Church Records
A variety of local church records representing the Baptist, Church of Christ, Congregational, Dutch Reformed, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and Society of Friends faiths are available online at NYGenWeb.


 * 1800s-1830s - Dutch Reformed Church, Owasco, Cayuga Co., NY, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * Records of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church at the Owasco Outlet in the Town of Fleming, Cayuga County, N.Y. New York (N.Y.): New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1988. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Belden, A. Russell. History of the Cayuga Baptist Association. Auburn N.Y.: Derby &amp; Miller, 1986. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Central Church Semi-centennial: Addresses and Papers Prepared in Connection with the Celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Founding of the Central Presbyterian Church of Auburn, New York. Auburn, N.Y.?:, 1912. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Hawley, Charles. The History of the First Presbyterian Church, Auburn, N.Y.: A Discourse. Auburn N.Y: Dennis Bro's &amp; Co., 1869. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

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

Directories

 * U. S. City Directories (Auburn).$
 * Cayuga County, New York Directory, 1867-1868. $
 * Auburn, New York Directoreis, 1889-1892. $
 * Auburn, New York 1897-1898 City Directory.
 * Auburn, New York 1906 City Directory.

Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups

 * Uncovering The Freedom Train in Auburn and Cayuga County, New York. A Cultural Resources Suvery of Sites Relating to the Underground Railroad, Abolitionism, and African American Life in Auburn and Cayuga County, New York.

History

 * History of Cayuga County, New York.
 * A Selection of Local History Books at the Cayuga County Historian's Office. Old Historic Post Office Building, 157 Genesee Street. Auburn, New York, 13021.
 * Cayuga County, New York Time Line.

Land and Property

 * A Summary History of The Military Tract of Central NY for The Cayuga County NYGenWeb Project.
 * Early Cayuga County NY Land Ownership Maps, courtesy: USGenWeb.

Maps

 * Cayuga County, New York Maps.
 * Cayuga County, NYGenWeb Project Maps Information.
 * 1895 U. S. Altas, Cayuga County, New York.

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


 * Mohawk or Iroquois Trail (west fork) about 1722
 * Great Genesee Road 1794
 * Erie Canal 1825
 * Erie Canal 1825


 * Uncovering The Freedom Train in Auburn and Cayuga County, New York. A Cultural Resources Suvery of Sites Relating to the Underground Railroad, Abolitionism, and African American Life in Auburn and Cayuga County, New York.

Military

 * A Summary History of The Military Tract of Central NY The Cayuga County NYGenWeb Project.

American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War Pensions USGenWeb Archives

Civil War

Available towns. Registers are available for: Aurelius· Brutus· Cato· Conquest· Fleming· Genoa· Ira· Ledyard· Locke· Mentz· Montezuma· Moravia· Niles· Scipio· Sempronius· Sennett· Sterling· Summerhill· Throop· Victory.

Regiments. Civil War service men from Cayuga County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Montgomery County.


 * - 116th Regiment, New York Infantry; Companies B, D and H.
 * - 138th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 160th Regiment, New York Infantry


 * New York 9th Heavy Artillery.

World War II


 * World War II Enlistments USGenWeb Archives
 * Cayuga County, New York World War II Casualties Army and Air Force.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * SAMPUBCO Index of naturalization records.
 * Northen District Court of NY Naturalization Project.
 * Naturalizations: Declarations of Intent.
 * Declarations of Intent and Naturalization Pension Index USGenWeb Archives

Newspapers

 * Local Newspaper Collection at The Cayuga County NY Historian's Office.
 * Newspaper Collections on Microfilm at The Cayuga County NY Historian's Office.

Obituaries
Obituaries and Death Notices USGenWeb Archives

Probate Records
Wills


 * 1799-1902 - SAMPUBCO - Index of testators of wills.

Surrogate's Records

Probate files containing various types of records - wills (not every file has one), guardianships, settlements, receipts of payments, inventories, letters, etc.)


 * 1798-1850 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of estates.

Guardianships


 * 1804-1852 - SAMPUBCO Index of guardianships (names of children).

Archives, Libraries and Museums
The Finger Lakes Library System consists of public libraries in Cayuga, Cortland, Seneca, Tioga and Tompkins Counties. Libraries for towns in Cayuga County are: Auburn, Aurora, Cato, Fair Haven, Moravia, Poplar Ridge, Port Byron, Union Springs and Weedsport.

Cayuga County Historian's Office. Includes Census, Land, Surrogate, Newspaper, Card File, Topical Files, Cemetery Records, Church Records, etc. Family Files Surnames are available online.

Courthouses
The Cayuga County Clerk's office has probate, court, land and DAR county cemetery records. For further information about where the records for Cayuga County are held, see the Cayuga County Courthouse page.

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.

Vital Records

 * 1840-1847 Patriot'' Transcriptions at USGenWeb Archives - 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.
 * 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch Historical Records – 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 10,000 Vital Records of Central New York 1813-1850 at World Vital Records ($).
 * 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); 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.


 * Wiles, Harriett M. Marriages and Deaths from the Lyons Republican and Inscriptions from the Lyons Rural Cemetery. Nelson, N.Y. and Aurora, N.Y. 1900. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Death
Death Substitutes


 * 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."


 * 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.
 * 1863 Death Records for the Year Ending December 31, 1863 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1864-5, 1874-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.


 * Wiles, Harriett M. Marriages and Deaths from the Lyons Republican and Inscriptions from the Lyons Rural Cemetery. Nelson, N.Y. and Aurora, N.Y. 1900. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Additional Resources

Web Sites

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