Oswego County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Oswego 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 Mohawk language word meaning "the outpouring", referring to the mouth of the Oswego River. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

Parent County
1 March 1816: Oswego County was created from parts of Oneida and Onondaga counties.

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


 * 1840s-1870s - Marriages by Rev. J.H. Steward, Watertown, N.Y., courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1854-1886 - Marriages at The Old Corn Hill Methodist Church, Utica, N.Y., 1854-1886, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1880s-1920s - Baptisms and Death Sightings, Oswego County, N.Y., courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1881 - Minutes of the Forty-Ninth Anniversary of the Oswego Baptist Association, 1881, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
 * 1865-1969 Sandy Creek Methodist Episcopal Church Contains baptisms 1865-1895, marriages 1865-1883, alphabetical list of members including deaths 1854-1915, class record including deaths 1867-1918. Includes many members listed as residing at Ellisburg, Jefferson County, New York.

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

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 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.


 * Additional Resources *Oswego County, New York Genealogy and Historical Resource Site

History

 * Oswego County New York History - Select by town (AHGP History Section)
 * Town Historians and Historical Societies- Oswego County NYGenWeb

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

Online



Microforms



Books




 * 1791-1836 - Oswego Deed Index 1791-1836

Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)
 * Oswego County 1867 Shows Towns of Oswego - New York Public Library Online
 * Map of towns of Central New York - Only shows sourthern towns of Oswego County - Cortland County NYGenWeb

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


 * pre-historic
 * Mohawk or Iroquois Trail 1722

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Albion· Amboy· Boylston· Constantia· Hastings· Orwell· Oswego· Palermo· Parish· Redfield· Richland· Sandy Creek· Schroeppel· Scriba· Williamstown.


 * Wolcott, Walter. 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. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992)

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


 * - 1st Battalion, New York Light Artillery, Batteries A and G.
 * - 6th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery, Company G.
 * - 6th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company G.
 * - 6th Regiment, New York Heavy Artillery, Company L.
 * - 7th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company B.
 * - 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies F and M, 2nd Company L.
 * - 11th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company F.
 * - 12th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company A and G.
 * - 15th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies B and I.
 * - 16th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company G.
 * - 20th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company B, I, K, L and M.
 * - 21st Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company B and D.
 * - 21st Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 24th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company A, C, E, F, G, I and K.
 * - 24th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.
 * - 28th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.
 * - 37th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.
 * - 81st Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 110th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.
 * - 147th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.
 * - 149th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
 * - 189th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, E and H.
 * - 193rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, D, E and I.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1829-1957 - Oswego County Records Center - Will perform a search of naturalization records 1829 - 1957 for a $5 fee per name.

Newspapers

 * Northern New York Historical Newspapers - Search the Fulton Patriot, years 1916-1954, the Oswegonian, years 1935-2002, the Pulaski Democrat, years 1834-1990, and the Sandy Creek News, years 1871-1985, or all of them at once.
 * Old Fulton Postcards - Free searchable web site which holds newspapers from upstate New York, including Oswego county.
 * Oswego Palladium Times Ancestry ($)


 * Cleveland NY Lakeside Press 1877-1930
 * Fulton NY Chronicle 1837-1840
 * Fulton NY Newspaper Index 1820-1880
 * Fulton Patriot 1900-1993
 * Fulton Patriot 1916-1954
 * Fulton Times 1881-1917
 * Mexico NY Independent 1861-1972
 * Oswegonian of SUNY Oswego 1935-2002
 * Phoenix NY Register 1958
 * Valley News 1947-1999

Poorhouses, Poor law, etc.
There were two poorhouses and two insane asylums in Oswego County. There was a poorhouse and asylum for the city of Oswego which was located within the city. The County poorhouse and insane asylum were located in the town of Mexico.

Some information about inmates of the County Insane Asylum in Mexico can be found in the Staff of the County Insane Asylum at Mexico, NY

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 ($).
 * 1816-1901 - SAMPUBCO Browsable Index of testators of wills.
 * 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * - Oswego County: Administration bonds 1896-1900; Administration index 1827-1893; Administration orders 1896-1905; Administration records 1821-1830; Appraisal records 1849-1906; Common orders 1856-1892; Decrees, Orders 1896-1904; Dower records 1831-1880; Estate index 1846-1916; Final settlements 1856-1916; Guardianship appointments 1831-1852; Guardianship bonds 1890-1911; Guardianship index 1847-1892; Guardianship records 1896-1910; Letters of administration 1883-1909; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary 1825-1904; Letters of guardianship 1852-1916; Minutes 1834-1865; Proceedings 1896-1908; Proceedings index 1896-1902; Sales 1816-1955; Surrogate record index 1846-1876, 1912-1931; Surrogate records 1865-1896; Testamentary index 1837-1893; Will index 1816-1915, 1932-1971; Wills 1816-1901

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


 * 1816–1915 Probate Records

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Oswego County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1984). ; . Includes index. Includes sources for family history and genealogy.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

 * Northern New York Library Network - Oswego County

Courthouses
The Oswego County Clerk's office has marriage, land, court and military discharge records. The Records Center has the state census from 1850-1925, naturalization and some burial records. The Surrogate Court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Oswego County are held, see the Oswego County Courthouse page.

Family History Centers

 * Auburn New York Family History Center
 * Fayette New York Family History Center
 * Fulton New York Family History Center
 * Herkimer New York Family History Center
 * Lowville New York Family History Center
 * Pulaski New York Family History Center
 * Syracuse New York Family History Center
 * Syracuse New York Ward Family History Center
 * Utica New York Family History Center
 * Watertown New York Family History Center


 * Onondaga County Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Oswego County Historical Society 135 East 3rd St. Oswego, New York 13126 Phone: 315-343-1342 E-mail: [mailto:ochs@rbhousemuseum.org och@rbhousemuseum.org]

Oswego Masonic District Historical Society Phoenix Temple 451 Main Street Phoenix, New York 13135




 * Town Historians and Historical Societies - Oswego County NYGenWeb

Social Groups Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Vital Records

 * 1834-2002 Northern NY Library Network Newspaper Search. Includes Fulton Patriot (1916-1954), Oswegonian (1935-2002), Pulaski Democrat (1834-1990), and Sandy Creek News (1871-1985).

Birth

 * Oswego County Vital Records Links - Public Records Search


 * 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 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

 * 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


 * 1908–1936 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free;.


 * Oswego County Vital Records Links - Public Records Search

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."


 * 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
 * Oswego County Vital Records Links - Public Records Search

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 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

Oswego County New York Places
Click on the map to go to the town page.

Oswego County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Oswego County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Oswego County NYGenWeb Project, a member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * US Gen Web Archives Owego County
 * Oswego County Links - Cyndi's List - Scroll or search down to "Oswego" for Oswego County Links
 * Oswego County Links - Gen Net - American Local History Network (ALHN) and the American History and Genealogy Project (AHGP).
 * Oswego County Links - GenealogyLinks.net
 * Oswego County Links - My New York Genealogy
 * Oswego County Links - I Dream of Genealogy - Scroll to Oswego County
 * Oswego County Vital Records Links - Public Records Search
 * Oswego County Links - Oswego County Records Center
 * Oswego County Genealogy