Hamilton County, New York Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Alexander Hamilton. The County is located in the central area of the state.

Parent County
21 February 1816: Created from Montgomery 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.


 * The county government was not fully developed until after 1860. Many functions were assigned to neighboring counties over the years.
 * Attached to Montgomery County until 1838 when it was reassigned to Fulton County.

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

 * 1835-1856 - Marriage Records of Joseph F. Spier Northville Methodist Episcopal Church 1835-1856, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
 * 1867-1915 Catholic Church. St. Joseph Olmstedville Baptisms, marriages, burials 1867-1911, communions, confirmation 1879-1893 (Olmstedv.) Baptisms 1890-1915 Confirmations 1890-1915 (various) Marriages 1891-1899, 1903-1915 Deaths 1890-1915
 * 1762-1876 Eglise catholique. Saint-François-Régis (Saint-Régis, Québec) and Huntingdon County Catholic Parishes Includes baptisms, marriages, burials and confirmations. Text in French, English, Latin and Indian.

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1906-1942 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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


 * 1797-1959 Deed Records 1797-1901 - Index to deeds and mortgages included: 1797-1959

Books



Maps



 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Lake Pleasant· Long Lake· Morehouse· Wells.

Regiments. Service men from Hamilton 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 Hamilton County.


 * - 61st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.
 * - 115th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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


 * 1861–1908 Listed as "Estate papers" . Filed by Last letter of Surname.

Online Probate 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 $
 * 1861-1934 - SAMPUBCO Free browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1861-1908 SAMPUBCO Free browsable index of Estate Files
 * 1866 - 1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * - Hamilton County: Letters, 1878-1920; Minutes, 1878-1921; Settlements, 1906-1920; Wills, 1861-1934

Probate Records on Microfilm

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


 * 1861–1908 Estate Papers(Petitions)
 * 1861–1934 Probate Records

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Hamilton 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
Adirondack Museum Library P. O. Box 99 Blue Mountain Lake, New York 12812 Phone: 518-352-7311 Email: jpepper@adkmuseum.org Collections: include books, manuscripts, maps, periodicals, microforms, and ephemera related to the Adirondack Mountains. It is strongly encouraged to make an appointment.

Hamilton County libraries are part of the Northern New York Library Network. Each library has access to genealogical databases - especially newspaper sites. Many are accessible with your library card from home. A list of the libraries in this system and their website and contact information is found here.

County Historian's Office
Hamilton County Historian Bill Zullo 102 County View Drive P.O. Box 205 Lake Pleasant, N.Y. 12108 Phone: 518-548-5526 Email: historian@hamiltoncountyny.gov Collection includes: Genealogy files. Maps, books and subject files, photos.

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. Hamilton County's collection includes: Genealogy files. Maps, books and subject files, photos.

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

Societies
The Adirondack Genealogical – Historical Society - they have an obituary database extracted from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and will search for you by phone. They also have some church records, census records on Franklin and surrounding counties, local directories, and cemetery information up to 2000. Phone: 518-891-0807.

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.

Northeastern New York Genealogical Society PO Box 4264 Queensbury, NY 12804-1422 Email: Robert and Barbara Green – rgbkg@capital.net; John Austin – jaqby@adelphia.neg

Social Groups Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Vital Records

 * 1848-1851 Vital Records, 1849-1851 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1893-1993 Vitals from the Hamilton County News (incomplete) at NYGenWeb - free. Births, marriages, obituaries.

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

 * 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


 * 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."


 * 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. 

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
 * 1957-1963 - at FamilySearch — Index only

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. See also indexes at NYGenWeb.


 * 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 in the Civil War section of Military for death information.
 * Hamilton County obituaries at NYGenWeb - free.

Additional Resources

Hamilton County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Hamilton County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * The Hamilton County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Hamilton County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Hamilton County. (Mirror site)
 * Hamilton County Genealogy