Schuyler County, New York Genealogical Records Information

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Schuyler County History and Information

Schuyler County Facts

Schuyler County was created in 1854 and formed from Tompkins, Steuben and Chemung Counties. Schuyler County was named for Philip Schuyler, a general in the American Revolutionary War and the County Seat is Watkins Glen. See also Extended History for more historical details.

The Schuyler County Courthouse is located at County Office Bldg., 105 Ninth St., Unit 6, Watkins Glen , NY 14891; 607-535-8100 and the Official County Website is located at http://www.schuylercounty.us/.

Schuyler County Borders Seneca County (North), Tompkins County (East), Chemung County (South), Steuben County (West), Yates County (Northwest) .

Schuyler County Municipalities: Burdett (village), Catharine (town), Cayuta (town), Dix (town), Hector (town), Montour (town), Montour Falls (village), Odessa (village), Orange (town), Reading (town), Tyrone (town), Watkins Glen (village) . Town Clerks are responsible for vast amounts of local information from deeds, property transfers, and genealogical materials. Research on place and road names, the history of property transfers and much more are available through your Town Clerk. They are a tremendous resources.

Schuyler County, New York History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

Schuyler County Court Records

See Also New York Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
All Land and Naturalization records are maintained at the Schuyler County Clerk's Office. The Schuyler County Courthouse has an exceptionally well maintained and organized set of records dating back to the incorporation of the County.in 1854. No Search Fee. Cost is 50 cents per page for duplicated records. When you write for records, clearly indicate the record type, full name, spouses name, and approximate dates. The office is open from 9-5 during the week if you prefer to do your own research. There is no charge for the use of the facility.

Schuyler County Clerk has Land & Court Records from 1854 and is located at 105 Ninth Street, Unit 35, Watkins Glen, New York 14891; 607-535-7760, FAX: 607-535-4918, [EMAIL] .
The county clerk is the keeper of most civil and criminal trial court records for Supreme Court and County Court, naturalizations, marriages (1908–35), censuses (Some county clerks' offices hold duplicate copies of some of the State censuses taken periodically between 1825 and 1925 and copies of the federal census), as well as deeds and mortgages.

Land conveyances (deeds and mortgages) are recorded in the county clerks' offices or in the New York City Register's Office. Recording of deeds became mandatory statewide in 1840. Before that many deeds were not recorded.
Marriages Prior to 1784 couples intending to marry were required to obtain licenses from and file bonds with the provincial secretary, if the impending marriage was not announced in a church. These Marriage Bonds were mostly destroyed in the 1911 Capitol fire. Published abstracts are available in Names of persons for whom marriage licenses were issued by the secretary of the province of New York, previous to 1784. (Albany: 1860; repr. with supplements 1984); and in New York Marriage Bonds, 1753-1783, comp. Kenneth Scott (New York: 1972).
Naturalization records are created by the Federal and State courts. State court naturalization records generally remain in custody of the county clerks. Older Federal court naturalization records have been transferred to the National Archives. Photocopies of naturalization documents and indexes for New York City for the period 1792-1906 (both Federal and State courts) are held by the National Archives--Northeast Region, 201 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014.

Schuyler County Surrogate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1854 and is located at Courthouse, 105 Ninth Street , Watkins Glen, NY 14891; Telephone: 607-535-7144 , FAX: 607-535-4918 .
The Surrogate's Court in each county generally has records dating back to the establishment of the county or 1787, whichever was later. Record keeping was systematized by an 1830 statute. Surrogate's Courts maintain records of wills, letters testamentary, letters of administration, orders and decrees, and appointments of guardians; and filed papers, including original wills, petitions for probate (gives date of death and lists next of kin), performance bonds, property inventories (seldom found after ca. 1900), administrator's or executor's accountings, etc. Surrogate's Courts create comprehensive indexes to records and files.

In recent decades many courts have ceased recording documents in books and substituted microfilm recording. Some courts have disposed of old property inventories, which have no continuing legal value. Most Surrogate's Court records are retained permanently because they may document title to real property or the legal status of individuals. Surrogate's Court records statewide occupy over 200,000 cubic feet, with over half a million record retrievals yearly. The court is authorized to charge substantial fees for records searches conducted by court staff. Prior to that time most estates were handled in New York City, the capital until 1797. Before 1787, some wills were recorded in the counties and occasionally in town records.

Click Here to Search New York Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Schuyler County Historian is located at 3460 County Road, 28, Watkins Glen, NY 14891.In New York State, every municipality (town, city, village, county) must have an appointed historian. Most of the towns have their own historians as well and each can be contacted. A county historian may be appointed for each county, check for availability.

Below is a list of online resources for Schuyler County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Schuyler County Court Records by clicking the link below:

New York Wills, 1626-1836: This database is a collection of New York citizens' wills from 1626 to 1836 that were recorded in the office of the clerk of the court of appeals, of the county clerk of Albany and of the secretary of state.
Soundex Index to Petitions for Naturalizations Filed in Federal, State, and Local Courts in New York City, 1792-1906: NARA M1674. The Soundex index to naturalization petitions filed in federal, state, and local courts in New York City, including New York, Kings, Queens and Richmond counties, 1792-1906.
Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Jul 1865-Sep 1906: NARA M1164. A card index to naturalization petitions filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York from July 1865 through September 1906
Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 1906-Nov 1925: NARA M1164. A card index to naturalization petitions filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York from October 1907 through November 1925.
Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 1865-1957: NARA M1164. A card index to naturalization petitions filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York from November 1925 through December 1957.
Alphabetical Index to Declarations of Intention of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1917-1950: NARA M1675. Alphabetical Index to Declarations of Intention of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1917-1950
Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalization of the US District Court [and Circuit Court] for the Southern District of New York, 1824-1941: NARA M1676. Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalization of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1824-1941.
Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalizations of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, 1907-1966: NARA M1677. Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalizations of the US District Court for the Western District of New York, 1907-1966
Schuyler County, New York Court Books at Amazon.com
New York Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

Schuyler County Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Scattered town and precinct tax records for a few years in the 1770s and 1780s and nearly complete lists for the whole state, 1799-1804, are at the New York State Archives, although for the latter period the surviving 1804 rolls cover only delinquent taxes of nonresidents. New York City tax records are at the Municipal Archives. Some early assessment rolls have been published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, such as those for New York City, 1730, in volume 95; New Rochelle, 1767, in volume 107; and Ulster County, 1709-21, in volume 62. See also volumes 43-44 of the New-York Historical Society's Collections for New York City assessments 1695-99. A few counties such as Ontario have retained their early tax records, but most do not have them until about 1850 or even later. Many old tax lists are to be found in manuscript collections. Dutchess County is fortunate to have a long series of eighteenth century tax records. Some of the 1798 U.S. Direct Tax records survive for New York.

Below is a list of online resources for Schuyler County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Schuyler County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Schuyler County, New York Tax Books at Amazon.com

Schuyler County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other New York Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Schuyler County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Schuyler County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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Local New York Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
New York State Archives and Records Administration, The State Education Department, Cultural Education Center, 11th Floor; Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12230; (518) 474-8955, [EMAIL]
Referred to here as the New York State Archives for brevity, it was the last such archives to be established in the United States. It houses land and court records, military and tax records, New York state vital records indexes, pre-settlement survey maps, and legislative records.
New York State Library, Cultural Education Center, 7th Floor, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12230; The state library has a large collection of published and manuscript material on New York, including genealogies and local histories, federal and state censuses, city directories, and periodicals. It is also one of the two depositories for the State of New York DAR collection.
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 122 East 58^th Street, New York, New York 10022-1939; 212-755-8532, Fax: 212-754-4218; A private society, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society publishes the NYG&B Newsletter and a quarterly, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Its library holds much New York State and related material, both for New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. For New York there are censuses, federal and state; a large manuscript collection of church, cemetery, Bible, and other records; and an extensive amount of published family and local histories. Nonmembers can use the library for a small fee, but only members have access to the stacks, manuscripts, and microforms. The library provides a list of area researchers.
New York State Historical Association, West Lake Road, P.O. Box 800, Cooperstown, New York, 13326-0800
National Archives--Northeast Region, 201 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014.
New York Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
New York Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Schuyler County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search New York Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Schuyler County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Schuyler County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Many church records, mostly early and particularly for Long Island, New York City, and the Hudson River Valley, have been published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record with a large collection of unpublished records maintained by the New York. Particularly useful as vital records substitutes among the surviving New York church records are those of the Dutch Reformed, Lutheran, Anglican, and Quaker groups.

The largest number of New York cemetery records (the bulk of which are actually transcriptions of cemetery marker inscriptions) is found in the multivolume collection of the Daughters of the American Revolution in the State of New York, Church, and Town Records, located at the New York State Library, the New York Public Library, and the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. Scattered volumes are found in other libraries including many local libraries in the area in which a particular cemetery is located.

Below is a list of online resources for Schuyler County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Schuyler County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search New York Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Schuyler County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Schuyler County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Schuyler County, New York Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

To many to whom the name Schuyler County means little, the mention of Watkins Glen will strike a familiar chord. This famous and much visited canon is one, and only one, of the several fine natural beauties of this central New York County. Before ever a white man had peered into the depths of the glen it was held to be one of the dwelling places of the Great Spirit by the aborigines. His voice they heard in the tumbling waters; His power was seen in the making of the rift; it was the cathedral in which they worship Him.

The returning Sullivan expedition from the punitive trip into the land of the Senecas, paused to locate the extraordinary place. Later a number made the long and dangerous journey over the Indian trails to see for themselves this natural wonder, and many stayed, or later returned and made their homes near its brink. To them the shores of Seneca Lake also appealed with its broad acres and means of transportation. There were water powers to be utilized to turn their mills. To those who must wring their very existence from the primitive woods and lands, the natural beauties may attract, but it is the practical utility that leads them to stay.

And so it was with the pioneers of Schuyler County. The Indians had built close to Seneca Lake and Glen one of their largest towns, known as Catherine's town, after the famous wife of Montour, a more famous chief. It had been utterly destroyed by Sullivan. But the fires of the burning place had not ceased before there were those who planned to rebuild it as a habitation of the whites. It was, however, nine years later when one of the Sullivan soldiers came to the desolated area and made there the first permanent settlement of the Schuyler region. Silas Walcott and a Mr. Wilson divided the honor of being the pioneers, 1788, and the spot chosen was near the present Montour Falls. George Mills came two years later to locate, he having looked the ground over in the same year of its settlement. He had much to do with the early development of the region, being the first merchant and one of the first to build a boat and navigate the lake. In 1790 the first of the settlements along the lake was made, but not until 1797 did John Diven and William Baskin locate near the glen so well known.

The impulse that led to the settlement of this and other of the central New York counties waned somewhat with the close of the eighteenth century, and the region now within the boundaries of Schuyler grew in population rather slowly. It was a bit off the natural highways across the State; the outlet and market for farm and forest products were both limited and distant. But with the opening of the Erie Canal there was a renewed growth and the region was fairly well peopled by the middle eighteen hundreds.

A proposition was made in 1854 for the formation of a new County to take care of the expansion, but this met with great opposition by the districts which would be compelled to give of their territory to make this new civil division. The bill erecting the new County passed the Legislature April 17, 1854, almost as it had been introduced, except the County was not called Webster as planned, or even Montour as some advocated, but Schuyler. Parts of Steuben, Chemung and Tompkins were taken for the new County, and its lines enclose the lower, or southern, end of Lake Seneca, with an area of 352 square miles.

The commissioners appointed to locate the site of the shiretown and County buildings, although the bulk of the County lay around apd above the lake, Havanna (Montour Falls), was named, and the exact position for the public buildings marked. The village of Watkins strongly objected, and it was only after a long and tiresome struggle that the Havanna site became the seat of government, and the proper buildings erected. Meanwhile Watkins had gone ahead, with the endeavor to force the final recognition of their village as the County seat, and in this latter object they succeeded, although it was not until 1877 the matter was finally settled and peace reigned.

The new County was, and is, a strictly agricultural district. There are not twenty-five factories, large and small, in the whole region, and many of these are engaged in the manufacturing of articles directly connected with farm products. There was much lumber and wood ash shipped in the pioneer days, but the forests were soon depleted, and the soil beneath became the source of prosperity. Until I8Z5 grains took the lead, but as the Erie Canal opened new and more easily cleared sections, grain growing became less profitable. Sheep were brought in and Schuyler became one of the leading wool producing sections of this part of New York. Sheep in turn gave place to the dairy cow, and it is along dairy lines that recent agriculture has developed. The relatively elevated character of most of the County, together with the climate, makes this a grazing and hay section, rather than one fitted to general farming. Perhaps the most interesting development has been the planting of fruit trees and grapes, with great success in the culture of both.

The more important of the early public works were: The Chemung Canal, completed 1833, extending from the head of Seneca Lake, through Catherines Creek Valley, to the Chemung River at Elmira; the Elmira, Jefferson and Canandaigua Railroad, along the west shore of the lake; the Chemung Railroad, which connected this road at Watkins with Elmira, both now parts of the Erie system; and perhaps one should add the Seneca Steam Navigation Company, of 1870, which had at various times a half dozen steamers on the lake, some of them nearly 200 feet long.

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