Washington County, New York Genealogy

United States New York  Washington County

Parent County
Warren County was created 12 March 1772 from part of Albany County.

Neighboring Counties
Essex· Rensselaer· Saratoga· Warren· Vermont counties: Addison· Bennington· Rutland

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.

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


 * 1810s-1880s - "Washington County, N.Y., Quaker Records - Data Taken from the Records of Easton Monthly Meeting of Friends," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Apr. 1915):122-130. Digital versions at Internet Archive - free; New York Family History ($); . Births, deaths. Some births as early as 1739.


 * 1790s-1850s - Register of Marriages, Coila, Cambridge, Salem, Celebrated by John Dunlop, Minister of the Gospel, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1852-1874 - Sandy Hill, NY: Marriage Records of the Methodist Church (1852-1874), courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.

Land and Property

 * 1739-1802 - Landholders of Northeastern New York 1739-1802, courtesy: Ancestry ($); World Vital Records ($)

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


 * pre-historic
 * pre-historic
 * Champlain Canal 1823
 * Erie Canal 1825
 * Chambly Canal 1843
 * pre-historic
 * prehistoric
 * Lake Champlain Trail pre-historic
 * Hudson River Path
 * Mohawk or Iroquois Trail
 * Forbidden Path or Catskill Turnpike
 * Greenwood Road
 * Old Connecticut Path

Military
Civil War

Available towns. Registers are available for: Argyle· Dresden· Easton· Granville· Greenwich· Hampton· Hebron· Jackson· Putnam· White Creek.

Regiments. Service men in Washington County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were formed in Washington County:


 * - 2nd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 3rd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 22nd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 43rd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 53rd Regiment, New York Infantry (1st)
 * - 87th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 93rd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 96th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 123rd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 161st Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 169th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 176th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 177th Regiment, New York Infantry

Newspapers
Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has North Adams, MA newspapers (1895-1977) covering local news that included Washington County residents. ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at New York Ancestors ($); includes.
 * 1788-1916 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1788-1825 - Barber, Gertrude A. Abstracts of Wills of Washington County, New York. 3 vols. 1937. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1825-1850 - Barber, Gertrude A.. Index of Wills of Washington County, N.Y.: From 1825-1850: Wills Filed at Salem, Washington Co., N.Y. unknown, 1989. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


 * - Washington County: Decrees, 1894-1901; Letters of administration index, 1788-1896; Letters of administration, 1787-1916; Letters of guardianship, 1911-1928; Letters of testamentary, 1788-1920; Minutes index, 1830-1836; Minutes, 1830-1900; Orders, 1872-1885; Will index, 1788-1896; Wills, 1788-1878.

Probate Records on Microfilm

The probate records described above also may be among those on microfilm including:


 * 1788–1916 Probate Records
 * 1787–1916 Letters of administration
 * 1830–1900 General Minutes and index

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Washington County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1983). ; . Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Archives


 * Washington County Archives Washington County Municipal center building A 383 Broadway Fort Edward, New York 12828 Telephone: (518) 746-2136


 * New York State Archives Reference Services Telephone (518) 474-8955 Email: Archref@mail.nysed.gov

Libraries

Courthouses
The Washington County Clerk archives has birth, death, marriage, probate, court and naturalization records as well as military pensions and the state census. The County Clerk has land and divorce records. For further information about where the records for Washington County are held, see the Washington County Courthouses page.

Societies
Washington County Historical Society Wing-Northup House 167 Broadway Fort Edward New York 12828-1709 Telephone: (518) 747-9108 FAX: 747-1665

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; publishes 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

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Birth

 * 1847–1849 Birth and Death Records.

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.


 * 1847–1849 Marriage papers.


 * 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free;.

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 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.

Death

 * 1847–1849 Birth and Death Records.

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  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