Putnam County, New York Genealogy

United States New York  Putnam County

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

Parent County
12 June 1812: Set off from Dutchess County

Neighboring Counties
Dutchess· Orange· Rockland· Westchester· Connecticut county: Fairfield

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.

No subsequent set offs or border changes since 12 June 1812.

Record Loss
For a list of record loss in New York Counties see: New York Counties with Burned Courthouses

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.
 * Gentry, C. Historical Records of Enoch Crosby Chapter, National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties, New York (1991) [FHL 0860321]

Biography

 * Butterfield, Julia Lorrilard Safford. A biographical memorial of General Daniel Butterfield (New York: The Grafton Press, 1904).
 * Fish Family History and Documents (scroll down page)
 * Haacker, Frederick C. Records of early settlers of Putnam County and Cortlandt Manor, New York (the author, 1954). Ancestry.com ($)
 * Historical and Genealogical Record, Dutchess and Putnam Counties, New York (Poughkeepsie: A.V. Haight Co., 1912)
 * Livingston, William Farrand, Israel Putnam: Pioneer, Ranger, and Major-general,1718-1790 (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1901).
 * Peekskill, Fishkill, Matteawan and Cold Spring : their representative business men and points of interest.. (Newark, N.J.: Mercantile Pub. Co., 1892). Ancestry.com ($)
 * Pelletreau, William S. History of Putnam County, New York, with Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men (Philadelphia: W.W. Preston &amp; Co., 1886).
 * Putnam History Museum Genealogy Files Index

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often reveal birth, death, relationship, military, and religious information.


 * Brewster, NY, Cemetery Inscriptions (FHL 17892)
 * Brinkman, William A. A Memorial: Records of early burial places on the farms in the town of Guilderland, N.Y. and surrounding towns (Altamont, N.Y., 1940). Includes burials at Settlers Hill in Putnam County.
 * Buys, Barbara S. Old Graveyards of Putnam County, New York (Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1975)
 * Eardeley, William Applebie. Putnam County, New York, Cemeteries: 1794-1914 (Brooklyn, N.Y.: the author, 1917). Ancestry.com ($)
 * Fisher, Floyd. They All Rest Together; burial sites of early settlers -- southern Dutchess and Putnam Counties (1972).
 * Foley, Janet Wethy. Early Settlers of New York State, Vols. 5, 6, 7, 8 (mostly Carmel)
 * Foster, Emma J. and Livingston, Julia R. "Inscriptions in Milltown Cemetery, Southeast, N.Y.," NYGBR, Vol. 38 (1907), 273-277, Vol. 39 (1908), 42-46. Part 1, Part 2
 * Four Cemeteries in Putnam County, N.Y. (typescript, 1941) (FHL 17862) Inscriptions from two Cold Spring cemeteries, Presbyterian Church Cemetery (Mahopac Falls) and Methodist Church Cemetery (Union Valley).
 * Frost, Josephine C. Inscriptions from ten cemeteries in Putnam County (typescript). Contains Barrett Cemetery, Bailey Cemetery, Williams Cemetery, Crane Cemetery, Cole Cemetery, Carver Cemetery, King Cemetery (near Tilley Foster Reservoir), Pardee Cemetery, Hughson Cemetery, Patterson Village Cemetery. (FHL 17862)
 * Frost, Josephine C. Inscriptions from 13 old cemeteries in Putnam County, N.Y. (typescript, 1912). Includes cemeteries in Brewster, Carmel, Kent, Patterson and Towners.
 * Frost, Josephine C. Putnam County Cemetery Inscriptions (typescript, 1910). Includes cemeteries in Carmel, Kent Cliffs and Ludingtonville.
 * Genealogy Trails, Transcripts of Carver Cemetery in Carmel and two Cold Spring cemeteries
 * Gentry, C. Historical Records of Enoch Crosby Chapter, National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties, New York (1991) [FHL 0860321]
 * Horton, W.P. Graveyard Inscriptions: Putnam County, N.Y., New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 49 (1918), 76-82, 177-181, 303-307, 363-365. Includes transcripts for Peekskill Hollow Cemetery; Baxter Cemetery (Wicopee); Methodist Cemetery at Adams Corners (Peekskill), Bryant Hill Cemetery (Peekskill Hollow), Lafayette Avenue Cemetery (Peekskill), Selleck Cemetery (Crafts Corners), Hadden Cemetery (Peekskill), Wood Street Cemetery (Jefferson Valley), Tomkins Corners Cemetery (Putnam Valley), Entrott Cemetery (Peekskill) and Lane Plot (Shrub Oak).
 * Horton, W.P., "Graveyard Inscriptions, Methodist Churchyard, South Highlands [Garrison], Putnam County, N.Y.," NYGBR, Vol. 55 (1924), 185-190.
 * Horton, W.P., "Graveyard Inscriptions, North Highlands [Cold Spring], Putnam County, N.Y.," NYGBR, Vol. 55 (1924), 190-192,236-240.
 * Horton, W.P., "Graveyard Inscriptions, Methodist Churchyard, MeKeels Corners [Garrison], Putnam County, N.Y.," NYGBR, Vol. 55 (1924), 240-241.
 * Horton, W.P, "Graveyard Inscriptions, Putnam County, N.Y.," NYGBR, Vol 56 (1925), 68-73, 187-195, 288-294, 308-317. Includes Methodist Churchyard (Mahopac); Russell-Meed Cemetery, Smalley Ground, Kent-Fishkill Baptist Cemetery; Hughson Farm Plot; Horton Farm Plot; Cole Family Burial Plot; Hill Family Plot; Bailey Burial Plot; Crane, Baldwin &amp; Fowler Graveyard; Williams Burial Plot; Barrett Cemetery; Halstead Cemetery; Kent Cliffs Baptist Churchyard.
 * Horton, William P. Cemetery inscriptions of Putnam County, N.Y. : including the towns of Adams Corners, Carmel, Cold Spring, Doansburg, Farmers Mills, Fredericksburg, Hortontown, Kent, Kent Cliffs, Lake Mahopac, Lake Oscawana, Ludington, Mahopac Falls, Meads Corners, Mekeels Corners, Milltown, Patterson, Secords Corners, Tilley Foster, Towners Corners, and Union Valley (Peekskill, N.Y.: the author, 1928). Ancestry.com ($) Also transcribed here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
 * Nicholson, William A. Inscriptions from Clift or Drew Cemeteries (Brewster and Southeast), NYGBR, Vol. 49 (1918), 326-329.
 * Wheeler, Glendon E. Index of gravestones for the people of Putnam County, New York (Rhinebeck: Kinship Books, 1997). ISBN 1560121505

Census
For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see New York Census.

Federal
1790 U.S. Census for Philipstown

Church Records
Parish Registers (Transcription)


 * 1839 - 1919, Cold Spring: St. Mary's Church in the Highlands (years only)
 * 1810 - 1811, Peekskill, St. Peter's Church
 * 1811 - 1911, Garrison, St. Philip's Church in the Highlands
 * Gentry, C. Historical Records of Enoch Crosby Chapter, National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties, New York (1991) [FHL 0860321]

Histories 


 * Chorley, E. Clowes, History of St. Philip's Church in the Highlands, Garrison, New York (New York: Edwin S. Gorham, 1912).
 * Floyd-Jones, Elbert. St. Mary's Church in the Highlands : Cold Spring-on-the-Hudson, New York : a history (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.: Frank B. Howard, 1920).

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.
 * NYGenWeb: Putnam County
 * NYPUTNAM-L email discussion list
 * Daughters of the American Revolution, Enoch Crosby Chapter, Carmel
 * Putnam County Historian.A Handbook for Putnam County History and Genealogy (Brewster, N.Y.: Office of the County Historian, 2015). 77 pages. Chapters cover basic sources, the archives, wills and deeds, researching prior to the county's formation in 1812, libraries and history repositories, historical societies, church records and a list of available publications. $10 postpaid from Putnam County Historian, 68 Marvin Avenue, Brewster, NY 1050. A scan of the 2001 edition can be viewed here.
 * USGenNet: Putnam County Resources
 * Genealogy Trails: Putnam County

History
Books


 * Barber, John W. and Howe, Henry. "Putnam County," Historical Collections of the State of New York (New York: S. Tuttle, 1842), 448-452.
 * Blake, William J. The history of Putnam County, N.Y. : with an enumeration of its towns, villages, rivers, creeks, lakes, ponds, mountains, hills, and geological features, local traditions, and short biographical sketches of early settlers, etc. (New York: Baker &amp; Scribner, 1849).
 * Brewster through the years : 1848-1948, history and folklore (unknown, 1949?). Ancestry.com ($)
 * Cheli, Guy. Putnam County : Images of America (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 2004). ISBN 0738536563
 * Cranston, Henry. The Hudson Highlands (New York: Henry Cranston, 1883).
 * French, J.H., "Putnam County," Gazetteer of the State of New York (Syracuse: R. Pearsall Smith, 1860), 540-543. Footnotes
 * Grace, Trudie A. Around Cold Spring : Images of America (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 2011). ISBN 0738575976
 * Grace, Trudie A. and Forlow, Mark. West Point Foundry: Images of America (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 2014). ISBN 1467120642
 * Historical and Genealogical Record, Dutchess and Putnam Counties, New York (Poughkeepsie: A.V. Haight Co., 1912)
 * Peekskill, Fishkill, Matteawan and Cold Spring : their representative business men and points of interest.. (Newark, N.J.: Mercantile Pub. Co., 1892). Ancestry.com ($)
 * Pelletreau, William S. History of Putnam County, New York, with Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men (Philadelphia: W.W. Preston &amp; Co., 1886).
 * Putnam County History Workshop (Patterson, N.Y.?: Putnam County Historical Society?, 1954-1957). Ancestry.com ($)
 * Thirty Years of Early History of Cold Spring and Vicinity (Newburgh: Schram Printing House, 1886).

Digital Archives

Livingston-Svirsky Archive (LiSA) at Desmond-Fish Library, Garrison. Includes a collection of documents related to Hamilton Fish, Daniel Butterfield, William Dominick Garrison and local history.

Land and Property
Online


 * 1812-1963, Putnam County Deeds and Mortgages (index). Familysearch.org
 * 1812-1901, Putnam County Deeds Familysearch.org
 * 1812-1929, Putnam County Mortgages Familysearch.org
 * National Register of Historic Places in Putnam County

Microfilm


 * 1824-1885, Lis pendens (real estate lawsuits), Putnam County (FHL 931879), from original records at Putnam County Courthouse
 * 1885-1894, Lis pendens (real estate lawsuits), Putnam County (FHL 931879)

Maps



 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)
 * Putnam County map of 1854
 * Western Putnam County Maps (scroll down page), including the original Philipse Patent, 1912 map of Cold Spring, 1867 map of Cold Spring and Nelsonville, 1829 map of Dutchess and Putnam counties, 1854 map of Cold Spring, 1854 map of Philipstown, 1838 map of Putnam County and an 1897 map of Garrison

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


 * Albany Post Road (or Queen's Road, or King's Road) 1669

Military
Revolutionary War

Extracts from an Orderly Book Kept by Sergeant L. Broome of Captain Simond's Company of the 4th Artillery Stationed at the North and Middle Redoubts Near West Point, N.Y., 1780-1781.

Civil War

Available towns. Registers are available for: Carmel· Kent· Patterson· Philipstown· Putnam Valley· Southeast.

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


 * - 6th Regiment, New York Heavy Artillery, Companies G and L.
 * - 59th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 65th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.
 * - 95th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.
 * - 135th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies G and L.
 * - 194th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.

Indexes

Bailey, Carol and Wargas, Catherine. Putnam County Men in the Civil War (Rhinebeck, N.Y.: Kinship, 2008). ISBN 1560123192. Purchase

General

Military Pensioners in 1883 in Putnam County, N.Y., transcribed by Sara Rice (Genealogy Trails)

[http://genealogytrails.com/ny/putnam/military/militaryindex.html Putnam County Veterans from Revolutionary, Civil War. WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam] (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1824–1941 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
 * 1917-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
 * 1824-1946 - New York, Southern District, U.S District Court Naturalization Records (Digital scans from microfilm of originals at the National Archives Records Center, Bayonne, N.J.)
 * 1861-1906 - Declarations of Intention, Putnam County, N.Y. (FHL 1304714) Microfilm of original records in Putnam County Courthouse, Carmel, N.Y.
 * 1861-1895 - Naturalization Affidavits, Putnam County, N.Y. (FHL 1304714)
 * 1895-1906 - Record of final applications to be admitted to become citizens, Putnam County, N.Y. (FHL 1304714)

Indexes

 * 1792-1989 Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in New York City, 1792-1989 at Ancestry ($). This database is based on NARA's Soundex Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in Federal, State, and Local Courts located in New York City, 1792-1989. All 5 boroughs are included.

The Family History Library has also acquired this comprehensive index for the years 1792 through 1906 on microfilm:. The courts this index covers are:


 * City Court of Brooklyn, 1836-1894
 * Kings County Court, 1806-1906
 * New York City Marine Court, 1806-1849
 * New York County Common Pleas Court, 1792-1895
 * New York County Superior Court, 1828-1895
 * New York City and County Supreme Court, 1868-1906
 * Queens County Court, 1799-1906
 * Queens County Surrogate Court, 1888-1898
 * Richmond County Court, 1869-1906
 * U.S. Circuit Court Southern District, 1846-1876
 * U.S. District Court Eastern District, (Kings, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties), 1865-1906
 * U.S. District Court Southern Court Southern District, (New York, Bronx and also Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Richmond, Rockland, Sullivan and Westchester counties), 1824-1906

Newspapers
Online

Mahopac Public Library Digital Archives - Putnam County Courier (1840-1930) - searchable by keyword with year selected

Old Fulton New York - PDF scans of various New York newspapers, including these from Putnam County. You can search the entire site by keyword from its main page.


 * Putnam Country Courier (Carmel), 1849-1988
 * Putnam Country Republican (Carmel), 1882-1946
 * Cold Spring Recorder, 1867-1934

Microfilm 


 * Putnam County Newspapers at New York State Library, Albany
 * Putnam History Museum, Cold Spring, has the Cold Spring Recorder / Putnam County News &amp; Recorder on microfilm, 1867 -1988, and paper copies from 1988 to present
 * Putnam County Newspapers at Various Libraries and Institutions, via Chronicling America

Poorhouses, Poor Law, Etc.
1876-1914 - Record of inmates, Putnam County poor house (FHL 1304714)

Probate Records
Online Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at New York Ancestors ($); includes.
 * 1812-1865 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1812-1970 - General Index. Familysearch.org
 * 1890-1936 - Guardian Bonds
 * 1812-1905 - Letters of Administration
 * 1812-1898 - Letters of Guardianship
 * 1852-1904 - Letters of Testamentary
 * 1813-1902 - Orders
 * 1816-1901 - Wills
 * 1812-1875 - Wills and estates

Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1812–1936 Probate Records: Index, 1812–1970; Wills, 1812–1901; Letters Testamentary 1830–1904; Letters of administration, 1812–1905; Guardianship 1812–1936.

Repositories
See also a List of New York Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies


 * Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Putnam County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1987). ; . (Digital version) Includes index. Includes sources for family history and genealogy.
 * Boyer, Donna. An introduction to the availability of the historical and genealogical primary sources in eastern Putnam County (Carmel: Kent Public Library, 1986).

Archives, Libraries and Museums
COUNTY ARCHIVES

Putnam County Office 40 Gleneida Avenue, 3rd Floor Carmel, New York 10512 PHONE: (845) 808-1001 FAX: (845) 808 -1901

Records in the county archives incude:


 * Tax records (including bonds and surities)
 * Census records
 * Coroners records
 * Land records
 * Criminal records
 * Civil cases
 * Marriage records 1908-1935
 * Military records
 * Naturalizations
 * Some town records
 * Records of the poor

COUNTY CLERK

Putnam County Clerk's Office 40 Gleneida Avenue, Room 100 Carmel, NY 10512

COUNTY HISTORIAN

County Historian's Office 68 Marvin Ave Brewster NY 10509-1515 Telephone: 845-808-1420 FAX: 845-278-4865 E-mail: [mailto:historian@putnamcountyny.gov historian@putnamcountyny.gov]

The Office of the Putnam County Historian! seeks to preserve, interpret, and promote the history of the county and the region. Since 1953, the County Historian has been collecting historical records, maps, books, photographs, and periodicals. The office's Handbook for Putnam County History and Genealogy is updated annually and available for $10 postpaid from Putnam County Historian, 68 Marvin Avenue, Brewster, NY 10509.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

There are some eight public libraries in Putnam County New York. They belong to the Mid-Hudson Library System that serves the communities of Columbia, Duchess, Greene, Putnam, and Ulster Counties. They share a catalog that includes a sizeable collection of genealogical materials. The shared catalog is found on the library systems main page. For information on the individual libraries in Putnam County, click here.

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

Historical Societies
Putnam History Museum 63 Chestnut Street Cold Spring, NY 10516-2613 Phone: 845-265-4010 Research hours: Wed. 11-3, or by appointment

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

 * 1908–1935 Putnam County Marriages at – free; . Name index and images of records after state in 1908 began requiring counties to keep marriage records.


 * 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.

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.


 * 1777–1834  Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 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."
 * 1849-1873 Wheeler, Glendon H., Carmel Newspapers, Putnam County, N.Y. : Marriages and Deaths, 1849-1873 (Rhinebeck, N.Y.: Kinship, 1998). ISBN 156012153X


 * 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.


 * 1683-1906 Marriages with dates taken from genealogical and church records in Westchester and Putnam Counties (FHL 17999)

Death
Death Substitutes


 * 1777–1834  Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 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.
 * 1849-1873 Wheeler, Glendon H., Carmel Newspapers, Putnam County, N.Y. : Marriages and Deaths, 1849-1873 (Rhinebeck, N.Y.: Kinship, 1998). ISBN 156012153X


 * 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.

Additional Resources

Putnam County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Putnam County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Putnam County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.