Chenango County, New York Guide

Chenango County is centrally located in the Southern Tier region of New York State.

County Formed: 1798

Parent County: Herkimer, Tioga

Daughter Counties: Madison 1806

Major Land Transactions: Vermont Sufferers Tract 1786, Chenango Twenty Townships 1789-1794

Chenango County Map
Map of Chenango County
 

Table of ​Contents


       

      History

      Chenango County was created from Herkimer and Tioga Counties in 1798. The earliest European settlement is said to have happened in 1786. Settlers migrated from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Eastern New York. During the early years of the county farmers produced wool, grain, potatoes, and apples. The first churches in the county were Presbyterian because most early settlers were from New England. Irish immigrants, who came to work on canal construction, brought the Catholic church in the mid-19th century. Italians, who came to work on the railroads, also brought the Catholic church with them.

      Reference: The Encyclopedia of New York State, 318-319.

       

      Other Resources:

       


       

      Repositories, Resources, and Societies - County

      Chenango County Clerk

      Website: Chenango County Clerk

      Address: 5 Court Street, Norwich, NY 13815-1671

      Phone: (607) 337-1450

      Email: countyclerk@co.chenango.ny.us

      Holdings include land records, court records, naturalization records 1857–1991, and New York state censuses for Chenango County 1855, 1865, 1875, and 1905.

       

      Chenango County - City, Town, and Village Clerks

      Website: Chenango County – City, Town, and Village Clerks

      Birth, marriage, and death records are maintained by the clerk of the municipality in which the event occurred; see Introduction to County Guides for details of other records which may also be held by municipal clerks.

       

      Chenango County Surrogate's Court

      Website: Chenango County Surrogate’s Court

      Address: 5 Court Street, Norwich, NY 13815-1695 

      Phone: (607) 337-1827 or (607) 337-1822 

       

      Chenango County Public Libraries

      Chenango is part of the Four County Library System; see www.4cls.org to access each library. Many hold genealogy and local history collections such as local newspapers.

       

      Chenango County Historical Society, Museum, and Research Center

      Website: Chenango County Historical Society, Museum, and Research Center

      Address: 43/45 Rexford Street, Norwich, NY 13815-1121 

      Phone: (607) 334-9227 

      Email: countyhistorian@co.chenango.ny.us

       

      Chenango County Historian

      Website: Chenango County Historian

      Address: 43 Rexford Street, Norwich, NY 13815-1221 

      Phone: (607) 337-1845  

      Email: countyhistorian@co.chenango.ny.us

       

      Chenango County - All Municipal Historian 

      While not authorized to answer genealogical inquiries, city, town, and village historians can provide valuable historical information and research advice; some maintain collections and webpages which may include transcribed records, local histories, and other genealogical material.

       


       

      Repositories, Resources, and Societies - Regional

      Central New York Genealogical Society

      Website: Central New York Genealogical Society

      Address: PO Box 404 – Colvin Station, Syracuse, NY 13205

      Email: cnygs@yahoo.com

       

      Lorenzo State Historic Site

      Website: Lorenzo State Historic Site

      Address: 17 Rippleton Road, Cazenovia, NY 13035

      Phone: (315) 655-3200

       


       

      Repositories, Resources, and Societies - Local

       

      Alphabetized by location

      Afton Historical Society

      Website: Afton Historical Society

      Address: 116 Main Street, Afton, NY 13730

      Phone: (607) 639-2720  

      Email: Email acess on website

       

      Bainbridge Historical Society and Museum

      Address: PO Box 146, Bainbridge, NY 13733  

      Phone: (607) 967-8546 or 967-7159 for town historian

       

      Coventry Town Museum Association

      Address: 3075 State Highway 206, 115 County Rt. 27, Coventryville, NY 13733-3117

      Phone: (607) 639-4073  

      Email: crimsoncloaks@aol.com

       

      Guilford Historical Society and Klee House

      Address: PO Box 201, Guilford, NY 13780  

      Phone: (607) 895-6532

       

      Mount Upton Historical Society and Unadilla Valley Historical Museum

      Address: Route 8, PO Box 135, Mount Upton, NY 13809  

      Phone: (607) 764-8375

       

      Guernsey Memorial Library: The Otis A. Thompson Local History Room

      Website: Guernsey Memorial Library: The Otis A.  Thompson Local History Room

      Address: 3 Court Street, Norwich, NY 13815 

      Phone: (607) 334-4034

       

      Oxford Historical Society and Historical Museum

      Website: Oxford Historical Society and Historical Museum

      Address: One Depot Street, PO Box 57, Oxford, NY 13830 

      Phone: (607) 821-1223 

      Email: Museum@OxfordNY.com

       

      Town of Greene Historical Society and Museum

      Website: Town of Greene Historical Society and Museum

      Address: Moore Memorial Library, 2nd Floor, 59 Genesee Street, PO Box 412, Greene, NY 13778  

      Phone: (607) 656-4981 or 656-8314

       


       

      Civil, Public, and Vital Records

      Civil Records are those created, recorded and/or maintained by a governmental body and include births, marriages, deaths, censuses, property, and probate. NB: The New York State government began collecting vital record data in 1880. Birth, marriage, and death records from New York State (excluding the five boroughs of New York City) after 1880 on can be obtained from the New York State Department of Health. For vital records previous to 1880, consult the municipality in which the event took place. Learn more about New York's vital records in our online guide.

       


       

      Federal Census Records

      Population schedules: 1790-1940 (except 1890). Online at Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Findmypast.com (free to NYG&B members).

      Access on Findmypast:

      1790

      1800

      1810

      1820

      1830

      1840

      1850

      1860

      1870

      1880

      1900

      1910

      1920

      1930

      1940

       

       

       


       

      State Census Records

      • County originals at Chenango County Clerk’s Office: 1855, 1865, 1875, 1905, 1915, 1925 (1825, 1835, 1845, and 1892 are lost).
      • State originals at the NYSA: 1915, 1925.
      • Microfilm at the FHL, NYPL, and NYSL
      • Many years are online at FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com.

       


       

      Other Online Resources

      Ancestry.com

      There are vast numbers of records on Ancestry.com that pertain to people who have lived in New York State. A search of the online card catalog by county may reveal lesser known resources that pertain to a locality, such as town records, abstracts, transcriptions, city directories, and local histories.

       

      Chenango County Historic Districts

      County website has lists of historic districts, historic sites, and historic cemeteries in Chenango. It also offers historical information on the county and links to useful repositories and resources.

       

      FamilySearch.org

      FamilySearch has extensive collections of New York records, including religious records, which are searchable by name and location, but not by county. The following collections include record images (browsable, but not searchable) that are organized by county:

      New York, Land Records, 1630–1975.” Includes land and property records.

      New York, Probate Records, 1629–1971.” Includes wills, letters of administration, and guardianship papers.

      For both collections, choose the browse option and then select Chenango to view the available records sets.

       

      NYGenWeb Project: Chenango County

      Part of the national, USGenWeb volunteer initiative, the website provides information and resources for county research.

       

      General Resources

       

      Deaths and Burial Records

       

      Military Records

       

      Religious Records

       

      Other Records

       

      Maps

       

      Transportation

      • Chenango County Public Transit (bus service): 126 Leilani’s Lane, Norwich, NY 13815 Phone: 607-334-7433 or 800-943-7433 Fixed Routes Run Monday – Friday 6:00
      • Chenango County Existing Railroad Stations 
      • Chenango Canal 

       


       

      Selected Bibliography

      Abstracts, Indexes & Transcriptions

      • Barber, Gertrude Audrey. “Index of Wills of Chenango County, New York, from 1797–1875.” Typescript, 1935. [Ancestry.com]
      • Chenango County Federal Census Transcript, 1810. Syracuse: Central New York Genealogical Society, 1979.
      • Chenango County, NYG&B Church Surveys Collection. NYG&B, New York. [NYG&B eLibrary]
      • County of Chenango Abstracts. Syracuse: Central New York Genealogical Society, 2000. Abstracts for a range of genealogical records originally published in the quarterly Tree Talks. A name index is on the CNYGS website.
      • Daughters of the American Revolution, comps. New York DAR Genealogical Records Committee Report. Since 1913 DAR volunteers have transcribed many thousands of unpublished cemetery, church, and town records throughout New York. The reports are at the DAR Library; copies are at the NYSL and the NYPL. The DAR has a searchable name index to all the GRC reports at http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/?Tab_ID=6. See Jean Worden’s index below for a listing by county of the New York record sets that were transcribed by the DAR before 1998.
      • Genealogical Research Notes and Lists of Baptisms from Three Congregations: The Reformed Dutch Church of Cortlandtown, Westchester County, NY; the Dutch Reformed Church of Conowago, Adams County, PA; and the Second Calvinistic Congregational Society of Sherburne, Chenango County, NY, 1741–1830. Manuscript. n.d. NYPL, New York.
      • Kelly,  Arthur C. M. Index to Tree Talks County Packet: Chenango County. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, 2002.
      • Meola, Mrs. J. B. “Chenango County, New York: Church and Cemetery Records.” Typescript, 1934. NYPL, New York.
      • Smith, Gertrude M. “Marriages Performed by David Cutler, Pastor of the Baptist Church of New Berlin, Chenango County, NY, 1830–1873.” Typescript, 1954. New York State Historical Association, New York.
      • Smith, Mrs.  Arthur  W.  “Records of the Congregational Church Formed 1805 in German and Lincklaen, Chenango County, New York.” Typescript, n.d. NYPL, New York.
      • Smith, Mrs. Edwin P. and Mrs. Ryland H. Hewitt. Vital Records of Chenango County, New York, Before 1880: Marriages, Births, Deaths from Original Sources. Norwich, NY: Printed by the Chenango County Board of Supervisors, 1972.
      • Thomas, Ethel B. “Marriage Records for Years 1847–9, Found in City Hall, Norwich, NY.” Typescript, 1953. New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown, NY.
      • Worden, Jean D. “Book 1, Subject Index.” In Revised Master Index to the New York State Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Records Volumes. Zephyrhills, FL: J. D. Worden, 1998. The Subject Index includes a listing by county of the cemeteries, churches, towns, and other sources of records transcribed by the DAR.

       


      The materials above are a compilation of resources available, with an emphasis on online resources, which might be useful to someone doing research within this county.  The inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement of its content or accuracy.  Please send any additions or corrections to webmaster@nygbs.org.