Virtual Research Room,Chemung, N.Y.
(On-line info is free unless otherwise noted)
(Kindly check back periodically as this page is continually growing)
WELCOME to my Virtual Research Room. There are many records here that could be of value to you and your research. As I uncover new material, it is added. Before looking here I recommend you start with the page: Families, Farms and Businesses. There is a large list of names that may have good information. Some pages, I'm still building and working on. Best of Luck.
Mary Ellen Kunst, former historian, Town of Chemung, N.Y.
Mary Ellen Kunst, former historian, Town of Chemung, N.Y.
I have a couple of genealogy forms that make tracking your research easier. Feel free to print them.
My Dad was a newspaper man for 47 years. Newspapers are a great source of somewhat reliable information. There are many. I'll list some. The rest are up to you. Some are free and some will cost.
The Athens Gleaner
The Evening Times The Star Gazette The Valley Breeze, Van Ettenville, NY Newspapers.com Elmira Daily Press Tioga Register Elmira Daily Register NYS Museum & Research Center There are many to find out there but don't forget the Library of Congress too. |
Please Note:
In Chemung County, Wills & Probates in Surrogate Court start at 1836. Prior to 1836 you will need to look in Tioga County, NY.
Deeds prior to 1836 can be searched at Tioga County or at Chemung County. (Chemung County has copies of the old deeds at the Chemung County Clerks Office.
Tioga County was one of three counties split off from Montgomery County (the others being Herkimer & Otsego Counties) in 1791. Tioga County was at this time much larger than the present county, also including the present Broome & Chemung counties and parts of Chenango & Schuyler Counties. In 1806 it was further reduced by the splitting off of Broome County.)
Chemung County was formed from 520 square miles (1,300 km2) of Tioga County in 1836.
In 1854, Chemung County was divided and 110 square miles (280 km2) became Schuyler County, reducing Chemung 10 410 square miles (1,100 km2), it's current size.
Further, Part of Southport, Town of Ashland and part of North Chemung (Baldwin) were originally part of the Town of Chemung.
Montgomery County, 1791 split =
-Herkimer
-Otsego
-Tioga County, 1798 split =
Chemung County, 1836 reduced in size
1854 reduced in size
In Chemung County, Wills & Probates in Surrogate Court start at 1836. Prior to 1836 you will need to look in Tioga County, NY.
Deeds prior to 1836 can be searched at Tioga County or at Chemung County. (Chemung County has copies of the old deeds at the Chemung County Clerks Office.
Tioga County was one of three counties split off from Montgomery County (the others being Herkimer & Otsego Counties) in 1791. Tioga County was at this time much larger than the present county, also including the present Broome & Chemung counties and parts of Chenango & Schuyler Counties. In 1806 it was further reduced by the splitting off of Broome County.)
Chemung County was formed from 520 square miles (1,300 km2) of Tioga County in 1836.
In 1854, Chemung County was divided and 110 square miles (280 km2) became Schuyler County, reducing Chemung 10 410 square miles (1,100 km2), it's current size.
Further, Part of Southport, Town of Ashland and part of North Chemung (Baldwin) were originally part of the Town of Chemung.
Montgomery County, 1791 split =
-Herkimer
-Otsego
-Tioga County, 1798 split =
Chemung County, 1836 reduced in size
1854 reduced in size
Directories 1868 - 1935
Hamilton Child Gazetteer & Business Directory, 1868-69,
Chemung & Schuyler Counties NY
Chemung & Schuyler Counties NY
1869 Business Directory, Chemung Village - Town of Chemung, NY
Chemung County Farmers, 1872-73, Town of Chemung, New York
1880 Boyd's City Directory, Chemung, NY & Chemung Centre, NY (Joyce Tice)
1915 Chemung Telephone Directory, Chemung, NY
1935 Chemung Telephone Directory, Chemung NY
1942 Chemung Telephone Directory, Chemung, NY
Tax Assessment Rolls of Real and Personal Estates
Town of Chemung
Town of Chemung
* 1799 is on Tri-Counties Genealogy and History by Joyce Tice: http://www.joycetice.com/tax/1799chemtax.htm
* 1800 Tax Assessment, Town of Chemung
* 1800 Tax Assessment, Town of Chemung
Deeds on line for Tioga County, New York, remember Chemung County was formed in 1836, so any deeds prior to that date will be under Tioga County. Most deeds can be located at either Tioga Co. or Chemung Co.
https://www.deeds.com/recorder/new-york/tioga/ - Fees apply
https://www.deeds.com/recorder/new-york/tioga/ - Fees apply
Town Accounts, Chemung, NY 1900 (Audited in 1899)
Over 73 names of townspeople and their roles in the town in 1899. Great resource for genealogy.
History of Seven Counties by the Gazette Company, 1885
(Town of Chemung pages only on Website. This book has been scanned to PDF files in it's entirety. The file is too large to post on my "free" website. If you require info, please contact me.) The seven counties are: Tioga & Bradford in Pennsylvania. Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga & Tompkins, New York.
Marriage Records for the years 1908 - 1984 may be obtained through the Chemung Town Clerk's Office for a $10.00 fee and can be certified, if requested. www.TownofChemung.com
Methodist Church Records, Chemung, NY
Births, Marriages, Deaths
1861 - 1954 (incomplete)
Births, Marriages, Deaths
1861 - 1954 (incomplete)
More Methodist Church Records, Chemung, NY
Baptist Church Records, Chemung, NY |
There were actually two Baptist Church's in Chemung, NY
The original and first Church of Chemung started out with services in the home of pioneer settlers. A cabin was then erected on the south side of the river near the Wellsburg, (Town of Ashland) border. It was started as a non-denominational church and then became a Baptist Church. The Cabin was washed away by flooding, being that it was located next to the Chemung River.
Records of this original church of Chemung County have survived. They can be viewed on Joyce Tice's wonderful website for the years 1789 - 1833. The link to this page can be found below, entitled: Records of the First Church of Chemung Co.
The second Baptist Church actually originated in Factoryville, (East Waverly, Tioga Co., NY/Milltown (Sayre), Bradford Co. PA) A small church was erected in the Dry Brook Hamlet of Chemung, NY. This later became the Baptist Church of Chemung, NY. The Baptist Church has closed it's doors.
If you have reason to believe your ancestor attended the Baptist Church in Chemung, contact me. I have not cataloged the Baptist Church Records in the Town Archives yet.
The original and first Church of Chemung started out with services in the home of pioneer settlers. A cabin was then erected on the south side of the river near the Wellsburg, (Town of Ashland) border. It was started as a non-denominational church and then became a Baptist Church. The Cabin was washed away by flooding, being that it was located next to the Chemung River.
Records of this original church of Chemung County have survived. They can be viewed on Joyce Tice's wonderful website for the years 1789 - 1833. The link to this page can be found below, entitled: Records of the First Church of Chemung Co.
The second Baptist Church actually originated in Factoryville, (East Waverly, Tioga Co., NY/Milltown (Sayre), Bradford Co. PA) A small church was erected in the Dry Brook Hamlet of Chemung, NY. This later became the Baptist Church of Chemung, NY. The Baptist Church has closed it's doors.
If you have reason to believe your ancestor attended the Baptist Church in Chemung, contact me. I have not cataloged the Baptist Church Records in the Town Archives yet.
Floods, Fires & Calamities, Chemung, NY
This is an excerpt of a diary written by Emma Pease Wells. Greciantown and Dutchtown were both hamlets within the Town of Chemung, located on St. Rt. 427, (Wilawana Rd). The Middaugh Stand was located 1/2 mile west of the Chemung River Bridge on the left side of the road. Some of the building was saved and today is part of another home located nearby. Property of the Chemung Co. Historical Society.
|
Four County History, Source Unknown
Please excuse the spelling and punctuation errors. It looks as though this article was auto transcribed. Free trial, afterwards fees apply. Early History of Chemung,
as published in the Athens Gleaner, 1872, by Worden |
Old Town of Chemung, Montgomery County, Chapter XIV, History of Waverly, by Captain Charles L. Albertson
|
Early Chemung,
Chapter XXVI, History of Waverly, by Captain Charles L. Albertson |
Our County and its People, A History,
of the Valley and County of Chemung, by Ausburn Towner, 1892 Town of Chemung, Part V, The Townships, Chapter III |
1825 & 1835 Census Records for Town of Chemung, are available in my office, contact me if you are looking for them! (I'm still trying to figure out how to scan them!)
Early Settlers and Families of the Seeley Creek Valley in Town of Southport, Chemung County, New York by J. Kelsey Jones, 2009 Edition (Tri-Counties Website by Joyce Tice)
New York State Census
1855 Chemung County 1855 Census search facility (Chemung County Library District, CCLD, Steele Memorial Library in Elmira, NY) http://cclddata.org/census/
U.S. Federal Census
1790 Town of Chemung, Montgomery Co, NY http://www.joycetice.com/censusc/1790chem.htm
1840 Town of Chemung, Chemung Co, NY http://www.joycetice.com/censusc/1840p210.htm
1850 Town of Chemung, Chemung Co, NY http://www.joycetice.com/censusc/1850chm01.ht860
1860 Town of Chemung, Chemung Co, NY http://www.joycetice.com/censusc/1860ch001.htm
1880 Town of Chemung, Chemung Co, NY http://www.joycetice.com/censusc/1880ch01.htm
1840 Town of Chemung, Chemung Co, NY http://www.joycetice.com/censusc/1840p210.htm
1850 Town of Chemung, Chemung Co, NY http://www.joycetice.com/censusc/1850chm01.ht860
1860 Town of Chemung, Chemung Co, NY http://www.joycetice.com/censusc/1860ch001.htm
1880 Town of Chemung, Chemung Co, NY http://www.joycetice.com/censusc/1880ch01.htm
U.S. Military Veteran Census 1890, Town of Chemung, Chemung Co, NY
BELOW: Organizations, Companies with records that should not be overlooked.
(not listed in any specific order, just as they popped into my head)
(not listed in any specific order, just as they popped into my head)
Daughters of the American Revolution, D.A.R. Genealogical Research http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/?Tab_ID=0
Some free information, membership required for full access.
Some free information, membership required for full access.
FamilySearch.org https://www.familysearch.org/
A free service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
A free service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Genealogy Research Links, at the CCLD Chemung Co. Library District, Elmira, NY
http://ccld.lib.ny.us/genealogy-links/
Library card maybe required.
http://ccld.lib.ny.us/genealogy-links/
Library card maybe required.
Tri-Counties Genealogy and History by Joyce Tice
Many records for Genealogists! http://www.joycetice.com/towns/chemung.htm
Many records for Genealogists! http://www.joycetice.com/towns/chemung.htm
Ancestry.com https://www.ancestry.com/ One of the most comprehensive online programs for genealogy that I have found with a large database of searchable records. Paid membership required.
America Ancestors.org by New England Historic Genealogical Society
https://www.americanancestors.org/index.aspx Paid membership required, otherwise limited search available.
https://www.americanancestors.org/index.aspx Paid membership required, otherwise limited search available.
Chemung County Historical Society http://www.chemungvalleymuseum.org/
Phone: (607) 734-4167
Email [email protected] Archivist: Rachel Dworkin 607-734-4167, ext. 207
[email protected]
Chemung County Library District http://www.ccld.lib.ny.us/
Genealogy Department http://www.ccld.lib.ny.us/genealogy.htm
Chemung County Clerks Office http://www.chemungcounty.com/index.asp?pageId=115
Chemung County Founded, March 29, 1836
Death Vitals: None exist except city of Elmira or those municipalities that complied with the law for 1847, 1848, and 1849 vitals.
The Rev. Dr. Betsey R. Crimmins, HPP, ACC
First Presbyterian Church
1054 West Clinton Street
Elmira, NY 14905
607-734-1614
Our church has records back to somewhere between 1825 and 1830. However, recording births, baptisms, weddings and deaths apparently was not the habit back then. That information is not contained in our early documents. Yours is not the first inquiry of this kind. Indeed, it would be nice if our documents went back to 1795 and were more complete! However, at that time Elmira was the frontier. The founding pastor came through in the summer of 1795 and founded nine churches in upstate NY, but then did not stay. He died in August of 1796. Pastoral leadership was spotty for the first several years of this congregation. In 1805 a pastor came who stayed until 1814. Then pastoral leadership got spotty again for a few years.
- Town of Chemung: ( chronological order)
- March 1783 the legislature of the State of New York passed an act favorable to settlers in the valley and to those holding military warrants for land. Settlers began moving into the valley in 1784.
- On April 2, 1784, Legislature changed the name of Tryon County to Montgomery, in honor of the American General, Richard Montgomery, who gallantly fell at Quebec. Montgomery County embraced all that part of the State, west of a line running nearly north and south through the present County of Scoharie. It was by the same act, Montgomery County was divided into five districts, named Mohawk, Canajoharrie, Palatine, German Flats, and Kingsland.
- On March 7, 1788, another act passed defining the boundaries of the several counties of the State. The County of Montgomery was declared to contain all that part of the State bounded easterly by the counties of Ulster, Albany, Washington and Clinton; southerly by the State of Pennsylvania; and westerly and northerly by the west and north bounds of the state. Another act passed on March 22, 1788, from which the legislature erected a new town in Montgomery County, the Town of Chemung, lying on the Owego and Tioga Rivers: The boundary line beginning at the intersection of the pre-emption line of Massachusetts with the Pennsylvania State line and running north from the point of intersection, along the pre-emption line for a distance of two miles north of the Tioga River; thence, in a direct line at right angles to the pre-emption line east to the Owego River, to intersect said river at a distance of four miles on a straight line from the confluence there of with the Susquehanna River; thence down the Owego and Susquehanna to the Pennsylvania state line; and thence along the said line to the place of beginning. This tract covers the present day towns of Barton and the greater portion of Tioga County and the towns of Southport, Elmira, Ashland, Baldwin & Chemung along with a portion of Big Flats, Horseheads, Erin and Van Etten in Chemung County. A dissension broke out among the settlers who could not agree on a division of their location while being concerned for their possessions and looking for assignment and allotted lands to the claimants who had already settled on the lands and made improvements. In the act of erecting the town, the Legislature appointed John Castine, Brigadier General James Clinton, (son of Governor George Clinton) and John Hathorn, Commissioners to inquire into and settle the dispute. The allotments were not to be less than 100 nor more than 1,000 acres each and also provided that the lands were to be settled within three months after the state had acquired the Indian title. The lands were to be bought at one shilling and six pence per acre. They proceeded to survey and plot the town. On February 27th, 1789, the legislature confirmed their report and authorized the commissioners of the Land Office to patent the lands to the parties named on the lots on the maps submitted by the commissioners of this town and extended the time of settlement to one year after the state had acquired the Indian title. Certificates of location were issued by the commissioners, which were assignable and thus parties acquired large tracts, which were patented to them under one patent. Some of the large tracts granted in the old town of Chemung were as follows: To Isaac D. Fonda, Jacob Ford, Peter W. Yates, Josiah Richardson and Thomas Klump. “Certificates of location, 8,000 acres on northwest bank of Susquehanna River, now in Tioga, Tioga County, January 26th 1789. Vol. 46, page 25 Land Papers”.
An act passed on the same date: March 7, 1788 and the German Flats District was divided. The town of Whites Town was formed from it. This town embraced all that part of the State of New York, lying west of a line drawn north and south across the State, crossing the Mohawk River at “Old Fort Schuyler”, (Utica) and which line was the western boundary of the towns of Herkimer, German Flats and Otsego. - “The township of Chemung, erected in 1788, comprised precisely the territory that afterward became the county of the same name, with the exception of a portion of the township of Cayuta, Schuyler County; That is, it included not only what is at present Chemung County, but also the towns of Catherine, Dix and Montour in Schuyler County. It contained fifty-three square miles of land, which would be a rather good-sized township in this State. There were less than 1,000 inhabitants within its whole limits and these were scattered up and down the valley from Chemung to Big Flats, with the beginnings of future villages at or near Chemung, Elmira, Watkins and “Mill’s Landing”, now Havana, Schuyler County.”
Portions of the territory of old Montgomery County, county seat at Fonda, were constantly taken from it until now it is one of the smallest in the State, having only six square miles more than the original township of Chemung. - In 1789, the County of Montgomery was divided, and all that part west of a line drawn north and south across the State, through the Seneca Lake two miles east of Geneva, was called Ontario County, and was extensively known abroad as the "Genesee Country." It included all the land of which pre-emption right had been ceded to Massachusetts.
- Feb. 16, 1791, Montgomery County was divided once again, and the Counties of Tioga, Otsego and Herkimer formed from its territory, and the bounds of the County of Ontario changed.
The other counties in the state continued to form new boundaries. This short article gives insight into the growing pains of forming the counties and later the formations of the towns of our great state of New York. - Known at that time as Buckville, it became a town on March 22, 1788, within the County of Montgomery.
- General James Clinton, from the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition and son of New York State Governor Clinton, was one of the three commissioners of the state appointed to make a survey of what we call Chemung County today, to determine the rights of the early settlers there. A reported survey confirmed on February 12, 1789 that 207,656 acres were surveyed. Of these, 28,300 acres were military locations, 159,186 acres were disposed of to settlers and 20,170 acres were vacant. The settlers paid 18 pence an acre. Titles were issued in October and November of 1788. Although some actual settlement reportedly occurred years before that date.
- Montgomery stretched out over most of Central New York and on February 16, 1791 the county was divided and Tioga County was created.
- Another split was made in 1836 when Chemung County was formed. “March 29, 1836, Chemung County was organized by the legislature. It comprised the present territory of the county along with the towns of Catherine, Dix, Montour and Cayuta in Schuyler County”.
- 1836, Southport was authorized to set up for a town by itself.
- On February 7, 1854 the Legislature authorized Horseheads to set up for a township by itself. In the spring of 1854 the northern portion of Chemung County being, towns of Catherine, Dix and part of Cayuta was taken away to form Schuyler County with a slice from Steuben and Tompkins.
- When Schuyler County was formed, April 17, 1854, a small portion of the township of Cayuta was saved to Chemung County and that along with a portion from Erin township was erected and became the township of Van Etten.
- On April 7, 1856, legislature passed an act creating another new township, Baldwin which was made up from the northern part of Chemung “up Wynkoop Creek, as it might be termed in that locality”. Interestingly two post offices were established in the township, Hicks and North Chemung, although the latter is better known locally as “Hammond’s Corners”.
- Elmira was incorporated as a city on April 7, 1864. In 1850 it was authorized to have two members to represent it in the Board of Supervisors and in 1854 it was divided into three wards. The third ward being on the south side of the river and taken in from the town of Southport as a part of the village.
- The Town of Ashland was formerly a part of Elmira, the Town of Southport and Chemung but, as the people of this community had to travel a great distance to vote, a resident of Wellsburg, R. E. Lockwood, secured a petition of the people and presented it to Assemblyman George W. Buck of Chemung, who had it formally acted upon. It became a town April 25, 1867.