Oswego County, New York Records
Oswego County, New York (Map It) was created on March 1, 1816 from Oneida County and Onondaga County. The county was named for the Oswego River, from an Iroquoian word meaning "the outpouring", referring to the mouth of the river .
Oswego County is bordered by Lewis County (northeast), Jefferson County (northeast), Oneida County (east), Madison County (southeast), Onondaga County (south),Cayuga County (southwest), Lake Ontario and Canada (northwest) .
Oswego County Cities and Towns include Fulton, Oswego, Albion, Amboy, Boylston, Constantia, Granby, Hannibal, Hastings, Mexico, Minetto, New Haven, Orwell, Oswego, Palermo, Parish, Redfield, Richland, Sandy Creek, Schroeppel, Scriba, Volney, West Monroe, Williamstown. Villages include Altmar, Central Square, Cleveland, Hannibal, Lacona, Mexico, Minetto, Parish, Phoenix, Pulaski, Sandy Creek. Hamlets include Albion Center, Amboy Center, Arthur, Bardeen Corners, Beecherville, Bernhards Bay, Bowen Corners, Bowen's Corners, Boylston Center, Bundy Crossing, Butterfly Corners, Cains Corners, Carley Mills, Carterville, Catfish, Caughdenoy, Centerville, Chateaugay, Clifford, Colosse, Constantia, Constantia Center, Cribbs Corners, Cummings Bridge, Demster, Demster Beach, Doris Park, Drakes Corner, Dugway, Dutcherville, East Amboy, East Boylston, East Palermo, Fairdale, Farley Corners, Fruit Valley, Furmiss, Gayville, Gilbert Mills, Graftons Square, Granby Center, Greenboro, Hannibal Center, Happy Valley, Hastings, Hastings Center, Hinmansville, Howardville, Ingalls Crossing, Kasoag, Lansing, Little France, Loomis Corner, Lycoming, Mallory, Mallory Station, Maple Hill, Maple View, McMahon Corners, Morse, Mosher Corners, Mud Hill, Mungers Corners, New Haven, New Scriba, Nicholsville, North Amboy, North Boylston, North Constantia, North Church Corner, North Hannibal, North Scriba, North Shores, North Volney, Orwell, Oswego Beach, Oswego Center, Palermo, Panther Lake, Peacock Corners, Peat Corners, Pekin, Pember Corners, Pennellville, Pineville, Plantz Corners, Pleasant Point Crossing, Prattham, Red Mill, Redfield, Ricard, Roosevelt Corners, Russ Mills, Sala, Sand Ridge, Sandy Pond, Scriba, Shephard Corners, Smartville, South Granby, South Hannibal, South New Haven, South Scriba, Southwest Oswego, Stewart Corners, Stillwater, Sutton Corner, Texas, The Elms, Toad Harbor, Upson Corner, Vermillion, Volney, Vorea, Vorhees Corners, Wellwood, West Amboy, Williamstown.
MapGeeks.org has is a collection of old New York maps.
Oswego County, New York Courthouse Records
Oswego County, NY Courthouse
The Oswego County Courthouse is located in Oswego, New York. Also contact local Town Clerks. They 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. Learn More About State of New York Court, Tax, Land and Probate Records.
The Clerk's Office DOES NOT DO RESEARCH. Most staff will assist people in finding the materials, but it is up to the individual to do the research.
The following dates indicates what vital, land, probate, and court records are in Oswego county. The date listed for each record is usually the earliest registration filed. The date does not indicate that there are alot records for that year and does not mean that all such events were actually filed with the clerk.
- Oswego County Clerk has Land Records from 1791, Court Records from 1791 and Naturalization Records. State court naturalization records remain in custody of the county clerks. Older court naturalization records have been transferred to the National Archives--Northeast Region. 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.
- Oswego County Surrogate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1816. The County Surrogate Court Clerk 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.
- Oswego County Treasurer is responsible for the collection of taxes.
- Oswego County Historian maintains archival holdings for virtually every facet of the county’s history. The county, town, city or village Historians may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area.
In New York State Law: "§ 57.07. Local historian; appointment; maintenance of historical edifices.
A local historian shall be appointed, as provided in this section, for each city, town or village, except that in a city of over one million inhabitants a local historian shall be appointed for each borough therein instead of for the city at large; and a county historian may be appointed for each county."
Counties therefore are not REQUIRED to have an appointed county historian, but are ALLOWED to appoint such an historian. Cities, Towns and Villages "SHALL" appoint a historian, although there doesn't appear to be any dire consequence if one should fail to do so: the Village of Philmont in Columbia County, for example, has neglected to refill the office since the death of their last historian.Â
Oswego County, New York Census Records
- Learn More: State of New York Census Records
- U.S. Federal Population Schedules: 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragmented), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940
- U.S. Census Reconstructed Records: 1660-1820
- State Population Schedules: 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, 1925
- Other State Census Schedules: Census of Inmates in Almshouses and Poorhouses, 1830-1920, Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880, Non-Population Schedules 1850-1880
- U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
- Selected U.S. Federal Census Agriculture Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
- Selected U.S. Federal Census Industry Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
- Union Veterans Schedules: 1890
Oswego County, New York Vital Records
- Learn More: State of New York Vital Records
- Birth and Death Records: from 1880Â to present
- Marriage Records: from 1880Â to present
- Divorce Records: from January 1963 to present. Earlier Records are in the County Clerk's Office.
- Locations:Â New York State Dept of Health, Vital Records Section
- Vital Records Online:Â USAVital or Social Security Death Index
- Vital Records by Mail:  Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate, Genealogy  Applications.
- In Person:Â New York State Dept of Health, Vital Records Section, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237; (518) 474-3077, (518) 474-3038 Information
Oswego County, New York Resources
- State of New York Archives and Societies
- RAOGK Volunteers for New York
- Oswego County Genealogy Society
- Oswego County Historical Society
- Heritage Foundation of Oswego County
- Oswego Masonic District Historical Society
- Central New York Genealogical Society
- Penfield Library
- Directory of Archival and Historical Document Collections
- New York Genealogy Research Community
- Oswego County, New York Message Boards
- Oswego County, New York Genealogy Boards
Oswego County, New York External Links
- New York Historical Newspapers - Newspapers.com
- Historical Newspapers from New York (1719 - 1992)
- Northern New York Historical Newspapers - Oswego County combined search of Oswego County, NY newspapers
- Oswego Palladium Times (Oswego, New York)
- Oswego County, New York Books - Amazon
- Oswego Co., New York - FindaGrave
- The north country: a history embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin Counties, New York
- Landmarks of Oswego County, New York
- History of Oswego County, New York
- Records of the village of Oswego
- Old shipping days in Oswego
- Oswego County, New York Links - Cyndi's List
- Oswego Co. NYGenweb
- Oswego, New York Directories, 1888, 1890-93
- Directory, 1919-20
- Gazetteer and business directory of Oswego County, N.Y. for 1866-7
- Oswego County, New York Ancestry Database Collections
- Oswego County, New York, in the Civil War
- Oswego County, New York Military Records