Greene County, New York Genealogy
Greene County, New York family history and genealogy research page. Uncover links to record collections, history, and genealogy information to help you you track your own Greene Co., ancestors. Begin by building a Free Family Tree.
Greene County was created on March 25, 1800 from Ulster County and Albany County. This particular county was named in honor of Nathanael Greene (1742–1786), the American Revolutionary War general .
The Greene County Seat can be found in Catskill and in addition the county government website is greenegovernment.com/
Regions neighboring Greene County include Albany County (north), Rensselaer County (northeast), Columbia County (east), Ulster County (southwest), Delaware County (west), Schoharie County (northwest).
Cities and Towns to be found in Greene County consists of Ashland (town), Athens (town), Athens (village), Cairo (town), Catskill (village), Catskill (town), Coxsackie (village), Coxsackie (town), Durham (town), Greenville (town), Halcott (town), Hunter (town), Hunter (village), Jefferson Heights, Jewett (town), Leeds, Lexington (town), New Baltimore (town), Palenville, Prattsville (town), Tannersville (village), Windham (town).
Greene County does have Federal Census Schedules to help in looking into your family tree. United states federal Population Schedules are present for 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940. Greene Co. Mortality Schedules can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Greene Co. Industry and Agriculture is available for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Greene Co. Union Veterans Schedules can be obtained for 1890. You can get free downloadable and also printable census forms that can help with your research.
Greene County Societies and Family History Resources
A list of Greene County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Forums, Message Boards, Libraries, Archives. See Also New York Archives, Genealogical and Historical Societies for statewide Addresses and links.
- New York State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
- Greene County Historical Society, PO Box 44, 90 County Route 42, Coxsackie, NY 12051,
Phone: (518) 731-6490; They collect and preserve historical records, documents, books, paper maps, manuscripts, letters, journals, relics and things which may establish or illustrate the history, growth and progress of the County of Greene and its surroundings. The Vedder Research Library of the Society has a non-circulating collection containing historical and genealogical material and publishes a quarterly Journal for Society members.
- Capital District Genealogical Society, Empire State Plaza Station, PO Box 2175, Albany, NY 12220-0175
- Central New York Genealogical Society, Box 104, Calvin Station , Syracuse, New York 13205; Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publication: Tree Talks quarterly with annual index in which you can search for people by county.
- Mid-Hudson Library System
- Durham Center Museum, Route 145, , P.O. Box 192 , East Durham, NY 12423, Phone: (518) 239-8461 or (518)239-4081; The museum has two major collections of records known as the Rossi records and the Staats records. They also have cemetery records, family Bibles, family files, church records, Scrapbooks, local history books, board of supervisor’s rolls, assessment rolls, genealogical newsletters, pictures, maps and more. Records focus on Green, Albany, and Columbia Counties.
- New York Genealogy Research Community (facebook.com)
- Greene County, New York Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Greene County
- Greene County, New York Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com) read and post messages with other genealogy researchers for Greene County
- USGenWeb Archives for Greene County (usgwarchives.net)
Greene County Courthouse and Government Records
Researchers frequently overlook the significance of Greene County court, probate, and land documents as a resource of family history and genealogy details. Buried away in New York courthouses and archives just about everywhere could be the aspirations and worries of the many New York men and women.
The possibilities are excellent that your particular ancestors and forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of factors of their lives in the Greene County court records. Even if your forebears is not discussed in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her appearing in court records.
Please make sure to contact the clerk's office to verify hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics prior to visiting or inquiring information because of occasionally changing contact details. The Department Offices DO NOT DO RESEARCH. The files are readily available to interested parties, barring confidential issues. A good number of staff will help people in locating the resources, however it is up to the person to carry out the research.
The following specifics denotes whatever birth, death, marriage, land, probate, and legal records will be in Greene County. The years pointed out listed below tend to be the first known records in this county.
- Greene County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
- Address: 411 Main St., PO Box 467, Catskill, NY 12414
- 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.
- Greene 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.
- Phone: 518-719-3255
- Land Records: 1800 (Land conveyances, deeds and mortgages are recorded in the county clerks' offices or in the New York City Register's Office. Recording of deeds became mandatory statewide in 1840. Before that many deeds were not recorded)
- Court Records: 1800
- 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.
- Greene 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.
- Address: 320 Main Street, Catskill, N.Y. 12414
- Phone: (518) 444-8750
- Probate Records: 1803 (each county generally has records dating back to the establishment of the county or 1787, whichever was later. Record keeping was systematized by an 1830 statute)
- Greene County Treasurer is responsible for the collection of taxes.
- Greene County Historian maintains archival holdings for virtually every facet of the county’s history. In New York State, every municipality (town, city, village, county) must have an appointed historian. Most of the towns have their own historians as well and each can be contacted. The County Historian 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.
- Address: 138 Beecher Road, Coxsackie, NY 12051
- Phone: (518) 731-6822 or 731-1033
- New York Department of Health has copies of birth records after 1881 and death records after 1880, copies of marriage since 1881 (A marriage license may also sometimes be found in the office of the town or city clerk who issued the license) and a Divorce records since 1847 (Is handled in the supreme court for the county in which the divorce was heard. Divorce files, however, are sealed for one hundred years). There is a fee for each copy requested. Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.
New York Historical Records - Databases include New York Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; New York Birth, Marriage & Death Records; New York Voter Lists & Census Records; New York Immigration & Emigration Records; New York Obituary Records; New York Military Records; New York Family Tree Records; New York Pictures; New York Stories, Memories & Histories; New York Directories & Member Lists and much more....
Greene County Genealogy Links
The following are web links to Family history and genealogy, Records and Resources relevant to Greene County. Most of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business oriented Sites, Private Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some have to have a cost. This is simply a listing that has been compiled or submitted. I do not recommend or promote one genealogy site over another. Feel free to suggest your own favorite Greene County genealogy or family history related sites.
Greene Co. NY Books, Newspapers & Publications
Greene Co. NY Birth, Marriage & Death Records
Greene Co. NY Court, Probate Land and Tax Records
Greene Co. NY Census Records
Greene Co. NY Cemeteries & Graveyards
Greene Co. NY Church & Bible Records
Greene Co. NY Family Websites, Pictures & Histories
Greene Co. NY General and History Websites
Greene Co. NY Immigration & Naturalization
Greene Co. NY Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
Greene Co. NY Military Records
Greene Co. NY Schools & Directories