Chautauqua County History and Information

Chautauqua County was created in March 11, 1808 and formed from Genesee County . Chautauqua County was named for a Seneca word meaning "where the fish was taken out" and the County Seat is Mayville. See also Extended History for more historical details.

The Chautauqua County Courthouse is located at Gerace Office Bldg., 3 North Erie Street, Mayville , NY 14757; 716-753-4211 and the Official County Website is located at http://www.co.chautauqua.ny.us/.

Chautauqua County Borders Lake Erie (Northwest), Erie County (Northeast), Cattaraugus County (East), Warren County, Pennsylvania (Southeast), Erie County, Pennsylvania (Southwest).

Chautauqua County Municipalities: Cities include Dunkirk, Jamestown. Towns include Arkwright, Busti, Carroll, Charlotte, Chautauqua, Cherry Creek, Clymer, Dunkirk, Ellery, Ellicott, Ellington, French Creek, Gerry, Hanover, Harmony, Kiantone, Mina, North Harmony, Poland, Pomfret, Portland, Ripley, Sheridan, Sherman, Stockton, Villenova, Westfield. Villages include Bemus Point, Brocton, Cassadaga, Celoron, Cherry Creek, Falconer, Forestville, Fredonia, Lakewood, Mayville, Panama, Sherman, Silver Creek, Sinclairville, Westfield. Hamlets include Frewsburg, Laona, Hamlet, Irving, Maple Springs . Town Clerks 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.

• Chautauqua County, New York History Books at Amazon.com
• Search Historical Newspapers from New York (1719 - 1992) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
• Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.

Chautauqua County Court Records

See Also New York Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Chautauqua County Clerk has Land & Court Records from 1811 and is located at P.O. Box 170, 1 North Erie Street, Mayville, NY 14757-0170; Phone: (716) 753-4331, Fax: (716) 753-4277 .

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.

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.

Marriages Prior to 1784 couples intending to marry were required to obtain licenses from and file bonds with the provincial secretary, if the impending marriage was not announced in a church. These Marriage Bonds were mostly destroyed in the 1911 Capitol fire. Published abstracts are available in Names of persons for whom marriage licenses were issued by the secretary of the province of New York, previous to 1784. (Albany: 1860; repr. with supplements 1984); and in New York Marriage Bonds, 1753-1783, comp. Kenneth Scott (New York: 1972).

Naturalization records are created by the Federal and State courts. State court naturalization records generally remain in custody of the county clerks. Older Federal court naturalization records have been transferred to the National Archives. Photocopies of naturalization documents and indexes for New York City for the period 1792-1906 (both Federal and State courts) are held by the National Archives--Northeast Region, 201 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014.

Chautauqua County Surrogate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1811 and is located at Courthouse, PO Box C, Mayville, NY 14757; Phone: 716.753.4339, Fax: 716.753.4600 .

The Surrogate's Court in 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. Surrogate's Courts 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.

In recent decades many courts have ceased recording documents in books and substituted microfilm recording. Some courts have disposed of old property inventories, which have no continuing legal value. Most Surrogate's Court records are retained permanently because they may document title to real property or the legal status of individuals. Surrogate's Court records statewide occupy over 200,000 cubic feet, with over half a million record retrievals yearly. The court is authorized to charge substantial fees for records searches conducted by court staff. Prior to that time most estates were handled in New York City, the capital until 1797. Before 1787, some wills were recorded in the counties and occasionally in town records.

Chautauqua County Historian is located at PO Box 170, Mayville, NY 14757 .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. A county historian may be appointed for each county, check for availability.

Below is a list of online resources for Chautauqua County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Chautauqua County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• New York Wills, 1626-1836: This database is a collection of New York citizens' wills from 1626 to 1836 that were recorded in the office of the clerk of the court of appeals, of the county clerk of Albany and of the secretary of state.
• Soundex Index to Petitions for Naturalizations Filed in Federal, State, and Local Courts in New York City, 1792-1906: NARA M1674. The Soundex index to naturalization petitions filed in federal, state, and local courts in New York City, including New York, Kings, Queens and Richmond counties, 1792-1906.
• Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Jul 1865-Sep 1906: NARA M1164. A card index to naturalization petitions filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York from July 1865 through September 1906
• Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 1906-Nov 1925: NARA M1164. A card index to naturalization petitions filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York from October 1907 through November 1925.
• Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 1865-1957: NARA M1164. A card index to naturalization petitions filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York from November 1925 through December 1957.
• Alphabetical Index to Declarations of Intention of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1917-1950: NARA M1675. Alphabetical Index to Declarations of Intention of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1917-1950
• Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalization of the US District Court [and Circuit Court] for the Southern District of New York, 1824-1941: NARA M1676. Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalization of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1824-1941.
• Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalizations of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, 1907-1966: NARA M1677. Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalizations of the US District Court for the Western District of New York, 1907-1966
• Chautauqua County, New York Court Books at Amazon.com
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.

County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in New York

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! The New York State Department of Health does not file records of births and deaths that occurred in New York City and marriage licenses that were obtained in New York City. To obtain information about genealogy services available for New York City records, please visit the New York City Municipal Archives web page.

New York State Dept of Health, Vital Records Section, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237; (518) 474-3077, (518) 474-3038 Information, Fax: (518) 432-6286, Vital records registration started in New York State outside of New York City in 1881. Please allow up to approximately 7-8 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. Generally, the New York State Department of Health provides uncertified copies of the following types of records for genealogy research purposes:

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• Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates: Birth, Marriage & Death records maintained by New York State Dept of Health, since 1881 through the present. Genealogy copies are available for Birth records if on file for at least 75 years and the person whose name is on the certificate is known to be deceased. Genealogy copies are available for Marriage & Death records if on file for at least 50 years and the person whose name is on the certificate is known to be deceased. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
• Divorce Certificates: Divorce Certificates from Jan 1963. If the records are not available at the State office, they should be available from the County Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. Since 1847 divorce actions in New York have been handled in the supreme court for the county in which the divorce was heard. New York divorce files, however, are sealed for one hundred years. In colonialtimes, petitions for divorce had to be made to the governor or legislature, and only a few were granted. The court of chancery granted divorces from 1787 to 1847. These older records are in the State Archives. Divorce records dating prior to July 1, 1847, are filed either at the New York State Archives (upstate counties) or the New York County Clerk's Office, 31 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007; phone (212) 374-4376 (downstate counties).
• Cost: The cost of a birth, marriage or death record is $22.00, Divorce Certificates are $30 - Fee is for verification only. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $22.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
• Processing Time: 7-8 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
• Exceptions: The New York State Department of Health does not file records of birth, death and marriage from the Cities of Albany, Buffalo and Yonkers prior to January 1, 1914. To obtain records from these municipalities contact the Local Registrar for birth and death record requests or the City Clerk for marriage record requests. The addresses follow:
  • For birth and death record requests Order Online or submit request to the Local Registrar of the appropriate city:
    City of Albany, Room 254M, City Hall, Albany, NY 12207
    City of Buffalo, Room 1308, 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202
    City of Yonkers, Room 107, City Hall, Yonkers, NY 10701
  • For marriage record requests Order Online or submit request to the City Clerk of the appropriate city:
    City Clerk, City of Albany, Room 202, City Hall, Albany, NY 12207
    City Clerk, City of Buffalo, Room 1308, 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202
    City Clerk, City of Yonkers, Room 107, City Hall, Yonkers, NY 10701
• Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
• Order In Person:  The Vital Records Office provides eligible applicants with copies of birth and death certificates for births and deaths in New York State outside of New York City (1881-present), marriage licenses obtained in New York State outside of New York City (1880-present) and dissolution of marriage certificates for all of New York State (1963-present). The certificates may be ordered by coming into this office at 800 North Pearl Street, 2nd Floor - Room 200, Menands, NY 12204. The Vital Records customer service lobby is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, excluding holidays.
• Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "New York Vital Records " along with the necessary information to the following address: New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Section, Genealogy Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Please include return address on envelope and application form (Birth Certificate, Death Certificate, Marriage Certificate or Divorce Certificate.

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Below is a list of online resources for Chautauqua County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Chautauqua County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical West Virginia newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• New York Marriages to 1784
• New York Marriages, 1600-1784
• New York, Death Newspaper Extracts, 1801-1890
• New York, Marriage Newspaper Extracts, 1801-1880
• Chautauqua County, New York Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for New York

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Chautauqua County, New York are 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Chautauqua County, New York are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

Below is a list of online resources for Chautauqua County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Chautauqua County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• New York Census, 1790-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1790 Federal Census Index; 1800 Federal Census Index; 1810 Federal Census Index; 1815 Port Arrivals Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1870 Federal Census Index; 1890 Veterans Schedule; 1890 Naval Veterans Schedule; Early Census Index.
• New York State Census Collection: This database is an index to, with corresponding images of, parts of the 1880, 1892, and 1905 censuses.
• Chautauqua County, New York Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for New Yorkand other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for New York showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for New York showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps.

Below is a list of online resources for Chautauqua County Maps. Email us with websites containing Chautauqua County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Atlases of New York city
• Chautauqua County, New York Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

County Military Records

See Also Military Records in New York

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

New Yorkers have participated in military efforts since the colonial era. Military records shed light on the lives of soldiers, the struggles of the forces, as well as war's impact on the home front. They offer researchers a unique view of our past.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Chautauqua County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Chautauqua County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• New York Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
• National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
• New York Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
• National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of New York (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War from the State of New York (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of New York (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of New York (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of New York (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• New York Civil War Records (1861-65): This database gives records of Civil War infantrymen from southeastern New York (79th and 80th infantry units).
• New York Military Equipment Claims, War of 1812: This database is an index of claims presented to the State of New York for payment of expenses for military clothing and equipment provided by volunteers during the war.
• New York Military in the Revolution: This database is a collection of military records relating to the colonial militia during the war.
• Chautauqua County, New York Military Books at Amazon.com
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Scattered town and precinct tax records for a few years in the 1770s and 1780s and nearly complete lists for the whole state, 1799-1804, are at the New York State Archives, although for the latter period the surviving 1804 rolls cover only delinquent taxes of nonresidents. New York City tax records are at the Municipal Archives. Some early assessment rolls have been published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, such as those for New York City, 1730, in volume 95; New Rochelle, 1767, in volume 107; and Ulster County, 1709-21, in volume 62. See also volumes 43-44 of the New-York Historical Society's Collections for New York City assessments 1695-99. A few counties such as Ontario have retained their early tax records, but most do not have them until about 1850 or even later. Many old tax lists are to be found in manuscript collections. Dutchess County is fortunate to have a long series of eighteenth century tax records. Some of the 1798 U.S. Direct Tax records survive for New York.

Below is a list of online resources for Chautauqua County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Chautauqua County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Chautauqua County, New York Tax Books at Amazon.com

County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other New York Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Chautauqua County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Chautauqua County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Chautauqua County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 404, Fredonia, NY 14063
• Bemus Point Historical Society, 13 Albertus Dr., Bemus Point , NY 14712
• Brokenstraw Antique Tractor Assoc., Harvey Oonk, 645 Clymer Sherman, Clymer, NY 14724
• Busti Historical Society, 3443 Lawson Road, Jamestown, NY 14701, (716) 483-3670, bustihistory@windstream.net
• Carroll Historical Society, Thomas Fenton, 542 Ivory Road, Frewsburg, NY 14738
• Celeron Historical Society, Edison LeRoy, 22-C Bradmar Court, Celeron, NY 14720
• Chautauqua Co. Antique Equipment Assn, Norman Carlson, 934 Shadyside Road, Jamestown, NY 14701, (716) 483-0134
• Chautauqua County Genealogical Society, Walt Sedylmayer, P. O. Box 404, Fredonia, NY 14063, Tues-Sat, 1-5 Tues & Thurs Evenings 7-9 PM
• Chautauqua County Historical Society, Ellen Schwanekamp, P. O. Box 7, Westfield, NY 14787, (716) 326-2977, Mon-Tues/Thurs-Sat: 1-5 pm (winter hours may vary)
• Chautauqua Institution Archives, Jonathan Schmitz, Chautauqua, NY 14722, (716) 357-6332/6306, Fax (716) 357-6344, www.ciweb.org/archives.html, Summer session: M-F, 9-5 Off season: M,W,F, 9:30-3 or by appointment
• Chautauqua Township Historical Society, 15 Water Street, Mayville, NY 14757, (716) 753-7535
• Clymer Historical Society, Roger Westley, P. O. Box 114, Clymer, NY 14724
• Dunkirk Historical Society, 513 Washington , Dunkirk, NY 14048
• Ellington Historical Society, Laura Cronk, Box 473, Kennedy, NY 14747
• Fenton History Center, Christin Stein, 67 Washington Street, Jamestown, NY 14701, (716) 664-6256, Fax (716) 483-7524, http://www.fentonhistorycenter.org, Mon.-Sat., 10-4, appointments suggested for Archives and Photographs
• Findley Lake & Mina Historical Society, Community Building, Findley Lake, NY 14736
• French Creek Historical Society, R. D. 2, Clymer, NY 14724
• Hanover Historical Room, 68 Hanover Street, Silver Creek, NY 14136
• Harmony Historical Society Museum, 1943 Open Meadows , P. O. Box 127, Ashville, NY 14710
• Kiantone Historical Society, Ida Carlson, 959 Prosser Hill , Jamestown, NY 14701
• Lily Dale Historical Museum, Library and East Streets, Lily Dale, NY 14136
• Lucille M. Wright Air Museum, Airport Drive, Jamestown, NY 14701, (716) 664-9500
• Point Chautauqua Historical Society, John Sirianno, 5997 Diamond , Dewittville, NY 14782, (716) 753-2772
• Robert H. Jackson Center, Rolland Kidder, 305 East Fourth , P. O. Box 879, Jamestown, NY 14701-0879, (716) 483-6646, Fax (716) 483-0690, brobbins@roberthjackso,
• Sheridan Historical Society, Sheridan Town Hall, Main Street, Sheridan, NY 14135
• Silver Creek Historical Center, 172 Central Avenue, Silver Creek, NY 14136
• Valley Historical Society, Main Street, Sinclairville, NY 14782
• Yorker Museum, Park & Church , Sherman, NY 14781, (716) 761-6789 or (716) (716) 287-3963
• New York State Archives and Records Administration, The State Education Department, Cultural Education Center, 11th Floor; Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12230; (518) 474-8955, [EMAIL]
  Referred to here as the New York State Archives for brevity, it was the last such archives to be established in the United States. It houses land and court records, military and tax records, New York state vital records indexes, pre-settlement survey maps, and legislative records.
• New York State Library, Cultural Education Center, 7th Floor, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12230; The state library has a large collection of published and manuscript material on New York, including genealogies and local histories, federal and state censuses, city directories, and periodicals. It is also one of the two depositories for the State of New York DAR collection.
• The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 122 East 58^th Street, New York, New York 10022-1939; 212-755-8532, Fax: 212-754-4218; A private society, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society publishes the NYG&B Newsletter and a quarterly, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Its library holds much New York State and related material, both for New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. For New York there are censuses, federal and state; a large manuscript collection of church, cemetery, Bible, and other records; and an extensive amount of published family and local histories. Nonmembers can use the library for a small fee, but only members have access to the stacks, manuscripts, and microforms. The library provides a list of area researchers.
• New York State Historical Association, West Lake Road, P.O. Box 800, Cooperstown, New York, 13326-0800
• National Archives--Northeast Region, 201 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014.
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
• New York Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in New York

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Chautauqua County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Chautauqua County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Many church records, mostly early and particularly for Long Island, New York City, and the Hudson River Valley, have been published in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record with a large collection of unpublished records maintained by the New York. Particularly useful as vital records substitutes among the surviving New York church records are those of the Dutch Reformed, Lutheran, Anglican, and Quaker groups.

The largest number of New York cemetery records (the bulk of which are actually transcriptions of cemetery marker inscriptions) is found in the multivolume collection of the Daughters of the American Revolution in the State of New York, Church, and Town Records, located at the New York State Library, the New York Public Library, and the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. Scattered volumes are found in other libraries including many local libraries in the area in which a particular cemetery is located.

Below is a list of online resources for Chautauqua County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Chautauqua County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of New York obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a New York newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from New York .
• FOR DEFINITIONS OF ALL CEMETERY TERMS SEE THE GENEALOGY ENCYCLOPEDIA
• Chautauqua County, New York Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Chautauqua County, New York Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Chautauqua County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Chautauqua County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local New York Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local New York Researcher!
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Chautauqua County ] [ New York ] [ Main Page ]
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Extended History

 

Chautauqua County was attached to Niagara County until 1811, so records kept in Buffalo 1808 to1811 were burned by the British in 1813

The extreme western County, Chautauqua, has Pennsylvania on its south and part of the west lines; Lake Erie to the west and north; while Cattaraugus bounds it to the east. It is a large district, 1,099 square miles, larger than one of the States, larger than some of the European countries, and yet less than half the size of one the New York State counties. Chautauqua has a terrain more varied than some States or countries, with climates and productions as varied as its surface. The lake shore, or belt, of low altitude, has the softened delayed autumn and the nearly frost free spring. And the fruits, grains and vegetables raised in the section have an earliness and belong to classes of a much more temperate region. There are relics among the lake shore trees of woods that rightly belong to southern species. From the shore belt to the interior Iakes reigns another climate, and among the highlands of the southeast, where there are summits 2,500 feet, the severe climate of the mountains rules and the residents must be content with the short hard winter and to grow crops which have hardiness.

Chautauqua County is known throughout the world as a result of its Chautauqua Institution. Thousands have gathered yearly at this assembly and spread a knowledge of this part of New York. The long, narrow lake, the home of the Institution, is only eight miles from Lake Erie, and yet 726 feet above it. One almost expects its waters to creep over the brink and rush down to the greater body; instead, it flows by a devious, route into the Gulf of Mexico. Much has been written lauding the Chautanqua country, the lake, its assembly; it has a potent charm for the visitor who comes here for rest, study, love of the beautiful, or recreation.

The situation of the County on Lake Erie, the rolling, changing character of its area, the great variety of its soils, brought about by the forces of the Glacial Period, all conspire to make Chautauqua a leader among the agricultural counties of the State. The least fertile of its lands has been planted to grapes, still the County is the greatest grape growing section in the United States. In 1920 there were 35,ooo acres in vineries, from which was harvested 69,494,394 pounds of grapes. It is second in the quantity of currants produced; fourth in poultry; second in the total value of all crops ($14,983,216). With one exception, more orchard fruits were shipped from the County than any other; in strawberries, a side line, only two counties picked more. And still the County's rural prosperity rests upon its dairies and vegetable farms rather than on fruits.

Chautauqua's standing in industry must not be overlooked, nor the fact that two-thirds of her population are urban. In 1920 the number of manufacturing establishments in the County was 463, the number employed 17,000, and the value of the products $95,340,353. Jamestown was, of course, the leader, with Dunkirk second. But Falconer, with its worsted mills, Fredonia with its manufacturing plants, Silver Creek with its specialty factories, and Westfield, known everywhere for its grape juice, all swelled the total of the productions.

Historically, the County goes back, as far as the white race is concerned, to La Salle, who in 1679 sailed his little "Griffin" past the forested shore of Chautauqua. Returning two years later, he stopped for a time on the shores of Lake Chautauqua. Prior to this time the Erie Indians had roamed the region, but had been destroyed as a tribe by the Iroquois, in 1656. And back of the Eries is the evidence of the many mounds uncovered in the County, indicating some unknown race had its homes in this section.

The French gave the name Tchadakoin to the lake within the district, which if pronounced according to the rules of French ortheopy, sounds much like Chautauqua. The Holland Company, in a map of 1804, spelled the word Chautaughque; in 1859 the present spelling was first used.

The Eries, or their conquerors, the Senecas, were the owners of the County previous to the coming of the whites. The French claimed the territory by right of discovery by La Salle. These rights she ceded to England, in 1763. The Province of Massachusetts, incorporated in 1691, covered the larger part of the district, and even Connecticut owned a "two minute" strip along the southern border. And New York and Pennsylvania also had their claims. The claim of Massachusetts was settled in 1791, the Pennsylvania lines were arranged in 1787; the Indian titles were disposed of in 1797 and 1824. The Holland Company became the final owners and the attempt was made to colonize the region.

Aside from the French, the first white sojourner in the County was a rather inconstant wanderer by the name of Sawtell, who built his cabin in the district in 1796. On the 4th of July during that same year, a party of surveyors, consisting of fifty-two persons, reached Ohio by the way of Lake Erie. Among them were Augustus Porter, Seth Pease and Wareham Shepherd, all future settlers in Chautauqua. A man by the name of Skinner opened a tavern in the County in 1800; between Sawtell and Skinner lies the honor of being the first settler of Chautauqua. A rude road was built into the section in I802, and the tide of immigrants which soon flooded the region started about this time.

Chautanqua as a town was erected April 15, 1805, including all the present area of the County, except the tenth range of the Holland townships. On March 11, 1808, it was made a County.