Tompkins County, New York
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records | Church & Cemetery |
Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites |

Tompkins County was created in 1817 and formed from Cayuga and Seneca Counties. Tompkins County was named for Daniel D. Tompkins, the sixth vice president of the United States and the County Seat is Ithaca. See also Extended History for more historical details.

The Tompkins County Courthouse is located at 320 North Tioga St, Ithaca , NY 14850; 607-274-5434 and the Official County Website is located at http://www.tompkins-co.org/.

Tompkins County Borders Cayuga County (North), Cortland County (Northeast), Tioga County (Southeast), Chemung County (Southwest), Schuyler County (West), Seneca County (Northwest) .

Tompkins County Municipalities: Town of Caroline, containing Brooktondale, Caroline Center, Caroline Depot, Slaterville, Slaterville Springs, Speedsville; Town of Danby, containing, Danby, West Danby; Town of Dryden (town), containing, Village of Dryden, Village of Freeville, Etna, Varna, West Dryden; Town of Enfield; Town of Groton, containing, Village of Groton; City of Ithaca; Town of Ithaca, containing, Village of Cayuga Heights, East Ithaca, Forest Home, Northeast Ithaca, Northwest Ithaca, South Hill; Town of Lansing, Village of Lansing; Town of Newfield, containing, Newfield Hamlet; Town of Ulysses, containing, Hamlet of Podunk, Village of Trumansburg . 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.

  • Tompkins County, New York History Books at Amazon.com
  • Search Historical Newspapers from New York (1719 - 1992) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 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.
  • Search New York Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

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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.

Tompkins County Clerk has Land & Court Records from 1817 and is located at 320 North Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850; Phone: (607) 274-5431, Fax: (607) 274-5445. The County Clerk is the registrar for all land transactions (deeds, mortgages, maps, etc.) and maintains those records. The County Clerk is also the repository for Uniform Commercial Code filings, veterans' discharges, old census records, oaths of office, pistol permits, and many other instruments. The County Clerk is the registrar for certificates of doing business under an assumed name and certificates of doing business as partnerships.

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.

Tompkins County Surrogate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1817 and is located at Courthouse, 320 North Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY  14850; Telephone: 607-277-0622, Fax: 607-256-2572; Mailing Address: PO Box 70, Ithaca, NY 14851-0070 .

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.

Tompkins County Historian is located at 125 E. Court Street, Ithaca, NY 14850.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 Tompkins County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Tompkins County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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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:

  • 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 FREEicon
  • 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 colonial times, 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.

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

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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 Tompkins County, New York are 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 Tompkins 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 Tompkins County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Tompkins 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.
  • Tompkins 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.
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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 Tompkins County Maps. Email us with websites containing Tompkins County Maps by clicking the link below:

  • Atlases of New York city
  • Tompkins 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.
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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 Tompkins County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Tompkins County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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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 Tompkins County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Tompkins County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Tompkins County, New York Tax Books at Amazon.com
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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 Tompkins County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Tompkins County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Tompkins County Health Dept, 401 Harris B. Dates Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850; (607) 274-6642
  • 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 58th 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
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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 Tompkins County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Tompkins 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 Tompkins County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Tompkins County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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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 Tompkins County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Tompkins County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

The map of New York State shows Tompkins County to be located in the western part, nearly equidistant from Lake Ontario and Pennsylvania. It is practically square in shape, is bound on the north by Cayuga and Seneca counties; on the east by Cortland and Tioga; on the south by Tioga and Chemung; on the west by Schuyler. The land within its borders has an area of 292,724 acres, a population in 1920 of 35,285 and it is divided into nine towns.

When General Sullivan, in 1779, went on his expedition to punish the Iroquois for their aid given the British in the Revolution, and to so destroy their towns as to prevent their taking further part in the conflict, he found and burned one of the largest of these Indian towns in what is now Tompkins County. The Cayugas fled before the avenger and not many of them ever returned, although there were quite a number of the tribe in the County as late as 1823 who were living amicably with their one-time enemies. In the end, ravaged by disease, deserted by their British allies, the original owners of Tompkins gave or sold their territory to the whites. In 1789 a treaty was completed by which the Six Nations ceded the land in the State east of Seneca Lake, thus opening the country to a new race and people.

Led here by the tales told of the region by Sullivan's soldiers, and in many cases induced by the proprietors of vast acreages bought from the State, settlers began to flock over the trail of the army to cast their fate in with the new region, so that the evacuated lands of the aborigine were soon occupied.

A group of nineteen from Kingston were the first of the permanent settlers, September, 1789. An idea of the difficulties standing in the way of any prospective settler, may be gained from the length of their journey to the new home: They were a month getting from Kingston to Owego, and nineteen days to travel from Owego to the present site of Ithaca, a distance of twenty-nine miles. It is, of course, to be realized that these families were traveling along a narrow foot trail of the Indian; and had, by great labor, to widen it to permit the passage of their teams and cattle through the primeval forest.

Just what reason led this band to leave the river lands where most of the new comers into this part of the State settled, and locate on the decidedly isolated spot of their choice is not known. Probably the undoubted fertility of the "inlet lands" of Lake Cayuga was the deciding factor, and nn doubt the water powers had their appeal. Whatever the thing which influenced their selection, as the result of that choice the city of Ithaca has come to be. The names of the original pioneers were Jacob Yaple, his wife and three children; John Yaple, his brother; Isaac Dumond, wife and three children, and his brother John; Peter Hinepaw, his wife and five children. They were evidently well pleased with their tracts for their enthusiastic praise of the wonderfully rich and beautiful lake country soon brought neighbors.

The first of the settlers gathered around the site of the future Ithaca, early known as the "Flats," or Maricle's Flats, the present title not having been given until 1808. Six years after the settlement at the "flats" had been started Captain David Rich settled in the area now known as Caroline town. A year later the Dumonds and Yaples, who had lost their Ithaca lands through an agent's carelessness or crime, located at Danby and built the first house in that town. In 1797 first settlement was made in Dryden by Amos Sweet; Enfield had its start in 1804 by John Giltner. Groton was settled in 1796 by Samuel Hogg; Lansing by the Ludlow brothers in 1791; Newfield in 1800 by James Thomas, and Ulysses in 1792 by the Tremaines.

The land to which these pioneers came was the "Dark forest" or densely wooded region of the southern Finger Lake section. The area cleared and planted by the Indians was, for the greater part, farther north. The greater part of the country is high and rolling, with elevations approaching 800 feet, forming the water shed from which the streams started either on their way to the south by way of the Susquehanna, or to the north by way of the Seneca and Oswego rivers. It is also no great distance from the head-waters of streams flowing into the Mississippi. The many streams have worn gorges and valleys' break over natural dams, spread out in swamps, until it has made of this area a region seldom equaled in the variety of its terrain or the beauty of the scenic effects.

The forest was the source of much of the early prosperity. Much of the wood was burned, for even as early as 1804 the making of potash was an important industry, and as late as 1832 the ashes for that year were valued at $27,000. The water power was harnessed, two gristmills were grinding grain by 1794, and sawmills began to operate but a few years later. In 1832 the value of the timber cut was $400,000, a large sum for so small a County, and by 1853 a writer, H. C. Goodwin, related that three quarters of Tompkins was improved land. In 1886 the only sizeable bit of virgin timber was a tract of forty acres. It would seem as though the denudation of the hills had gone too far, with ill effects on the soil and water conditions which in this present century is being remedied by the reforestation of the barren summits and the intelligent encouragement of the second growth timber.

The forest was full of deer, sufficiently so as to make deer skins a valuable export even in 1832

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