Happy 200th anniversary Hamilton County!!
Hamilton County is located in north-central New York. It is one of two New York counties whose territories lie entirely within Adirondack Park. Hamilton County holds the distinction of being the least populous of New York's 62 counties. As of the 2010 U.S. census, Hamilton County boasts a small population of 4,836 full-time residents, though this number is greatly enlarged by the thousands who visit and camp in the Adirondack Park. The county has only 2.8 persons per square mile compared to New York State in general which has 411.2 persons per square mile.
Prior to its creation, no Native American tribes had permanent settlements in the area that now constitutes present day Hamilton County. Though the common belief was that the area had belonged to the Mohawks, prior to the area being colonized by the British, there is very little evidence of Mohawks habitation in the area.
Under British rule, the area was originally a part of Albany County. In 1772, Albany County was partitioned, and Tryon County, named after the last provincial governor of New York, William Tryon, was created. After the Revolutionary War, Tryon County was renamed Montgomery County, after Richard Montgomery, an American general who died during the Battle of Quebec.
In 1816, Hamilton County was created, on a provisional basis, from land partitioned from Montgomery County. However, due to its small population, it remained unorganized and continued to be administered from Montgomery County until 1837. It wasn't until April 22, 1837, about twenty-one years after it was granted provisional status, was Hamilton County was finally granted full county status and granted self-government by the State Legislature.
Hamilton County is one of eight counties throughout the United States named after Alexander Hamilton, a founding father; writer of the Federalist Papers; Revolutionary War hero; the only member of the New York State delegation who signed the Constitution; and the first, and arguably the most significant U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
When searching for records in Hamilton County, a great countywide resource to visit is the Hamilton County Clerk. Their holdings include land records, court records, and naturalization records 1854–1906. Additionally, they hold the New York state censuses for Hamilton County 1892, 1905, 1915, and 1925. You can visit their website at http://www.hamiltoncounty.com/.
Hamilton County also has many great local resources and repositories. If you are looking for records in Lake Pleasant, NY then you should visit the Historical Society of Lake Pleasant & Speculator and Museum. Their holdings include photographs and genealogical records. To learn more , visit their website at https://lakespec.wordpress.com/ or check out their blog at https://historylakespec.wordpress.com/.
NYG&B members have access to all our original county guides on our website. Each guide was created by experts in the field in order to direct researchers to these local, unique resources. To learn more about the benefits of membership, see our membership page HERE.