In spite of initial impressions, the influence of Montgomery County reaches far beyond its local limits. Although its size may be dramatically different than when it was first formed from Albany County in 1772, the boundaries of Montgomery County (then known as Tryon County) extended all the way up to the Canadian border, south to the Pennsylvania line, and west to the territories of the Iroquois' Six Nations. During the Revolutionary War, the Mohawk Valley became a hotbed of activity, wrought with hostilities, murder and destruction as the two sides clashed and struggled over their concept of government.
After achieving victory, the Americans began to spread out across the burgeoning nation in a period of westward expansion. As the size of the fledgling nation grew, the borders of Montgomery County grew smaller with the formation of new counties. Therefore, you can easily imagine that a great many of our ancestors passed through this expansive area. Whether they started here or just traveled through via the Erie Canal, the Mohawk Turnpike, or the railroad, people left their mark. For anyone seeking more information on those ancestors, as well as the local history, the best place to begin that research is at the Old Courthouse in Fonda.
In 1934, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, recognizing their county as "one of the oldest counties in the State of New York [having] numerous public and private historic records" resolved "to create a Department of History and Archives in said county to preserve the same." Space for this newly created department was set aside on the third floor of the Old County Courthouse and Edward J. Sheehan, appointed County Historian succeeding Lillian Van Deusen, was put "in charge of the County Archives without salary or other remuneration."
Sheehan, formerly an investigator with the County Sheriff's Department, held the position as County Archivist / Historian into the 1950s. It can be said that the Department of History and Archives would not have the wonderful collection today were it not for Sheehan. During his tenure, Sheehan and his W.P.A. staff procured copies of records from various local cemeteries and churches across the state. Since birth, marriage and death records were not required by New York State prior to 1880 (with a few exceptions for 1847-1849), church records are essential for documenting one's ancestry. Realizing the significance of this information to the genealogical researcher, Sheehan is credited for being the catalyst in the department's development.
Even more importantly, with nature taking its toll on rural cemeteries too numerous to count, either through acid rain eroding tombstones or flora growing up around them, vital historical and genealogical data is lost on a daily basis. Fortunately for us today, many of those cemetery surveys conducted by Sheehan and his staff may be some of the only traces remaining of our colonial ancestors.
Of course, in the seventy-four years since the department's inception, the collection has grown by leaps and bounds. Interest generated by the bicentennial of Montgomery County in 1972, the bicentennial of our nation in 1976, and the sesquicentennial of the Old Courthouse in 1986 have all contributed to the Department of History and Archives. It has become a Mecca for genealogical researchers with one of the largest government-owned collections of historical and genealogical materials in the State of New York.
All records in the library are organized, first according to its series (e.g. church, cemetery, local history, military, etc.), then by location, i.e. the present-day county. The breakdown of counties, towns and villages can be especially frustrating to a researcher from outside of New York State who is not familiar with the tiered municipalities. Even more frustrating is recognizing the boundary alterations that took place within Montgomery County beginning 1789 with the formation of Ontario County, the first step in what would lead to the creation of thirty-four counties from Montgomery County's original configuration.
The types of records on the shelves range from churches to cemeteries, from military to census, and records of the Palatine immigrants to the Mohawk Valley, the largest single immigrant group to New York. Also, there are records of Loyalists leaving their Mohawk Valley homes fearing their safety because of their support of the British colonial government.
In addition to published (and unpublished) genealogies and donated research in the 500+ family files, our collection includes county and local histories as well as the small collection of records from the New England states.
Montgomery County's mission regarding its records management program is for the retention and preservation of records pertaining to Montgomery County and its predecessor, Tryon County. Archival materials consist of maps, school records, diaries, records of defunct social organizations, Erie Canal and railroad data, and original court records dating from the colonial period through the late nineteenth century. Staff is working with the County's Data Processing department to incorporate a searchable database of Montgomery County's archival collections on the county website.
It would be remiss not to mention the wonderful historic building that houses the Department of History and Archives. The Old Courthouse is a magnificent imposing structure still impressive after all these years. Built in 1836 in the Greek revival style with Ionic columns at the building's entrance, the Courthouse is adorned with a gold-leafed dome. This building was the scene of many events, murder trials and executions, a libel case in which author and Cooperstown resident James Fenimore Cooper was plaintiff, as well as the funeral of a Revolutionary War veteran, church and organizational meetings, wedding receptions, and the list goes on and on.
The department has a phenomenal photograph collection that is cataloged according to location. Presently, department staff is entering data for the photograph collection, as well as the equally strong collection of pamphlets, onto computer databases that serve to improve public access to these resources.
Although a good deal of the collection comes from donated materials, many of the books that are purchased come from the "friends" group, the Heritage and Genealogical Society of Montgomery County. The Society formed in 1976 as a not-for-profit organization "to assist in preserving the invaluable heritage of Montgomery County through its support of the Department of History and Archives." The group raises funds to assist the department, in enhancing its collection, through membership dues, hosting events such as the annual "Heritage Day," and selling historical publications. The Society is also known for its program of erecting or replacing historic markers throughout Montgomery County.
A computer, purchased by the Heritage and Genealogical Society, is now available at the Department of History and Archives for public use to search various records on CD.
The Department of History and Archives is very aware of the importance of its collection and the staff strives to continue improving access and storage of its records. In the near future, the archival collection, now on the third floor, will be moved to the newly renovated Volkert B. Veeder Records Storage facility, located just behind the Old Courthouse. There records will be stored in a temperature and humidity controlled secure environment.
For more information on the Department of History and Archives and its hours of operation, call 518-853-8186 or visit the department's website.
by Kelly Yacobucci Farquhar, County Historian/RMO
© 2011 The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
All rights reserved.