Franklin County, New York Guide

Franklin County is in the northern New York State, bordering the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. The land of Franklin County was once part of the Old Military Tract in 1786, which set aside land for veterans of the Revolutionary War, or Macomb's purchase in 1791, which was part of Alexander Macomb's purchse of land from New York State. The St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, also called Akwesasne, is located in Franklin County on the border of Canada​.

Founded: March 11, 1808

Parent County: Clinton

Daughter County: None

County Seat: Village of Malone

Major Land Transactions: Old Military Tract 1786, Macomb Purchase 1792

 

Franklin County Map
Map of Franklin County

 

 

Table of Contents 

 

 

 

History

Industry in the region was originally dominated by potash production. Potash was an economical way to use the extra timber created from clearing land for settlement. Later logging, the production of hops, ore mining, pasturage, and agriculture grew in the county.

Between 1840 and 1860, the Underground Railroad was active in Franklin County, helping escaped formerly enslaved persons travel onwards towards Canada or the Adirondack Forests which were considered safer than staying in the United States. The Village of Malone in Franklin County was the primary area of movement for the Underground Railroad. Many families in the area were abolitionists, and the Franklin Anti-Slavery Society held annual meetings.

The Adirondack Park comprises a large section of Franklin County. Protecting the area of the Adirondack Mountains, the Park is the largest National Historic Landmark of the United States. The mountain air of the Adirondacks was once thought to cure tuberculosis. Between 1873 and 1945 Cure Cottages were built in Saranac Lake to accommodate travelers from around the world who wished to take advantage of this rest-cure. This remedy of Cure Cottages came to an end in 1944 with the invention of an effective medical drug to cure tuberculosis. The remaining cottages are recognized today by the National Register of Historical Places.

 

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies – County

Franklin County Clerk

Website: County Clerk 

Address: P.O Box 70, 355 West Main Street, Suite 248, Malone, NY 12953

Phone: 518-481-1681

Email: kcassava@co.franklin.ny.us

Land records 1808–present; court records 1918–present; and original copies of the New York state censuses for Franklin County 1855, 1875, 1905, 1915, and 1925 are at the county clerk’s office.  

 

Franklin County Records Management

Website: Records Management 

Address: 355 West Main Street, PO Box 70, Malone, NY 12953

Phone: 518-481-1671

Email: rmdept@co.franklin.ny.us or ktavernia@co.franklin.ny.us

 

Franklin County - Town and Village Clerks 

Website: Town and Village Clerks 

Birth, marriage, and death records are maintained by the clerk of the municipality in which the event occurred; see Introduction to County Guides for details of other records which may also be held by municipal clerks. Information may vary from different municipalities.

 

Franklin County Surrogate's Court

Website: Surrogate's Court 

Address: 355 West Main Street • Malone, NY 12953

Phone: (518) 481-1736

Probate records from the late 1800s to the present.

 

Franklin County Public Libraries 

Website: Franklin County Public Libraries

Franklin is part of the Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System. Many libraries hold genealogy and local history collections (e.g., Goff-Nelson Memorial Library and Wead Library hold local newspapers and obituaries). 

 

Franklin County Historical and Museum Society 

Website: Historical Society and Museum

Address: 51 Milwaukee Street, PO Box 388, Malone, NY 12953

Phone: (518) 483-2750

Email: fchms@northnet.org

Family histories and genealogies, Adirondack history, cemetery information, census materials, directories and phone books, early assessment rolls, maps, newspapers pre-1900, obituaries, scrapbooks, school yearbooks, and vital records. Special collections include the Clarence Kilburn Papers and 16th Regiment Civil War Papers. 

​​

Franklin County Historian

Website: Franklin County Historian

Address: 51 Milwaukee Street, PO Box 388, Malone, NY 12953

Phone: (518) 483-2750

Email: fchms@northnet.org

 

Franklin County - All Municipal Historians

Website: Town Historians 

While not authorized to answer genealogical inquiries, city, town, and village historians can provide valuable historical information and research advice; some maintain collections and webpages which may include transcribed records, local histories, and other genealogical material. 

 

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies – Regional

Adirondack Genealogical-Historical Society 

Website:Adirondack Genealogical-Historical Society

Address: 100 Main Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983 

Region includes Clinton, Essex, and St. Lawrence counties. Offers research services at the Saranac Lake Free Library: The William Chapman White Memorial Room: Adirondack Research Center.

 

Adirondack Experience Museum Library

Website: Adirondack Experience Museum

Address: 9097 NY-30, Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812

Phone: (518) 352-7311

 

Akwesane Library & Cultural Center Western New York Historical Collection 

Website: Akwesasne Library & Cultural Center

Address: 321 State Route 37, Hogansburg, NY 13655-3114 

Phone: (518) 358-2240 

Email: akwlibr@nc3r.org

The Center maintains one of the largest collections of American Indian cultural materials in northern New York. Holdings include books and pamphlets, newspapers, photographs, and videos.

 

The William Chapman White Memorial Adirondack Research Room at the Saranac Lake Free Library:

Website: William Chapman White Memorial Adirondack Research Room at the Saranac Lake Free Library ​ 

Address: 109 Main Street, Saranac Lake, NY 12983

Phone: (518) 891-0807

Email: sllibrary@adelphia.net

Village of Saranac Lake shared with Franklin County. Books, manuscripts, periodicals, newspapers, and pamphlets; federal and state census microfilm for Essex, Franklin, Clinton, and St. Lawrence counties 1850–1925; church records; obituary index; maps, gazetteers, and atlases 1869, 1876; photographs and postcards; cemetery inscriptions published by the Adirondack Genealogical and Historical Society; county, town, and municipal histories; genealogies and biographies; high school yearbooks and school attendance records; and early tuberculosis patient history from the Trudeau Sanatorium.

 

Six Nations Indian Museum 

Website: Six Nations Indian Museum

Address: 1462 County Route 60, Onchiota, NY 12989 

Phone: (518) 891-2299

Email: info@sixnationsindianmueseum.com

Holdings include artifacts, artwork, and documents detailing the hsitory of the Iroquois from pre-Colubmian times to the present.

 

SUNY Plattsburgh: Special Collections

Website: SUNY Plattsburgh: Special Collections

Address:101 Broad Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

Phone: (518) 564-5206

Email: kimokdm@plattsburgh.edu

 

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies – Local

Alphabetized by location

Chateaugay Historical Society

Website: Chateaugay Historical Society

Address: PO Box 123, Chateaugay, NY 12920

Phone: (518) 497-6685

Email: chathistsoc@gmail.com

Cemetery indexes, Catholic church records ca. 1863–1920, birth and marriage listings from Protestant churches, and histories of Franklin County. Society and archives are located in the Chateaugay Memorial Library.

 

Chateaugay Memorial Library

Website: Chateaugay Memorial Library

Address: 4 John Street, PO Box 10, Chateaugay, NY 12920

Phone: (518) 497-0400

Email: chatlib@gmail.com

Books and pamphlets, Chateaugay records on microfilm 1881–1995, photographs, scrapbooks, and the collections of the Chateaugay Historical Society: genealogies, cemetery lists, church records, Chateaugay Record on microfilm, and photographs.

 

Town of Moira Historical Association

Website: Moira Historical Association 

Address: State Route 776, PO Box 75, Moira, NY 12957

Phone: (518) 529-7426

 

Historic Saranac Lake 

Website: Historic Saranac Lake

Address: 89 Church Street, Suite 2, Saranac Lake, NY 12983

Phone: (518) 891-4606

Email: mail@historicsaranaclake.org

 

Westville Historical Organization and Westville History Center

Website: Westville Historical Organization and Westville History Center

Address: Westville Historical Organization, c/o 19 County Route 20, Constable, NY 12926​

Email: info@westvillehistory.net

Genealogies (list of names on website), local history books, census materials 1800–1875, cemetery records, church records, maps, military records, school records, tax assessment books, and voter lists.

 

 

 

Civil, Public, and Vital Records

Civil Records are those created, recorded and/or maintained by a governmental body and include births, marriages, deaths, censuses, property, and probate. NB: The New York State government began collecting vital record data in 1880. Birth, marriage, and death records from New York State (excluding the five boroughs of New York City) after 1880 on can be obtained from the New York State Department of Health. For vital records previous to 1880, consult the municipality in which the event took place. 

 

 

 

Federal Census Records

Population schedules: 1790-1940 (except 1890).

Online at Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Findmypast.com (free to NYG&B members).

Access on Findmypast:

1790

1800

1810

1820

1830

1840

1850

1860

1870

1880

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

State Census Records

  • County originals at Franklin County Clerk’s Office: 1855, 1875, 1905, 1915, 1925 (1825, 1835, 1845, 1865, and 1892 are lost)
  • State originals at the NYSA: 1915, 1925
  • Microfilm at the FHL, NYPL, and NYSL
  • Many years are online at FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com.

 

 

 

Online Resources

General Resources

Ancestry.com

There are vast numbers of records on Ancestry.com that pertain to people who have lived in New York State. A search of the online card catalog by county may reveal lesser known resources that pertain to a locality, such as town records, abstracts, transcriptions, city directories, and local histories.

FamilySearch.org

FamilySearch has extensive collections of New York records, including religious records, which are searchable by name and location, but not by county. The following collections include record images (browsable, but not searchable) that are organized by county

NYGenWeb Project: Franklin County

Part of the national, USGenWeb volunteer initiative, the website provides information and resources for county research.

 

Deaths and Burials

 

Ethnic Groups and Organizations

 

Maps

 

Military Records

 

Newspapers

New York State Newspaper Project

The website provides links to digital newspapers collections in 26 counties (currently) made accessible through New York Heritage, New York State Historic Newspapers, HRVH Historical Newspapers, and other providers

 

Other Records

 

Religious Records

 

Transportation

 

Vital Records

 

 

 

Selected Bibliography

Abstracts, Indexes & Transcriptions

  • Austin, John M. In the Thanks of the Republic: Some Civil War Soldiers from Franklin Co. NY. New York: The Author, 1998. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1999. 
  • County of Franklin Abstracts. Syracuse: Central New York Genealogical Society, 2000. Abstracts for a range of genealogical records originally published in the quarterly Tree Talks.  A name index is on the CNYGS website.
  • Daughters of the American Revolution, comps. New York DAR Genealogical Records Committee Report. Since 1913 DAR volunteers have transcribed many thousands of unpublished cemetery, church, and town records throughout New York. The reports are at the DAR Library; copies are at the NYSL and the NYPL. The DAR has a searchable name index to all the GRC reports at See Jean Worden’s index for a listing by county of the New York record sets that were transcribed by the DAR before 1998.
  • Kelly, Arthur C. M. Index to Tree Talks County Packet: Franklin County. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, 2002.
  • Rabideau, Clyde, comp. Obituaries, Franklin County, New York: 71 Years, 1887-1958, As Published in the Fort Covington Sun and Other Newspapers in Franklin Co. Plattsburgh, NY: Heartnut Publishing, n.d.
  • Samuelsen, W. David. Franklin County, New York, Will Testators Index, 1809–1919. Salt Lake City: Sampubco., 1994.
  • Worden, Jean D. “Book 1, Subject Index.” In Revised Master Index to the New York State Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Records Volumes. Zephyrhills, FL: J. D. Worden, 1998.  The Subject Index includes a listing by county of the cemeteries, churches, towns, and other sources of records transcribed by the DAR.

Other Resources

  • Beers, D. G. Atlas of Franklin County, New York: From Actual Surveys and Official Records. Philadelphia, 1876. [NYPL Digital Gallery]
  • Child, Hamilton. Gazetteer and Directory of Franklin and Clinton Counties: With an Almanac for 1862–3, Embracing the Names of Business Men, County Officers, Distances, Interest Tables, Census Returns, and Much Other Valuable Statistical Information. Ogdensburg, NY, 1862.
  • Fay, Loren V.  Franklin County, New York, Genealogical Research Secrets. Albany: L. V. Fay, 1984
  • Harder, Kelsie B., and Carol Payment Poole. Place Names of Franklin County, New York: Their Origins and History. Brushton, NY: TEACH Services, 2008.
  • Hough, Franklin B. A History of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties, New York, from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Albany, 1853. Index available from Berkshire Family History Association.
  • Hurd, Duane H. History of Clinton and Franklin Counties: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia, 1880.
  • Landon, Harry F. The North Country: A History, Embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin Counties, New York. 3 vols. Indianapolis: Historical Publishing Co., 1932.
  • New York Historical Resources Center. Guide to Historical Resources in Franklin County, New York, Repositories. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 1987. [books.FamilySearch.org]
  • Northern New York Library Network. Directory of Archival and Historical Document Collections. 2011–2013 edition; published digitally at http://nny.nnyln.org/archives/ArchivalDirectory.pdf. Online indexes at http://nny.nnyln.org/archives/page01.html. Describes collections held by organizations in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, and St. Lawrence counties.
  • Seaver, Frederick J. Historical Sketches of Franklin County and Its Several Towns, with Many Short Biographies.  Albany: J. B. Lyon, 1918.

 

The materials above are a compilation of resources available, with an emphasis on online resources, which might be useful to someone doing research within this county.  The inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement of its content or accuracy.  Please send any additions or corrections to webmaster@nygbs.org.