Greene County, New York Guide

Partitioned from Albany and Ulster Counties in March 1800, Greene County lies in eastern New York and is located approximately 120 miles north of New York City. The county is bordered by Albany, Rensselaer, and Schoharie Counties to the north, Ulster to the south, Delaware County to the west and Columbia County to the east.

County Formed: March 25, 1800

Parent Counties: Albany, Ulster

Daughter Counties: None

Major Land Transactions: Hardenbergh Patent 1708

 

 

Greene County Map
Map of Greene County

 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

History

The first European explorers arrived in present-day Greene County in 1609, when Henry Hudson anchored his ship, the Half Moon, near what is today Catskill Village. While exploring the river that now bears his name, Hudson encountered Native Americans from the Algonquin Nation, whom he described as "a very loving people." The Dutch began to settle in the Catskills in 1649 after purchasing a tract of agriculturally fertile land from the Algonquin chief. Families began moving into the region one year later to grow crops and raise livestock. Leading up to the American Revolutionary War, the majority of families in the Catskills were of Dutch descent. Dutch influence remains strong in the region to this day and is visible in many of the names of geographical locations (i.e. Catskills).

During the late 18th century, much of upstate New York remained subdivided into a few large, poorly-governed counties. Although the majority of American settlers moved westward after the Revolutionary War, away from the Catskill Mountain region, the area still had a sizeable population. New York's government realized that it needed to subdivide the state's largest counties in order to more effectively govern the sparsely populated upstate territory. Greene County was incorporated on March 25, 1800 by the state government of New York. The territory was formed with land from Albany and Ulster Counties and Catskill, which had been part of both of these counties prior to Greene's foundation, was named the county seat. The county had a population of approximately 13,000 when in was initially formed and experienced moderate growth over the next century. Towns and villages continued to form in Greene until 1852, when the present pattern of towns and villages had emerged due to a series of government-mandated subdivisions and merges. The 2010 U.S. census documented 49,221 people presently living in Greene County and a majority of households consisting of married couples with children under the age of 18.

Today, a flourishing tourist, sportsman, and boating industry has brought much outside attention to the county. Like much of rural New York State, the outdoor culture dominates the venue of recreational activities offered by the county and draws thousands of tourists from urban areas each year. There are also several conventions and festivals in Greene and the surrounding areas that act as major tourist attractions each year. Agriculture is still strong in the region as well and thousands of county residents are employed in the farming industry. The quiet, remote nature of Greene County, specifically the Catskill Mountains region, were author Washington Irving’s inspiration for the legendary short story "Rip Van Winkle," a source of great pride for many local residents.

Sources:

 

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies – County

Greene County Clerk

Website: Greene County Clerk

Address: 411 Main Street, Catskill, NY 12414

Phone: (518) 719-3255

Email: countyadministrator@discovergreene.com

Land records, court records, naturalization records 1850–1994, and the New York state censuses for Greene County 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, 1925. Complete list of holdings is available on the clerk’s website. Greene County’s digitized map collection can be accessed in the Records Room. No records are available online.

 

Greene County - Town and Village Clerks

Website: Greene County – 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.

 

Greene County Surrogate's Court

Website: Greene County Surrogate’s Court

Address: Green County Courthouse, 320 Main Street, Catskill, NY 12414

Phone: (518) 444-8750

Holds probate records from 1920 to the present. Earlier records are kept at the Vedder Library. The Surrogate’s Court also has microfilm of these earlier records. 

 

Greene County Public Libraries

Website: Greene County Public Libraries

Greene is part of the Mid-Hudson Library System. Many libraries hold genealogy and local history collections, including local newspapers and/or local history collections.

 

Greene County Historian

Website: Greene County Historian

Address: 71 Sutton Place, Coxsackie, NY

Phone: 518-320-8545

Email: gchistorian@gmail.com

 

Greene County - All Municipal Historians

Website: Greene County – All Municipal Historians

While not authorized to answer genealogical inquiries, 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. 

 

Greene County Historical Society

Website: Greene County Historical Society

Address: 90 County Route 42, PO Box 44, Coxsackie, NY 12051

Phone: (518) 731-6490

Email: gchsvl@mhcable.com 

The Society maintains the Vedder Research Library (see below) and publishes a quarterly journal, Greene County Historical Journal.

 

Vedder Research Library

Website: Vedder Research Library

Address: 90 County Road 42, Coxsackie, NY 12051

Phone: (518) 731-1033

Email: archivist@gchistory.org

The Vedder Library, maintained by the Greene County Historical Society, contains an extensive collection of genealogy and local history materials including genealogies, research guides, cemetery inscriptions, court records, military records, probate indexes 1800–1930, and vital records. 

 

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies – Regional

Bard College Archives and Special Collections

​​Website: Bard College Archives and Special Collections

Address: Stevenson Library Archives and Special Collections, One Library Road, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504

Phone: (845) 758-7396

Email: archives@bard.edu

Categories include Hudson Valley Archives (local history materials), Tivoli Photograph Collection, historical journals, and Bard College history. 

 

Capital District Genealogical Society 

Website: Capital District Genealogical Society

Address: Empire State Plaza Station, PO Box 2175, Albany, NY 12220

Email: contactcdgs@gmail.com

 

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies – Local

Alphabetized by location

Ashland Historical Association

Website: Ashland Historical Association

Phone: (518) 734-6432

Holdings include cemetery records, photographs, postcards, and some vital records. The Association maintains the West Settlement Church.

 

Cairo Historical Society

Website: Cairo Historical Society

Address: PO Box 803 • Cairo, NY 12143

Projects include digitization of cemetery transcriptions.

 

Durham Center Museum

Website: Durham Center Museum

Address: State Route 145, PO Box 192, Durham, NY 12423

Phone: (518) 239-8461 • Email: durhamcentermu@aol.com

Cemetery and church records, family Bibles and family files, and local ephemera. Records from Greene, Albany, Ulster, and Columbia counties; close to 1000 family files pertaining to both genealogy and local history; many out of print books; other hand written records.

 

Mountain Top Historical Society of Greene County

Website: Mountain Top Historical Society of Greene County

Address: Route 23A, Haines Falls, NY 12436

Email: mttophistsoc@aol.com

Society documents and preserves the history and culture of the Catskill Mountains of Greene County, including art, literature, folklore, and legends. It hosts historical events and programs, genealogical lectures, and produces a quarterly publication containing news and historical sketches. Holdings include photographs, books, and some family records.

 

Town of Lexington Historical Society

Website: Town of Lexington Historical Society

Address: Church Street, PO Box 247, Lexington, NY 12452

Phone: 518-989-9570

Email: lexingtonnyhistorian@hotmail.com

Website includes “History of Lexington, NY,” with select transcribed records documenting Lexington’s history, including land transactions, an indenture record, government appointments, and various town documents.

 

Zadock Pratt Museum

Website: Zadock Pratt Museum

Address: 14540 Main Street, PO Box 333, Prattsville, NY 12468

Phone: (518) 299-3258

Email: prattmuseum@hotmail.com

Collections (1600s–present) were badly damaged by Hurricane Irene. They include scrapbooks, newspapers, and other genealogical records. Museum is the former home of tanner Colonel Zadock Pratt (1790–1871). Staff will assist with genealogical inquiries.

 

 

 

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. Learn more about New York's vital records in our online guide.

Resources:

 

 

 

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 Greene County Clerk’s Office: 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, 1925 (1825, 1835, and 1845 are lost)
  • State originals at the NYSA: 1915, 1925
  • Microfilm at the FHL, NYPL, NYSHA, 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.

Hudson River Valley Heritage (HRVH)

The HRVH website provides free access to digital collections of historical material from more than 40 organizations in Columbia, Greene, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, and Westchester counties

USGenWeb Project: Greene 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

  • Register Star, Greene County News
  • King, Forrest D. "Abstracts from the Western Constellation and the Catskill Recorder, Catskill, Greene County, 1803-1805."  The Record (multiple volumes).
    • Part 1. Vol. 138, No. 1 (61-69).
    • Part 2. Vol. 138, No. 2 (138-143).
    • Part 3. Vol. 138, No. 3 (225-226).
    • Part 4. Vol. 138, No. 4 (302-304).
  • Newspaper Obituaries: Greene County

 

Other Records

 

Religious Records

  • Church Records for Albany and Greene Counties
  • New York Genealogy: Greene County Church Records
  • Rootsweb: Greene County Church Records
  • "Baptismal Records of Zion Lutheran Church, Loonenburg, Now Athens, Greene County, New York." The Record (multiple volumes).
    • Part 1. Vol. 82, No. 1 (15-31)
    • Part 2. Vol. 82, No. 2 (81-88).
    • Part 3. Vol. 82, No. 3 (161-173).
    • Part 4. Vol. 82, No. 4 (227-243).
    • Part 5. Vol. 83, No. 1 (24-40).
    • Part 6. Vol. 83, No. 2 (109-116).
    • Part 7. Vol. 83, No. 3 (132-145).
    • Part 8. Vol. 83, No. 4 (240-245).
    • Part 9. Vol. 84, No. 1 (16-26).
    • Part 10. Vol. 84, No. 2 (82-97).
    • Part 11. Vol. 84, No. 3 (149-159).
    • Part 12. Vol. 85, No. 1 (13-17).
    • Part 13. Vol. 85, No. 2 (73-83).
    • Part 14. Vol. 85, No. 3 (140-153)
  • "Baptisms of the Dutch Reformed Church of Catskill, Greene County, New York." The Record (multiple volumes).
    • Part 1. Vol. 86, No. 1 (14-24).
    • Part 2. Vol. 86, No. 2 (92-101).
    • Part 3. Vol. 86, No. 3 (149-160).
    • Part 4. Vol. 86, No. 4 (222-231).
    • Part 5. Vol. 87, No. 1 (51-55).
  • "Baptisms of the Dutch Reformed Church of Coxsackie, Greene County, New York." The Record (multiple volumes).
    • Part 1. Vol. 88, No. 2 (105-115).
    • Part 2. Vol. 88, No. 3 (154-160).
    • Part 3. Vol. 88, No. 4 (211-218).
    • Part 4. Vol. 89, No. 1 (15-24).
    • Part 5. Vol. 89, No. 2 (69-78).
    • Part 6. Vol. 89, No. 4 (220-228).
    • Part 7. Vol. 90, No. 3 (137-146).
    • Part 8. Vol. 91, No. 3 (142-152).
  • "Marriages of the Dutch Reformed Church of Catskill, Greene County, New York." The Record (multiple volumes).
    • Part 1. Vol. 92, No. 2 (96-104).
    • Part 2. Vol. 92, No. 4 (218-220).
  • "Zion Lutheran Church of Loonenburg, Now Athens, Greene County, NY." The Record (multiple volumes).
    • Part 1. Vol. 73, No. 1 (64-67).
    • Part 2. Vol. 73, No. 2 (109-120).

 

Transportation

 

 

 

Selected Bibliography

Abstracts, Indexes & Transcriptions

  • Barber, Gertrude Audrey. “Abstracts of Wills of Greene County, New York, from Aug. 1803 to. . .[March 1838]” Typescript, 1932. New York State Library, New York.
  • Barber, Gertrude Audrey, Marjorie S. Dows, and Virginia Moscrip. Index of Wills, Greene County, New York, 1803–1875. Vol. 410 of Cemetery, Church and Town Records of New York State. Rochester, NY: Daughters of the American Revolution, New York, 1973–1974.
  • Bowman, Fred Q. New York’s Detailed Census of 1855: Greene County. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, 1988.
  • Cohen, Minnie. “Gravestone Inscriptions of Catskill Village Cemetery: Catskill, Greene County, N.Y.” 2 vols. Typescript, 1931. NYPL, New York. [Ancestry.com]
  • Cohen, Minnie. “Gravestone Inscriptions of Greene County, New York.” 3 vols. Typescript, 1933. NYPL, New York.
  • County of Greene 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 http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/?Tab_ID=6. See Jean Worden’s index below for a listing by county of the New York record sets that were transcribed by the DAR before 1998.
  • Greene County Poor House Accounts, 1828–32 and 1849–84. Cooperstown, NY: Microfilmed by the New York State Historical Association, 1997.
  • Hoffman, William J., comp. “Baptismal Records of Zion Lutheran Church, Loonenburg, Now Athens, Greene County, New York.” NYG&B Record, vol. 82 (1951) no. 1: 15–31, no. 2: 81–88, no. 3: 161–173, no. 4: 227–243; vol. 83 (1952) no. 1: 24–40, no. 2: 109–116, no. 3: 132–145, no. 4: 240–245; vol. 84 (1953) no. 1: 16–26, no. 2: 82–97, no. 3: 149–159; vol. 85 (1954) no. 1: 13–17, no. 2: 73–83, no. 3: 140–153. [NYG& eLibrary]
  • Kelly, Arthur C. M. Index to Tree Talks County Packet: Greene County. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, 2002.
  • Sawyer, Ray C., comp. and ed. “Abstract of Wills of Greene County,N.Y.” 3 vols. Typescript, 1933–1934. [Ancestry.com, NYPL]
  • Vosburgh, Royden Woodward, ed. “History of the First Reformed Church of Coxsackie, in West Coxsackie, Greene County, N.Y.” 3 vols. Typescript, 1919. NYPL, New York. [NYG&B eLibrary]
  • Vosburgh, Royden Woodward, ed. “Records of the Protestant Reformed Dutch Church of Leeds, in the Town of Catskill, Greene County, N.Y.” Typescript. NYPL, New York. [NYG&B eLibrary]
  • Vosburgh, Royden Woodward, ed. “Records of the Reformed Dutch Church in Oak Hill in the Town of Durham, Greene County, N.Y.” Typescript. NYPL, New York. [NYG&B eLibrary]
  • Vosburgh, Royden Woodward, ed. “Records of the Reformed Dutch Church of Kiskatom in the Town of Catskill, Greene County, N.Y.” Typescript. NYPL, New York. [NYG&B eLibrary]
  • Vosburgh, Royden Woodward, ed. “Records of the Reformed Dutch Church of Wawarsing.” Typescript, 1920. NYPL, New York. [NYG&B eLibrary].
  • 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

  • Adams, Arthur G., ed. The Catskills: An Illustrated Historical Guide with Gazetteer. 2nd edition. New York: Fordham University Press, 1990.
  • Atkinson, Oriana. Not Only Ours: A Story of Greene County, N.Y. Cornwallville, NY: Hope Farm Press, 1974.
  • Beecher, Raymond. Greene County: A Bicentennial Overview. Catskill, NY: The Greene County Historical Society, 2000.
  • Beecher, Raymond. Out to Greenville and Beyond: Historical Sketches of Greene County. Cornwallville, NY: Hope Farm Press, 1977.
  • Beecher, Raymond. Under Three Flags. Hensonville, NY: Black Dome Press, 1991.
  • Beecher, Raymond, Harvey Durham, and Greene County Historical Society. Around Greene County. Dover, NH: Arcadia Publishing, 1997.
  • Beers, F. W. Atlas of Greene County, New York: From Actual Surveys. New York, 1867.
  • Biographical Review . . . Containing Life Sketches of Leading Citizens of Schenectady, Schoharie, and Greene Counties, New York. Boston, 1899.
  • Bush, Clesson S. Episodes from a Hudson River Town: New Baltimore, New York. New York: SUNY Press, 2011.
  • Bush, Jean M. Historic Places in Greene County, New York. Coxsackie, NY: Flint Mine Press, 2009.
  • Capital District Genealogical Society Newsletter. Albany: Capital District Genealogical Society, 1982–present. [capitaldistrictgenealogicalsociety.org]
  • Gallt, Frank A. Dear Old Greene County; Embracing Facts and Figures: Portraits and Sketches of Leading Men Who Will Live in Her History, Those at the Front To-day and Others Who Made Good in
  • the Past. Catskill, New York: n.p., 1915.
  • Geil, Samuel. Map of Greene County, NY: From Actual Surveys. Philadelphia, 1856.
  • The Greene County Directory. Catskill, NY: The Examiner, 1928.
  • History of Greene County, New York, with Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men. New York, 1884.
  • Horne, Field. The Greene County Catskills: A History. Hensonville, NY: Black Dome Press, 2000.
  • Hudson River Valley Review: A Journal of Regional Studies. Poughkeepsie, NY: Hudson River Valley Institute at Marist College, 2002–present.[hudsonrivervalley.org]
  • Morrow, Patricia, ed. Greene Genes: A Genealogical Quarterly about Greene County, New York. 1988–1999.
  • New York Historical Resources Center. Guide to Historical Resources in Greene County, New York, Repositories. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 1988.
  • Prout, Rev. Henry Hedges. Old Times in Windham. Cornwallville, NY: Hope Farm Press, 1970. First published Feb. 18, 1869 to Mar. 31, 1870.
  • Rockwell, Charles. The Catskill Mountains and the Region Around. Cornwallville, NY: Hope Farm Press, 1973. First published 1867.
  • Ross, Claire L., and Edward R. Kozacek. Greene County, New York: ’76 Bicentennial Overview: Beginnings and Background. Catskill, NY: Catskill Enterprise, 1976.
  • Smith, Mabel P. Greene County, New York: A Short History. 7th edition. Catskill, NY: E and G Press, 1979.
  • Vedder, Jessie Van Vechten. History of Greene County. Catskill, NY: n.p., 1927.
  • Woodworth, Olive N. East Kill Valley Genealogy: A Record of the Burials in Two Catskill Mountain Graveyards with Genealogical Information from 1620 to 1964. Catskill, NY: Greene & Ulster Print. Co., 1964. Transcription available on Rootsweb.

 

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.