Schenectady County, New York Guide

Schenectady county is bordered by Saratago, Montgomery, Schoharie, and Albany counties.

County Formed: 1809

Parent County: Albany

Daughter Counties: None

Major Land Transactions: Kayaderosseras Patent 1708

 

Schenectady County Map
Map of Schenectady County 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

History

The first record of the name Schenectady goes back to the 17th century, when Dutch settlers noted that the native Mohawk people in Fort Orange called their settlement “Schau-naugh-ta-da,” which can be interpreted as meaning “beyond the pines.” The Mohawk presence in the region dates back to at least 1100 AD. Some settlements in the immediate area of what is now Schenectady also belonged to the Mohican people. On March 17, 1809, Schenectady County was formed from part of Albany County and since then, its borders haven’t changed. Schenectady County’s seat is located in the City of Schnectady. A major land transaction of Schenectady County is the Kayaderosseras Patent 1708. The county experienced a sizable influx in population in the mid-19th century when immigrants arrived from Ireland (much of this emigration was due to famines in Ireland). In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the City of Schenectady became known as an industrial powerhouse, housing the headquarters of General Electric and other national corporations. Its industry attracted many more immigrants, especially from Italy and Poland.

 

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies – County

Schenectady County Clerk

Website: Schenectady County Clerk

Address: 620 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305

Phone: (518) 388-4220

 

Schenectady County - All City, Town, and Village Clerks

Website: Schenectady County – City, Town, and Village Clerks

 

Schenectady County Surrogate's Court

Website: Surrogate's Court

Address: 612 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305

Phone: (518) 285-8455

 

Schenectady County Public Libraries

Website: Schenectady County Public Libraries

Address: 99 Clinton Street, Schenectady, NY 12305

Phone: (518) 388-4500

Email: scplresearch@mvls.info

 

Schenectady County Community College Library: Local History Resources

Website: Schenectady County Community College Library: Local History Resources

Address: Begley Library, 78 Washington Ave, Schenectady, NY 12305

Phone: (518) 381-1239

 

Schenectady County Historical Society, Museum, and Grems-Dolittle Library & Archives

Website: Schenectady County Historical Society

Address: 32 Washington Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12305

Phone: (518) 374-0263 • Email: librarian@schist.org

 

Schenectady County Historian

Website: ​​Schenectady County Historian

Address: 835 Central Parkway, Schenectady, NY 12309

Email: historian@schenectadycounty.com

 

Schenectady County - All Municipal Historians

Website: Municipal Historians

 

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies – Regional

Central New York Genealogical Society 

Website: Central New York Genealogical Society

Address: PO Box 404, Colvin Station, Syracuse, NY 13205 

Email: cnygs@yahoo.com

 

Capital District Genealogical Society 

Website: Capital District Genealogical Society

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

Email: contactcdgs@gmail.com

 

Fulton-Montgomery Community College: The Kenneth R. Dorn Regional History Study Center at Evans Library

Website:  The Kenneth R. Dorn Regional History Study Center

Address: 2805 State Highway 67, Johnstown, NY 12095

Phone: (518) 212 - 7685

Email: libinfo@fmcc.edu

 

University of Albany, SUNY: M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives

Website: M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives

Address: 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222

Phone: (518) 437-3935

 

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies - Local

Alphabetized by location

Duanesburg Historical Society: Local History Collection

Website: Duanesburg Historical Society Local History Collection

Address: PO Box 421, Duanesburg, NY 12056

Phone: (518) 895-2632

 

Town of Glenville History Center

Website: Town of Glenville History Center

Address: 24 Glenridge Road, Glenville, NY 12302

Phone: (518) 982-0643

Email: glenvillehistorian@gmail.com

 

City of Schenectady: Efner History Center, Research Library, and City Archives

Website: Efner History Center, Research Library, and City Archives

Address: Schenectady City Hall, 105 Jay Street, Schenectady, NY 12305

Phone: (315) 382-5199

 

Union College: Schenectady Collection at the Schaffer Library

Website: Union College: Schaffer Library: Schenectady Collection

Address: 807 Union St, Schenectady, NY 12308

Phone: (518) 388-6277

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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 Schenectady County Clerk’s Office: 1835, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, 1925 (1825 is lost)
  • County original at Schenectady County Historical Society: 1845* (Town of Rotterdam only)
  • 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.

Schenectady County Digital Archive Project

The Schenectady County Digital Archive Project, in partnership with Schenectady County Public Library, contains a wide variety of research resources and repositories such as censuses, vital records, wills. There are also searchable books about Schenectady County available for digital use. 

 

Maps

 

Other Records

 

 

 

 

Selected Bibliography

Abstracts, Indexes & Transcriptions 

  • Barber, Gertrude Audrey. “Abstracts of Wills of Schenectady County, NY.” Typescript, 1941. Index available from Berkshire Family History Association.
  • Brinkman, William A. “Records from Family Cemeteries Near Schenectady.” Typescript, 1914. Schenectady County Historical Society, Schenectady, NY.
  • Cormack, Marie N., and Katherine A. Furman. “New York State Cemetery Inscriptions: Albany County, Herkimer County, Montgomery County, Saratoga County, Schenectady County.” Typescript, 1940. [microfilm at FHL, NYSL]
  • County of Schenectady Abstracts. Syracuse: Central New York Genealogical Society, 2000. Abstracts for a range of genealogical records originally published in the quarterly Tree Talks.
  • 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.
  • Davenport, David P. The 1855 Census of Schenectady County, New York: An Index. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship Books, 1989.
  • “First Dutch Reformed Church of Schenectady, N.Y.” NYG&B Record, vol. 73 (1942) no. 1: 36–63, no. 2: 106–108. Marriages 1694–1768. See Kelly below. [NYG&B eLibrary]
  • Foote, Clarence. The Cemeteries of Duanesburg and Princetown. Schenectady, NY: Schenectady County Historical Society, 2002.
  • Keefer, Donald, comp. “1845 State Census—Town of Rotterdam, Schenectady Co.” The Mohawk, vol. 8 (1991) no. 3: 105-108, no. 4: 127-130; vol. 9 (1992) no. 1: 35.
  • Kelly, Arthur C. M. Baptism Records of Schenectady Reformed Church. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, 1987. Baptisms 1694–1811.
  • Kelly, Arthur C. M. Index to Tree Talks County Packet: Schenectady County. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, 2002.
  • Kelly, Arthur C. M. Vital Records of Niskayuna Reformed Church (1783–1861). Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, 1984.
  • “A List of the Freeholders of Schenectady, Before the Grant of Gov. Dongan.” NYG&B Record, vol. 3, no. 2 (1872): 71. [NYG&B eLibrary]
  • Luckhurst, Charlotte T. “Copies of Schenectady County Family Bible Records.” Typescript, 1930. Library of Congress, Washington, DC. [HathiTrust.org]
  • Luckhurst, Charlotte T. “Early Schenectady Cemetery Records: First Reformed Church of Schenectady.” Typescript, 1914. NYPL, New York.
  • Luckhurst, Charlotte T. “Schenectady Dutch Church Members, 1694–1839.” Typescript, 1914. NYPL, New York.
  • Luckhurst, Charlotte T. “Scotia-Glenville, Cemetery Records.” Typescript, 1924 NYPL, New York.
  • Luckhurst, Charlotte T. “Vale Cemetery Records, Schenectady, NY.” Typescript, 1926. NYPL, New York. Index available from Berkshire Family History Association.
  • Reynolds, Neil B. “Schenectady County Genealogy from Surrogate’s Records: Genealogical Data from Wills, Probate Proceedings, Guardianship Petitions, etc., Filed in The Office of the Surrogate of Schenectady County.” Typescript, 1949. NYPL, New York.
  • Schenectady County, NYG&B Church Surveys Collection. NYG&B, 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

  • Beers, S. N. New Topographical Atlas of the Counties of Albany and Schenectady, New York: From Actual Surveys. Philadelphia, 1866. [NYPL Digital Gallery]
  • Burke, Thomas E. Mohawk Frontier: The Dutch Community of Schenectady, New York, 1661–1710. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991.
  • Capital District Genealogical Society Newsletter. Albany: Capital District Genealogical Society, 1982–present. [www.capitaldistrictgenealogicalsociety.org]
  • Child, Hamilton. Gazetteer and Business Directory of Albany and Schenectady Co., NY, for 1870–1. Syracuse, 1870.
  • Clark, Donna K. Schenectady County, NY, List of Depositories. Arvada, CO: Ancestor Publishers, 1986.
  • Foley, Janet W. Early Settlers of New York State: Their Ancestors and Descendants. 9 vols. Akron, NY: 1934–1942. Reprint, 2 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993.
  • Greene, Nelson. History of the Mohawk Valley, Gateway to the West, 1614–1925; Covering the Six Counties of Schenectady, Schoharie, Montgomery, Fulton, Herkimer, and Oneida. Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1925.
  • Hanson, Willis T. A History of Schenectady during the Revolution: To Which is Appended a Contribution to the Individual Records of the Inhabitants of Schenectady District during That Period. Interlaken, NY: Heart of the Lakes Publishing, 1988. First published 1916.
  • Howell, George R., and John H. Munsell. History of the County of Schenectady, NY, from 1662 to 1886. New York, 1885.
  • Kelly, Arthur C. M. The Mohawk. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, quarterly 1986–1998, annually 1999–2001
  • Kelly, Arthur C. M. Valley Quarterlies. Directory of articles (vols.1–15) and every- name index to the Capital, the Columbia, the Mohawk, and the Saratoga. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, CD-ROM, 2000.
  • Monroe, Joel H. Schenectady, Ancient and Modern: A Complete and Connected History of Schenectady from the Granting of the First Patent In 1661 to 1914, Presenting Many Historic Pictures and Portraits of Those Who Have Been Conspicuous Figures in Its History. Geneva, NY: Press of W. F. Humphrey, 1914.
  • New York Historical Resources Center. Guide to Historical Resources in Schenectady County, New York, Repositories. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 1983.
  • Pascucci, Robert R. “Electric City Immigrants: Italians and Poles of Schenectady, N.Y., 1880–1930.” PhD diss., State University of New York at Albany, Department of History, 1984.
  • Pearson, Jonathan. Contributions for the Genealogies of the Descendants of the First Settlers of the Patent and City of Schenectady, from 1662 to 1800. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982. First published 1873.
  • Rittner, Don. Schenectady: Frontier Village to Colonial City. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2011.
  • Rittner, Don. Schenectady: Then & Now. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2007.
  • Rosenthal, Susan C. Schenectady. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2000.
  • Staffa, Susan J. Schenectady Genesis: How a Dutch Colonial Village Became an American City, 1661–1800. Fleischmanns, NY: Purple Mountain Press, 2004.
  • Toll, Daniel J. A Narrative, Embracing the History of Two or Three of the First Settlers and Their Families, of Schenectady. Schenectady, NY, 1847.
  • Van Santvoord, C. A History of the County of Schenectady. Schenectady, 1887.
  • Yates, Austin A. Schenectady County, New York: Its History to the Close of the Nineteenth Century. New York: New York History Co., 1902. Index available from the Berkshire Family History Association.

 

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.