Genealogists researching New York State records should understand the structure of local government in this state (outside of New York City). New York's counties are divided into towns and cities, and towns in turn can be divided into villages. The terms "town," "city," and "village" have distinct meanings in this state and should not be used indiscriminately.
The present structure dates back to 1788 when all the existing counties were divided into towns and cities. Before that year counties could be divided into towns, cities, wards, precincts, districts, or manors.
Towns are sometimes referred to informally as townships, but the official designation in New York State is "Town." Town governments provide essential services that in other states might be provided directly by the county.
Cities have their own governments completely apart from the towns but (except in the case of New York City) still subordinate to the county. A city may have been formed from part of a town, or may have replaced a former town entirely. Cities were traditionally subdivided into wards, and some still maintain that structure.
Unincorporated Villages: Within each town there are many local communities with distinct identities, that may be referred to as villages, hamlets, or just neighborhoods. Most of these are unincorporated, meaning they have no government of their own and are dependent on the town for all services.
Incorporated Villages: Beginning in the 19th century, some communities have chosen to become incorporated villages, meaning that they have their own governments which perform functions which otherwise would be provided by the towns. It is important to understand, however, that incorporated villages are still part of their respective towns, and their residents still receive some services from the town government.
The careful genealogist will always refer to a location by its proper title, whether town, city, or village, and will seek out the records appropriate to that level of government. It is also important to use the names in effect at the time an event occurred, and if those names have since changed, to indicate the changes in parentheses. Thus, if someone was born in 1850 in Hempstead, they were born in Queens County, but today Hempstead is in Nassau County, so the place could be indicated as “Hempstead, Queens (now Nassau) County.”
by Harry Macy Jr., FASG, FGBS
Vetted for accuracy July 2011
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