Local History
Orange County
- Assessment Rolls for Orange County (1775)
- Bellvale School Homepage
- A collection of historical information about Bellvale, NY, including homes, families, cemeteries, photos, etc.
- Brotherhood Winery
- "American's Oldest Winery," Washingtonville
- Chester Historical Society
- Includes exhibits, history of Chester, photos, videos, etc.
- The Concise History of Orange County
- D & H Canal Historical Society, High Falls
- The Erie Railroad - "The Work of the Age"
- 15th New York Cavalry
- Orange County based, Civil War group
- Greater Hudson Heritage Network
- The subtitle is "Guide to Sites and Sources of the Greater Hudson Heritage Network". Includes a brief history, historic sites, area historians, and libraries for the counties of the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Westchester and Western Connecticut.
- History of Auto Racing at the Fairgrounds
- The History of Orange County, New York (1881)
- History of Orange County by Edward Manning Ruttenber and Lewis H. Clark published in 1881, and contributed to Archive.org by the Library of Congress. Available to read online or to download in a number of formats.
- History of the Town of Wallkill
- By Dorothy Hunt-Ingrassia, Historian
- Making of America Journals Collection: Cornwall
- Making of America Journals Collection: A History of Deerpark
- View entire Making of America collection at this link.
- Middletown, A Photographic History
- "Middletown: A Retrospect of the Years"
- A concise history of Middletown, New York.
- "Middletown Firsts"
- Learn about when many things first came to be in Middletown, NY, such as the first school, first road, and first settler.
- Middletown Thrall Library, Local History
- Minisink Valley Historical Society - Maps of the Minisink Region
- The 124th New York State Volunteers "Orange Blossoms"
- Orange County Historic Sites and Attractions
- Pine Island, NY
- "Post Cards" - from the Centennial Celebration of Middletown, NY, 1888-1988
- Scotchtown Highlander
- Archived website (via archive.org). History, maps, news, government and other information concerning the area in the Town of Wallkill known as Scotchtown. Some of the site is still under construction.
- Sugar Loaf Historical
- Includes photographs, one of which is a painting by Jasper Cropsey, of Sugar Loaf, postcards, history, maps, etc.
- U.S. Military Academy Library Digital Collection
- Warwick Valley Facts and History
Hudson Valley
- The Catskills Institute
- Non-profit organization dedicated to understanding the past and perserving the record of Jewish life in the Catskills
- DigitalHudson (Fordham University)
- A repository of resources on the Hudson River
- Grapes of the Hudson Valley
- "Where Wine Making in America Began"
- Historic River Towns
- Historic Sites of the Hudson Valley
- History Keepers' Companion
- The subtitle is "Guide to Sites and Sources of the Greater Hudson Heritage Network". Includes a brief history, historic sites, area historians, and libraries for the counties of the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Westchester and Western Connecticut.
- The History of Hudson River Ferry Service
- Historic Hudson Valley
- Historic Hudson Valley Manuscript Collections, 1585-1938
- The Hudson River Bookstore
- Hudson River History
- Hudson River Maritime Musem
- "The Hudson River Maritime Museum is the only museum in New York State exclusively preserving the maritime history of the Hudson River."
- Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area
- A federally funded program created by Congress in 1996.The mission of the Heritage Area is to recognize, preserve, protect, and interpret the nationally significant cultural and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley for the benefit of the nation.
- Hudson River - History
- The Hudson River PCB Story
- Hudson River Valley Heritage
- The Hudson River Valley Institute (Marist College)
- The digital library contains documents, lesson plans, and related links.
- Hudson Valley Ruins
- Local Newspapers
- The Loyal American Regiment
- New York Loyalists from lower Dutchess and Westchester counties.
- Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project
- History of antislavery in the Mid-Hudson Valley, with special emphasis on the Underground Railroad.
- New Paltz History
- Rockland Room at the New City Library
- A Virtual Trip on the Historic Hudson River
- Westchester County Archives
New York State
- African American History of Western New York
- Albany Institute of Historical Art
- American Association For State and Local History
- Colonial Money of New York
- Delaware County, New York
- A NYGenWeb Site
- Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
- "The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor encompasses New York's canal system and the communities that grew along its shores."
- Existing Railroad Stations in New York
- Historical Newspapers From New York State
- "Search Over 21,790,000 Old New York State Historical Newspaper Pages." Full text search with advanced options. Pages are presented as PDF files. An index of newspapers can be found at this link.
- A History of Kingston
- Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial of 2009
- The website includes history, exploration and events.
- Local Histories by the New York State Library
- Making of America
- New York Heritage
- "NewYorkHeritage.org is a research portal for students, educators, historians, genealogists, and others who are interested in the Empire State's history."
- New York History Net
- New York State Archives
- View digital copies of some photograghs, documents, and videos from the collections of the New York State Archives. Guides, fact sheets and finding aids to the records in the New York State Archives and other repositories can be found from here also.
- New York State Canal System
- See also their The Erie Canal: A Brief History page.
- New York State Governors
- New York State Historical Literature
- A collection of historical texts about New York, digitized by Cornell University Library.
- Trolley Museum of NY
- Kingston
- Ulster County Home Page
- The Underground Railroad in Rochester, New York
- Warwick Valley History (Town of Warwick & Sugar Loaf)
- From the Albert Wisner Library
Historical Societies
- Columbia County Historical Society
- This website includes sections on collections, research,etc. with genealogical resources and an online index to cemetery books.
- Drowned Lands Historical Society
- History of the Black Dirt Region in the Hudson Valley.
- Historical Society of Rockland County
- The Historical Society of the Town of Warwick, NY
- Includes Warwick history, photo gallery, archival materials.
- Historical Society of Walden & the Wallkill Valley
- The website includes a tour of Walden House, where the His. Soc. is located, and a reprint of a booklet on the history of Walden.
- Huguenot Historical Society
- Historic Huguenot Street, New Paltz.
- Middletown & New Jersey Railway Historical Society
- Minisink Valley Historical Society
- New York State Historical Association
- North Jersey Highlands Historical Society
- Ontario & Western Railway Historical Society
- Sullivan County Historical Society
- Sussex County Historical Society
- Large collection of genealogical material related to families from Sussex County and the surrounding area)
- Ulster County History & Culture
- Westchester Historical Society
Museums / Historic Sites
Orange County
- Adirondack History Network
- "A site for teachers/students, developed by the Adirondack Museum, to aid in the study of state/local history."
- Bull Stone House
- Bull Stone House is a living museum that has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Gomez Mill House Virtual Museum
- Goshen Historic Track, Inc.
- The World's Oldest Harness Track (1838)
- Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame
- History and other information on racing horses. The Museum is located in Goshen, NY.
- History Keepers' Companion
- The subtitle is "Guide to Sites and Sources of the Greater Hudson Heritage Network". Includes a brief history, historic sites, area historians, and libraries for the counties of the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Westchester and Western Connecticut.
- Hoffman Lodge No. 412, F&AM, Free & Accepted Masons
- This website includes "A History of the Hoffman Lodge No. 412 F & AM The First 150 Years" which was written to commemorate the sesquicentennial on April 21, 2007.
- Museum Village (Monroe, NY)
- New York State Museum
- Albany, New York.
- Neversink Valley Area Museum
- O & W Museum
- Orange County Firefighters Museum
- The museum website includes firematic exhibits, a list of Orange County Fire Departments/Companies, stories and memories, and links to other fire museums.
- Town of Minisink Museum
Hudson Valley
- Columbia County, NY
- Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill
- History Keepers' Companion
- The subtitle is "Guide to Sites and Sources of the Greater Hudson Heritage Network". Includes a brief history, historic sites, area historians, and libraries for the counties of the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Westchester and Western Connecticut.
- Hudson River Maritime Museum
- Mount Gulian
- Includes history of the Wappinger Indians and of the Dutch family Verplanck. Mount Gulian was used during the Revolutionary War by Gen. Von Steuben, who helped to create the Society of the Cincinnati.
- Museums along the Hudson
- Revolutionary War Heritage Trail Sites in the Hudson Valley
- Roscoe O&W Railway Museum
New York State
- Empire State Railway Museum
- Old Rhinebeck Museum
- Antique Aeroplanes
- Susan B. Anthony House
- (Rochester, NY)
- Women's Rights National Historical Park
- (Seneca Falls, NY)
Genealogy
Introduction to Genealogy & Genealogical Research
- Bibliographies and Guides
- "Guides to the genealogy collections of the Library of Congress, compiled by reference librarians and available in full text by selecting the desired link." From the Library of Congress. See also their main Genealogy page.
- Cyndi's List: Genealogical Information for Beginners
- Hints, tips, research topics, and more.
- Family History and Genealogy Resources
- "Find Census, immigration, and military records, and record-finding aids for genealogists and family historians." From USA.gov. See also their Vital Records / Documents page.
- FamilySearch Learning Center
- "Browse hundreds of online genealogy courses to help you discover your family history." Choose courses by geographical location and topic. Includes introductory/beginners courses as well as advanced video lessons. From The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Genealogists/Family Historians - Start Your Genealogy Research
- Information, documents, and tips and other information for both beginning and experienced genealogists. Provided by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
- Genealogy Research in Military Records
- From the U.S. National Archives.
- Genealogy Tips and Guidelines for Beginners of Family Trees
- From GenealogicalJourneys.com.
- How Genealogy Works
- From How Stuff Works.
- Introduction to Genealogy
- A free online class. From About.com.
- Research Tips: First Steps in Family History
- From The Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS).
New York State & Local
- Census Online - New York
- Cyndi's List: New York
- Goshen Public Library: Obituaries
- Index to obituary listings of the Goshen Independent Republican from 1813 through the present.
- Hints for Starting Your Family Tree
- (NYSL)
- Long Island Genealogy
- The Making of America
- "The Cornell University Library Making of America Collection is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology."
- Middletown Thrall Library: Family Genealogies
- A bibliography of genealogical works available at Middletown Thrall Library's Local History Department. Adobe PDF format.
- Middletown Thrall Library: Local Family Names
- A list of local names of families maintained in our Local History Department's vertical file. Adobe PDF format.
- New York Heritage
- This site brings together accessible digital collections from libraries, museums and archives from all over NYS.
- New York State Department of Health: Genealogy Records & Resources
- Information about vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates).
- New York State GenWeb
- New York State Library's Genealogy Gollection
- New York State Military Records
- Civil War, Mexican Border Conflict, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam.
- New York State Wills
- Online New York Death Records, Indexes & Obituaries
- A Genealogy Guide for New York City and State
- The Poorhouse Story
- Roots-L NY
- Sullivan County, NY Genealogy Page
- Vital Records: Where to Get Copies of Birth and Death Certificates in New York State
- From the New York State Department of Health
General Genealogical Sites
- 101 Ways to Research Your Family Tree for Free
- "Alternatives to Pay-For-Use Genealogy Sites on the Internet." From About.com.
- AfriGeneas - African Ancestored Genealogy
- Ancestry.com
- Please click here to access the Library Edition if you using one of the computers in Middletown Thrall Library.
- Cemetery Records Online
- DAR Library
- Daughters of the American Revolution
- Deciphering Old Handwriting
- Everton's Genealogical Helper Online Edition
- Family Search
- From the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints
- Family Tree Maker
- Genealogy.com
- Includes genealogy classes and a directory containing over 72,000 genealogy websites.
- The Genealogy Home Page
- Helm's Genealogy Toolbox
- Heritage Quest
- International Society of Sons & Daughters of Slave Ancestry (ISDSA)
- Their goal is to identify and preserve African American family history.
- Jewish Genealogy: The Home of Jewish Genealogy
- Kindred Trails
- Library of Congress: Local History & Genealogy Reading Room
- Native American Genealogy
- New England Historic Genealogical Society
- The Olive Tree Genealogy
- Free genealogical data online
- Roots Surname List Finder
- RootsWeb.com
- The Ships List
- Treasure Maps, the How-to-Genealogy Site and E-mail Newsletter
- U. S. Gazetteer
- U. S. GenWeb
Genealogical Societies
- Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Department
- Delaware County, NY Genealogical and History Site
- Federation of Genealogical Societies
- Genealogical Societies in New York State
- Genealogical Society of Rockland County
- National Genealogy Society
- The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
- Northeastern New York Genealogy
- Orange County Genealogical Society
- Polish Genealogical Society of New York State
- Ulster County Genealogy & History
- Ulster County Genealogical Society
- Ulster County NY Genealogy Forum
- Westchester County Genealogical Society
Preserving Family Treasures
- Cylinder, Disc and Tape Care in a Nutshell
- From the Library of Congress.
- Preserving Your Family History Records Digitally
- A five part series from FamilySearch.org.
- Family Treasures
- Steps to take before a disaster happens to protect your family treasures. From the Library of Congress.
See also:
- Ready Reference: Antiques
- Ready Reference: Books
- Ready Reference: Collectibles
- Ready Reference: Photography - Preserving
Publishers & Bookstores
- Genealogy Publishing Company - New York Books
- Heritage Books
- Major publisher of genealogical and historical books.
- Higginson Book Company
- Hope Farm Press & Bookshop
- Excellent selection of local history books
- Kinship
- Publisher of NY genealogies
