Local History

& Genealogy

Resources on the Web


A Directory from the Local History Department
at Middletown Thrall Library

> Browse local history & genealogy
materials in the library system




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Local History

Orange County

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
1775 Assessment Rolls for Orange County
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.
History of Auto Racing at the Fairgrounds
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
Orange County, NY, Local History and Genealogy
Pine Island, NY
"Post Cards" - from the Centennial Celebration of Middletown, NY, 1888-1988
Scotchtown Highlander
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



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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



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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
A History of Kingston
History of the Canal System of the State of New York
Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial of 2009
The website includes history, exploration and events.
Images of Rochester
History of Rochester
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
River Resource
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



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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



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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)
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



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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 Valley Museums and Historic Sites
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.
Revolutionary War Heritage Trail Sites in the Hudson Valley
Roscoe O&W Railway Museum



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New York State

Empire State Railway Museum
Old Rhinebeck Museum
Antique Aeroplanes
Strong Museum (Rochester, NY)
Susan B. Anthony House
(Rochester, NY)
Women's Rights National Historical Park
(Seneca Falls, NY)



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Genealogy

Introduction to Genealogy & Genealogical Research

Cyndi's List: Genealogical Information for Beginners
Hints, tips, research topics, and more.
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 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).



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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



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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
The library has a subscription that can be used at the 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
Immigration & Ships Passenger List Research Guide
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
National Archives Census Microfilm Rental Program
Native American Genealogy
New England Historic Genealogical Society
North American Genealogy Resources
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



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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
International Internet Genealogy Society
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



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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:


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Publishers & Bookstores

Genealogy Publishing Company - New York Books
Higginson Book Company
Hope Farm Press & Bookshop
Excellent selection of local history books
Kinship
Publisher of NY genealogies
Willow Bend Book Store
A division of Heritage Books, Inc. Over 12,000 books, CDs, and maps pertaining to history and genealogy from over 200 publishers









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