Oswego County, New York Genealogy

United States Genealogy

New York

Oswego County

Guide to Oswego County, New York ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

This page describes sources of genealogical data about Oswego County, New York Genealogy families, including links to smaller localities at the bottom of this page. New York, United States Genealogy-related pages show useful statewide sources. United States Genealogy pages explain the terminology and contents of genealogical records.

New York Online Genealogy Records

Oswego County, New York
Map
Location in the state of New York, United States Genealogy
Location of New York in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	March 1, 1816
County Seat	Oswego
Courthouse
Address	46 East Bridge Street Oswego, New York 13126 Oswego County Website

Oswego County New York Historical Facts

Description

The County was named for the Mohawk language word meaning "the outpouring", referring to the mouth of the Oswego River. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

Oswego County, New York Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1880	1907	1880	1791	1791	1816	1663
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Parent County

1 March 1816: Oswego County was created from parts of Oneida and Onondaga counties.

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating New York County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation New York County Boundary Maps" (1683-1915) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Fulton	Oswego (county seat)
Towns
Albion Amboy Boylston Constantia Granby Hannibal Hastings Mexico	Minetto New Haven Orwell Oswego Palermo Parish Redfield Richland	Sandy Creek Schroeppel Scriba Volney West Monroe Williamstown
Villages
Central Square Cleveland Hannibal	Lacona Mexico Parish	Phoenix Pulaski Sandy Creek
Census-designated places
Altmar Brewerton	Constantia Minetto	Sand Ridge

Oswego County New York Genealogy Resources

Bible Records

• 1581–1917 New York, Family Bible Records at Ancestry– ($); Index. Database is a collection of genealogically important records taken from the Bibles of colony and state residents. Reveals the Bible's original owner, brief record of descendants,and a particular event such as birth or marriage as recorded in Bible.
  

Cemeteries

Cemetery records often reveal birth, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Online Grave Transcripts	Published Grave Transcripts	County Cemetery Directories
Findagrave.com*	Family History Library*	Findagrave.com*
Interment.net*	WorldCat*	Tombstone Transcription Project*
Cemetery Site*		NYGenWeb Cemeteries*
New York Gravestones*		Names in Stone*
NYGenWeb Cemeteries*		Billion Graves*
Billion Graves*		FamilySearch Places
Names in Stone*
Linkpendium*
Ancestry*
NY Genealogy - Stories in Stone
USGenWb Archives
*See the New York Cemeteries page for details about each site.

• 1800-1965 - New York, Cemetery Abstracts, 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	12,374	—
1830	27,119	119.2%
1840	43,619	60.8%
1850	62,198	42.6%
1860	75,958	22.1%
1870	77,941	2.6%
1880	77,911	−0.0%
1890	71,883	−7.7%
1900	70,881	−1.4%
1910	71,664	1.1%
1920	71,045	−0.9%
1930	69,645	−2.0%
1940	71,275	2.3%
1950	77,181	8.3%
1960	86,118	11.6%
1970	100,897	17.2%
1980	113,901	12.9%
1990	121,771	6.9%
2000	122,377	0.5%
2010	122,109	−0.2%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see New York Census.

Federal

U.S. Census Mortality Schedules for New York, 1850-1880:

• Available online at Ancestry ($).
• Deaths are included for the 12 months prior to the census, 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, and 1879-80 beginning 1 June and ending 31 May of the census year.
• Basic contents of the records include: Name, sex, age, color, marital status, place of birth, month of death, occupation, and cause of death. 1870 also has parents' birthplace. 1880 lists how long a resident of the county.
• Also on FHL Films 1415128–42.

State

Source	1825	1835	1845	1855	1865	1875	1892	1905	1915	1925
Ancestry.com	-	-	-	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes
Family History Library Films	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
FamilySearch Images	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
New York State Library Films	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes

New York State 1865 and 1875 Census Marriage, Mortality; and 1865 Soldier Mortality records:

• Images available online at New York State Census, 1865 and New York State Census, 1875. Click on the link to go to the page, then click on the ‘Browse through images’ link and select your county, then select an ancestor's town and browse to the end of the population schedule until you find the Marriage, Mortality, and 1865 soldier mortality schedules.
• Includes marriages and deaths for the 12 months prior to the census, ending 1 June of the census year.
• Marriage entry content: Husband's name, wife's name, ages and previous marital status, month and day and place of marriage, and church or civil ceremony.
• Death entry content: Name, age, sex, color, marital status, month and day of death, native state or country, occupation and cause of death.
• 1865 deaths of officers and enlisted men entry content: Name, age, marital status, citizenship status, enlistment date, original regiment, original rank, regiment at death, rank at death, promotions, death date and place, manner of death, surviving associates, and burial place.
• Also on microfilm. See the Family History Library line in the above State Census Chart.

Church Records

Church records are good substitutes for birth, marriage, and death information and are most often found on a local city/town or county level.  Published and manuscript church records can be found at public, university, and private libraries.

For a brief general history of denominations and a guide to finding various New York denomination's records, see New York Church Records Wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places

• 1840s-1870s - Marriages by Rev. J.H. Steward, Watertown, N.Y., courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.

• 1854-1886 - Marriages at The Old Corn Hill Methodist Church, Utica, N.Y., 1854-1886, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.

• 1880s-1920s - Baptisms and Death Sightings, Oswego County, N.Y., courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.

• 1881 - Minutes of the Forty-Ninth Anniversary of the Oswego Baptist Association, 1881, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
• 1865-1969 Sandy Creek Methodist Episcopal Church FHL film 1378829 Item 11 Contains baptisms 1865-1895, marriages 1865-1883, alphabetical list of members including deaths 1854-1915, class record including deaths 1867-1918. Includes many members listed as residing at Ellisburg, Jefferson County, New York.

Cornell University's Study Center for Early Religious Life in Western New York has an online guide to Oswego County church records in their library.

Additional Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Oswego County, New York Genealogy Church Records  in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Court Records

Ancestors may have also been involved in municipal, state, or federal court cases. See also New York Court Records and United States Court Records.

Emigration and Immigration

• 1906-1942 - New York Book Indexes to Passenger Lists, 1906-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Genealogy

• Rootsweb message board for Oswego County, New York Genealogy has many information threads about families that resided in that county. There is a search engine that allows you to search by surname and topic.
  

• Additional Resources
  *Oswego County, New York Genealogy and Historical Resource Site

History

• Oswego County New York History - Select by town (AHGP History Section)
• Town Historians and Historical Societies- Oswego County NYGenWeb

Land and Property

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See New York Land and Property for more details, especially about the papers generated in New York State by large speculative land companies.

Original land records in Oswego County, New York Genealogy began in [?dateyear?]. These records are housed at the [?repository?] in [?town?].

Online

Microforms

Books

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Oswego County, New York Genealogy deeds. (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
• FamilySearch Catalog using the search phrase: 1, New York - Land and Property. (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search.)

• 1791-1836 - Oswego Deed Index 1791-1836

Additional resources

Additional resources for Oswego County, New York Genealogy land records may be found in the Oswego County, New York Genealogy – Land Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche may be available for viewing at various Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the WorldCat Online Catalog.

Maps

• Maps of New York (1683-1915)
• Oswego County 1867 Shows Towns of Oswego - New York Public Library Online
• Map of towns of Central New York - Only shows sourthern towns of Oswego County - Cortland County NYGenWeb

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Oswego County for European settlers included:

• Lake Ontario pre-historic
• Mohawk or Iroquois Trail 1722

Military

Civil War

• 1861-1865 - New York, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Town registers. The New York town clerks kept a bound register of all soldiers from their town serving in the Civil War 1861-1865. Registers are arranged by county, and town. Some town registers are missing. The registers include an index at the start of each town.

Content. Many register entries include full name, residence, date and place of birth, parents names, marital status, date of enlistment and muster and rank, discharges, death, or promotion.

Access. The original registers are at the New York State Archives in Albany, New York. Microfilm copies are found at the Family History Library (FHL Film 1993401-37). They are also indexed and available at Ancestry.com ($).

Available towns. Registers are available for: Albion · Amboy · Boylston · Constantia · Hastings · Orwell · Oswego · Palermo · Parish · Redfield · Richland · Sandy Creek · Schroeppel · Scriba · Williamstown.

• Wolcott, Walter. The military history of Yates County, N. Y. : comprising a record of the services rendered by citizens of this county in the army and navy, from the foundation of the government to the present time. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992) FHL Fiche 6083569

Regiments. Service men from Oswego County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county.

- 1st Battalion, New York Light Artillery, Batteries A and G.

- 6th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery, Company G.

- 6th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company G.

- 6th Regiment, New York Heavy Artillery, Company L.

- 7th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company B.

- 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies F and M, 2nd Company L.

- 11th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company F.

- 12th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company A and G.

- 15th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies B and I.

- 16th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company G.

- 20th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company B, I, K, L and M.

- 21st Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company B and D.

- 21st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 24th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company A, C, E, F, G, I and K.

- 24th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.

- 28th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.

- 37th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.

- 81st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 110th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.

- 147th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.

- 149th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.

- 189th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, E and H.

- 193rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, D, E and I.

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1791-1980 - New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1829-1957 - Oswego County Records Center - Will perform a search of naturalization records 1829 - 1957 for a $5 fee per name.

Newspapers

 

• Northern New York Historical Newspapers - Search the Fulton Patriot, years 1916-1954 , the Oswegonian, years 1935-2002, the Pulaski Democrat, years 1834-1990, and the Sandy Creek News, years 1871-1985, or all of them at once.
• Old Fulton Postcards - Free searchable web site which holds newspapers from upstate New York, including Oswego county.
• Oswego Palladium Times Ancestry ($)

Old Fulton NY Post Cards has the largest online collection of 400 New York 1795-2007 newspapers. The instructions for this quirky site are needed to get the most out of it.

• Search engine for all 400 newspapers.
• List of 400 newspapers 1795-2007 at this site.

• Wiki instructions for finding ancestors in Old Fulton NY Post Cards newspapers.
• Site's FAQ instructions about how to do searches.

Old Fulton NY Post Cards has the following Oswego County, New York Genealogy newspaper images:

• Cleveland NY Lakeside Press 1877-1930
• Fulton NY Chronicle 1837-1840
• Fulton NY Newspaper Index 1820-1880
• Fulton Patriot 1900-1993
• Fulton Patriot 1916-1954
• Fulton Times 1881-1917
• Mexico NY Independent 1861-1972
• Oswegonian of SUNY Oswego 1935-2002
• Phoenix NY Register 1958
• Valley News 1947-1999

Poorhouses, Poor law, etc.

There were two poorhouses and two insane asylums in Oswego County. There was a poorhouse and asylum for the city of Oswego which was located within the city. The County poorhouse and insane asylum were located in the town of Mexico.

Some information about inmates of the County Insane Asylum in Mexico can be found in the Staff of the County Insane Asylum at Mexico, NY

Probate Records

Probate records including original estates and wills for New York are held in the office of the county Surrogate Court beginning in 1787, or when the county was formed. Prior to 1787, most are housed at the New York State Archives. See New York Probate Records for more information about using probate records.
Content:  Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types:  Wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distribution.

Probate Petitions

In 1830, state law required the Surrogate Court clerk to issue a probate petition for a deceased individual with property. This petition, unique to New York, usually lists the deceased's death date. It also lists the heirs, their relationship to the deceased, and their residence. Alice Eichholz, Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Pub., 2004), 479. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27rb 2004. Henry B. Hoff, "Navigating New York Probate," American Ancestors 12 (Fall 2011): 57.

These petitions are often found in the estate files and can be obtained from the county Surrogate Court.

Online Abstracts and Indexes

• 1629 - 1971 New York Probate Records 1629-1971 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
• 1659 - 1999 New York Wills and Probate Records 1659-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
• 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835
  
• 1816-1901 - SAMPUBCO Browsable Index of testators of wills.
  
• 1866 - 1923 New York Kings County Estate Files 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images

Online Probate Records

Original county-by-county New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971 are available free online at FamilySearch. To access these records, click Historical Records below, then click "Browse through 1,630,900 images". Then select the county name, and then the probate records and time of interest.

• Historical Records - Oswego County: Administration bonds 1896-1900; Administration index 1827-1893; Administration orders 1896-1905; Administration records 1821-1830; Appraisal records 1849-1906; Common orders 1856-1892; Decrees, Orders 1896-1904; Dower records 1831-1880; Estate index 1846-1916; Final settlements 1856-1916; Guardianship appointments 1831-1852; Guardianship bonds 1890-1911; Guardianship index 1847-1892; Guardianship records 1896-1910; Letters of administration 1883-1909; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary 1825-1904; Letters of guardianship 1852-1916; Minutes 1834-1865; Proceedings 1896-1908; Proceedings index 1896-1902; Sales 1816-1955; Surrogate record index 1846-1876, 1912-1931; Surrogate records 1865-1896; Testamentary index 1837-1893; Will index 1816-1915, 1932-1971; Wills 1816-1901

Probate Records on Microfilm
Probate records found at Historical Records and described in Online Probate Records above are also found on microfilm as follows:

• 1816–1915 Probate Records FHL Film 866842 (50 films)

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Oswego County, New York Genealogy probate wills in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Repositories

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Oswego County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1984). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.767 A3g and film 1425056 Item 7. Includes index. Includes sources for family history and genealogy.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

• Northern New York Library Network - Oswego County

Penfield Library Oswego State University of New York 7060 State Route 104 Oswego, NY 13126-3514 Phone: 315-312-3537

Genealogical Resources: Newspapers, manuscripts, maps, and more. Archives and Special Collections Genealogical Resources

County Historian's Office

Justin White, Historian 384 East River Road Oswego, NY 13126 Phone: (315) 349-8460 Fax: (315) 349-8458

Hours: Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Genealogical Resources: Federal census: 1820, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880; New York State census: 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, 1925; naturalizations, marriages 1908-1935, miscellaneous records, civil court records, maps, Oswego City directories 1869-present, Fulton City directories of 20th century, cemetery records for 180 cemeteries, and local histories.

Courthouses

The Oswego County Clerk's office has marriage, land, court and military discharge records. The Records Center has the state census from 1850-1925, naturalization and some burial records. The Surrogate Court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Oswego County are held, see the Oswego County Courthouse page.

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Fulton New York Family History Center
• Pulaski New York Family History Center

Societies

Oswego County Historical Society
135 East 3rd St.
Oswego, New York 13126
Phone: 315-343-1342
E-mail: och@rbhousemuseum.org

Oswego Masonic District Historical Society
Phoenix Temple
451 Main Street
Phoenix, New York 13135

Heritage Foundation of Oswego County PO Box 405 Oswego, NY 13126 Phone: 315-342-3354

Genealogical Resources: The Heritage Foundation "protects and promotes the historic and architectural landmarks of Oswego County". The group gives tours of some of the 19th Century buildings.

Central New York Genealogical Society Box 104, Calvin Station Syracuse, New York 13205 E-mail: CNYSG@yahoo.com

Genealogical Resources: :Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publication: Tree Talks (At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974.7 B2t) quarterly with annual index. Counties served: Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Oreleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Washington, Wayne, Warren, Wyoming, and Yates.

• Town Historians and Historical Societies - Oswego County NYGenWeb

Social Groups Online

• New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Town Records

Town records in New York may include early births, marriages, deaths, divorces, local histories, selected military records, and town meeting minutes. Vital records from 1880/1882 are kept by town and village clerks, although some (Kent’s and Putnam Valley’s) are available in the County Historian’s Office. For further details, try the links to individual town Wiki pages found in Places. See also:

• Gordon L. Remington, New York Towns, Villages, and Cities: A Guide to Genealogical Sources (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002). NEHGS online edition; At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974.7 D27r. Alphabetical list including date founded, if a town history exists, church and cemetery sources, and if a Civil War register (TCR) exists.
• Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Putnam County for the Year 1904 (New York: Martin B. Brown, 1905)
  
• Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Putnam County for the Year 1922 (Poughkeepsie: Lansing Broas, 1923)
• List of Town Clerks, Record Managers and Historical Societies
  

The County Archives has the following records:

• 031 Petitions, Licenses, and recognizance to sell liquor (Tavern licenses) 1813-1878
• 139 Monthly Reports of Hunting and fishing licenses, 1908-1938
• 165 Certificates of Qualifications as Examiner in Lunacy, 1883-1947
  

Vital Records

Vital records of birth, marriage or death were first recorded at the local level in the village clerk, town clerk, or city clerk’s ledger book. If you know where a birth, marriage or death took place, a copy of the certificate or record may be obtained by writing to the town, village or city clerk. See also How to order New York Vital Records or order electronically online.

See the heading Places on this wiki page for links to local community wiki pages and their available records. See New York Vital Records for a discussion about beginning dates and availability of vital records in New York.

Use substitute records for birth, marriage, and death information. These substitute records include Bible Records, Cemeteries, Church Records, Newspapers, and Probate Records.

• 1834-2002 Northern NY Library Network Newspaper Search. Includes Fulton Patriot (1916-1954), Oswegonian (1935-2002), Pulaski Democrat (1834-1990), and Sandy Creek News (1871-1985).

Birth

Early births were recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. (List of towns) The New York State Department of Health (state level) began recording births in 1881. Births were not recorded on the county level.

• Oswego County Vital Records Links - Public Records Search
  

• 1881-1942 Reclaim the Records: New York State Birth Index at Archive.org - images of index

Birth Substitutes

• 1640–1962 New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
  

• See Town Clerks' Registers of Men who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for birth information.
  

Marriage

Early marriages were sometimes recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. In 1880, town clerks were to record the marriage and a copy was sent to the New York State Department of Health (state level). Town clerks continue to record marriages. The marriages in this county were recorded by the county clerk from 1907 until 1934.

• 1639-1962 - New York, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $

• 1664–1784 New York. Secretary of State, Names of Persons for Whom Marriage Licenses Were Issued By the Secretary of the Province of New York, Previous to 1784 (Albany, New York: Weed, Parsons and Co., 1860). At Cornell University digital library-free; Internet Archive - free; Ancestry edition($); At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Film 514675 Item 1 or 930131 Item 2. Marriage bonds issued in the State of New York prior to 1784, and the earliest record dating 1664.
  

• 1847–1848 and 1908–1936 New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936 at FamilySearch — index and images
  

• 1881-1964 Reclaim the Records: New York State Marriage Index at Archive.org - images of index

• 1908–1936 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; FHL film 872940 (first of 26 films).
  

• Oswego County Vital Records Links - Public Records Search
  

Marriage Substitutes

• 1686-1980 New York Marriages, 1686–1890 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.
  

• 1800–1855 New York Marriage Notices at Ancestry– ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage notices published in newspapers around the state. Contains name of bride and groom, marriage date, marriage location, residence, and newspaper found in.
  

• 1801–1880 Barber Collection- Newspaper Marriages at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
  

• 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); Index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browsable.
  

• 1864-5, 1874-5 See Marriage Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for marriage information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
  

Divorce

Pre–1787	All divorces were granted by the governor or legislature and were very rare.
1787–1847	All divorces were granted by the court of chancery. These records are found in the New York State Archives or for the New York City area at the New York County Clerk's office.These divorces were granted only on the grounds of adultery.
1847–present	All divorces are handled by the county Supreme Court where the divorce was granted. Divorce files in New York are sealed for 100 years. Contact the County Clerk for information about divorce records.

Divorce judgment papers often include date and place of the marriage and the names and birthdates of any children. Local newspapers may publish notices of divorce actions.

Death

Early deaths were recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. (List of towns) The New York State Department of Health (state level) began recording deaths in 1881. Deaths were not recorded on the county level.

Death Indexes

• 1824-1962 - New York, Church and Civil Deaths, 1824-1962 at FamilySearch — index
• 1880-1956 - New York, State Death Index, 1880-1956 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1880-1956 - New York, Death Index, 1880-1956 at Ancestry — ($), index only
  
• 1880-1956 - Reclaim the Records: New York State Death Index at Archive.org - images of index
• 1957-1963 - New York State Health Department, Genealogical Research Death Index, 1957-1963 at FamilySearch — Index only
  
• Oswego County Vital Records Links - Public Records Search
  

Death Substitutes

• 1795–1952 New York Deaths and Burials, 1795-1952 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. The entries are primarily from the IGI along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as Family Records, Church Records, and Civil Registration. There may be entries that cite a specific source.
  

• 1801–1890 Barber Collection- Newspaper Deaths at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
  

• 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, 1879-80 See Mortality Schedule information in the Federal Census section of Census for death information.
  

• 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); Index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browsable.
  

• See Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for death information.
  

• 1864-5, 1874-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
  

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Oswego County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the New York, Oswego– Vital Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the WorldCat Online Catalog.

Oswego County New York Places

Click on the map to go to the town page.

Oswego County New York Genealogy Websites

• Oswego County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• The Oswego County NYGenWeb Project, a member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• US Gen Web Archives Owego County
• Oswego County Links - Cyndi's List - Scroll or search down to "Oswego" for Oswego County Links
• Oswego County Links - Gen Net - American Local History Network (ALHN) and the American History and Genealogy Project (AHGP).
• Oswego County Links - GenealogyLinks.net
• Oswego County Links - My New York Genealogy
• Oswego County Links - I Dream of Genealogy - Scroll to Oswego County
• Oswego County Vital Records Links - Public Records Search
  
• Oswego County Links - Oswego County Records Center
• Oswego County Genealogy

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Family History Library

International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) - free